Karen Kasler

The Ohio House has its third speaker in two years, as lawmakers ousted Larry Householder (R-Glenford) as speaker for his role in an alleged bribery scheme related to last year’s nuclear bailout law.

Larry Householder has been removed as speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives by a unanimous vote, after his arrest last week on a federal racketeering charge related to the nuclear bailout law he pushed last year. 

With a vote set to remove House Speaker Larry Householder tomorrow morning and just two candidates in the race to replace him, there’s apparently a disagreement among Republicans on how that can happen.

Republicans in the Ohio House will remove their leader in a floor vote on Thursday, after deciding to do so in a secret ballot Tuesday. But it’s unlikely that they’ll vote to expel Larry Householder, who’s facing a federal racketeering charge related to the nuclear bailout he pushed last year.

Republican members of the Ohio House will meet Tuesday afternoon to discuss picking a new Speaker for the second time in a little over two years, as they consider what to do about current leader Larry Householder, who’s facing a racketeering charge related to the nuclear bailout law he pushed.

There were more than 1,400 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Ohio Thursday, with 21 new confirmed deaths. And the numbers of people hospitalized with COVID are at their highest levels so far in the pandemic. But the state’s hospitals say they’re ready.

After Larry Householder’s arrest on racketeering charges, his future as Ohio House Speaker may be cloudy – though he hasn’t said clearly if he will resign. Gov. Mike DeWine has called for Householder to quit, and says he’ll consider taking action if his fellow Republicans in the House do not.

House Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) has been arrested in connection to a $60 million public corruption racketeering conspiracy case. Federal agents were at his farm in Perry County Tuesday morning.

A bill that would give Ohio’s local school boards the power to allow employees to carry guns in school buildings gets its first Senate hearing in almost two months on Tuesday. But gun control groups say the bill also eliminates required weapons training for those workers.

Gov. Mike DeWine said he was looking to send a strong message about masks to some of his fellow Republican lawmakers in his speech on Wednesday. And he's also hinting that schools should prepare to go back to online learning and not to the classroom.

The panel that manages the Ohio Statehouse grounds has proposed a way to petition for the removal of statues on Capitol Square – including the monument to Christopher Columbus, the only Columbus statue left in the city. 

Gov. Mike DeWine’s Wednesday evening speech seemed to be a warning to Ohioans to wear masks or risk another round of shutdowns and closures. DeWine’s fellow Republican Speaker Larry Householder has been critical of some of DeWine’s COVID-19 responses.  But in an interview for "The State of Ohio", Householder said he thought the speech was good.

It’s state and federal tax filing day – delayed by three months because of coronavirus.

The nation’s nursing homes lobbying group has written to Ohio’s Mike DeWine and other governors, warning that without action now there will be more outbreaks, especially if visitors are allowed back in to see loved ones after months away.

A conservative think tank has filed a lawsuit against the city of Columbus and the state of Ohio, claiming that its employees who live outside of Columbus shouldn’t have paid city income taxes while working during the state’s stay at home order.

The state reported just under 1500 confirmed new coronavirus cases Friday, as mask mandates go into effect in 12 counties at 6pm. Ohio joins a growing number of states setting single-day records for new coronavirus cases.

Ohioans in a total of 12 counties will be required to wear masks starting Friday at 6pm. But there continue to be questions about the enforcement and legality of that and other public health orders, as lawmakers push back on some of the state’s COVID-19 responses.

The number of counties where masks are required in indoor business spaces and public places has gone up to 12, with one county falling off the initial list and five more being added.

Gov. Mike DeWine’s requirement that people in seven hot-spot counties wear masks inside businesses and in public places starting Wednesday night at 6 has raised the question of how it will be enforced.

Nearly three quarters of all confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Ohio have been in nursing homes. Ohio National Guard personnel have been helping with testing in long term care facilities, but the funding for them to continue that and other pandemic related missions runs out in a month.