No matter what happens with Issue 1, the amendment that would make it harder to change the state constitution, Ohioans will vote in November on an amendment to guarantee abortion access. Polls have repeatedly shown that the majority of Ohioans support a woman’s right to abortion – which is perhaps why anti-abortion activists are framing the question as an “anti-parent” initiative. Currently, 50% plus one vote is necessary to approve an amendment to the Ohio Constitution. If voters on Aug. 8 approve Issue 1, however, the threshold would jump to 60%. Issue 1 also would expand signature-gathering requirements for constitutional amendments, but those changes wouldn’t affect the abortion-rights amendment because they don’t take effect until 2024. The Republican-dominated General Assembly scheduled the special election to thwart the abortion rights amendment. In “purple” and “red” states, abortion rights have received 52% to 59% of the vote when they’ve been on the ballot since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer. Ohio will be the seventh state in the country to vote on abortion rights, following Kansas, Michigan, Kentucky, Vermont, Montana and California. -- Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
|
|
Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights delivers two U-Haul trucks full of boxes of signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State's office earlier this month. |
|
|
Abortion amendment: Abortion rights will be on the November ballot in Ohio. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Tuesday said the campaign backing a constitutional amendment proposal to protect abortion rights submitted 495,938 total valid signatures from 55 counties, reports Laura Hancock. Recreational marijuana: The campaign backing a recreational, adult-use marijuana proposal fell short of the number of signatures necessary to qualify for the Nov. 7 ballot, reports Laura Hancock. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol gets an additional 10 days to blanket the state with signature gatherers to collect another 679 valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot. RTA CEO raise: The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority trustees on Tuesday unanimously approved giving CEO and General Manager India Birdsong Terry a $56,000 raise, to $335,000, reports Kaitlin Durbin. Under her five-year contract, she’ll be eligible for future performance bonuses up to 15% of that salary. Elections workers: Early voters are turning out in droves ahead of the Aug. 8 special election at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. They’re greeted by a small army of elections workers who stand ready to process ballots – many of them “seasoned workers” who have been with the Board of Elections for more than 12 election cycles. Brenda Cain interviews some of the dozen staffers who man the 22 counters all day. Today in Ohio: Ohio ranks last in the nation for the threshold to help parents pay for child care. We’re talking on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast, about how Ohio just raised the line to 145% of the federal poverty level while other states are at more than 300%. |
|
|
K9 attack: After an Ohio police officer’s dog attacked an unarmed Black man who had his hands in the air, Gov. Mike DeWine proposed the construction of a new facility for police training. Jake Zuckerman reports DeWine said he will soon propose that Ohio build a “scenario-based training facility” that would be available to all law-enforcement agencies in the state, regardless of their size. Hunter Biden case: The Justice Department is eager for the U.S. attorney who handled Hunter Biden’s tax case to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee. Sabrina Eaton reports the department is “deeply concerned” its work has been misrepresented after IRS agents told the House Oversight and Accountability Committee last week that federal prosecutors had a pattern of “slow walking” the probe into the president’s son. Butter cow: The 2023 butter cow sculpture, an Ohio State Fair tradition, honors the cream of Ohio’s rich history of inventors, reports Jeremy Pelzer. The sculpture, unveiled Tuesday ahead of the fair opening today, uses more than 2,000 pounds of butter to depict Thomas Edison, of Milan, Ohio, with a light bulb and a phonograph, Garrett Morgan of Cleveland with a traffic light, Josephine Cochrane of Ashtabula County with a hand-powered dishwasher, and James Spangler of Akron and Stark County with a portable vacuum cleaner. |
|
|
Lakefront development: Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne made clear Tuesday that the county wants to be a major player in the redevelopment of the lakefront in downtown Cleveland, despite recent hiccups over the creation of a city/county lakefront development authority. Megan Sims reports Ronayne's comments came during a lakefront panel discussion that also included Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and other community leaders. RTA board members: Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne on Tuesday recommended reappointing one member and adding two new members to the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Board of Trustees. Kaitlin Durbin reports Ronayne nominated Deidre McPherson and Stephen Love to serve on the board, and recommended reappointing longtime board member Karen Moss. Chief of staff: Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne has named Erik Janas as his new chief of staff, replacing outgoing chief Eric Wobser. Lucas Daprile reports Janas is the deputy county administrator for Franklin County, where he supervises the departments of Economic Development and Planning, Sanitary Engineering, and Animal Care and Control. Courthouse move: Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne is looking to potentially relocate the county courthouse and sell the property it currently sits on, but the Justice Center’s occupants say they’ve been left out of planning. Court of Common Pleas Administrative Judge Brendan Sheehan and Cuyahoga Prosecutor Michael O’Malley say the county sprang the proposal on them with little chance for input, Kaitlin Durbin reports. Heat wave: While parts of Europe and the southwest United States have sweltered under record high temperatures, Northeast Ohio has been like a cooling center, although with a little smoke from Canada to contend with. Peter Krouse reports some of the heat is coming this way and the Cleveland area could experience three straight days of 90 degrees or above, starting today. Native plants: Some garden plants are part of the food chain for Northeast Ohio bugs, bees, birds, and butterflies. Susan Glaser reports that one of the best-known examples of this is milkweed, which is the only food source for the caterpillar stage of monarch butterflies. |
|
|
Goodyear board: Goodyear announced Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with activist investor Elliot Management and has added three members to its board of directors. The Akron-based tire manufacturer said it would start a new committee dedicated to reviewing the company’s strategy and operations, reports Sean McDonnell. Gift cards: One of every two people have an unused gift card, voucher or store credit, according to a new report from Bankrate. Sean McDonnell reports the study says there’s about $23 billion worth of these unused dollars that could be spent. Spinal cord device: After a spinal cord injury left him paralyzed and dependent on a mechanical ventilator for every breath, Laszlo Nagy became one of the first — along with actor Christopher Reeve — to be implanted with a device to stimulate his diaphragm, allowing him to breathe without a ventilator. Julie Washington reports new FDA approval will help more spinal cord patients reduce their dependence on a mechanical ventilator, which requires a tube passing through an incision in the neck and into the lungs. Money Talks: Shareef “Ross Mac” McDonald was a co-star of the hit Netflix documentary “Get Smart With Money,” and Darnelle Mayberry had the privilege of watching McDonald spread love and financial literacy to his community. |
|
|
Pinkey Carr: Former Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Pinkey Carr was charged Tuesday with three counts of falsification that accuse her of filing false journal entries during her time on the bench. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation filed the charges, which are first-degree misdemeanors, reports Cory Shaffer. Warrensville shooting: Authorities arrested two men Tuesday and accused them of shooting a 15-year-old two months ago in Warrensville Heights. Olivia Mitchell reports Jason Wilder, 25, and Jaden Hughey, 19, were both wanted by the Cleveland Division of Police for aggravated murder. K-9: A Bedford Heights police officer had to give back his K-9 partner Tuesday morning after transferring to another local department. Molly Walsh reports Kaetzel sued the city, saying he should be paid overtime as the department’s police-dog handler. He filed the lawsuit in federal court in Cleveland. Prison sued: A 60-year-old Garfield Heights man has sued the state and prison officials, accusing them of failing to protect him from a leader of the Aryan Brotherhood who threatened the Jewish man and later stabbed him with a shank in a Mansfield prison, Adam Ferrise reports. |
|
|
Solar eclipse: If you’re planning to watch next year’s total solar eclipse in Cleveland, mark your calendar for Total Eclipse Fest 2024 in April. The grand event, the solar eclipse, happens on April 8, the last day of the festival, which is put on by the Great Lakes Science Center, and partners NASA’s Glenn Research Center and the Cleveland Orchestra, Paris Wolfe reports. Ensemble Theatre: Ensemble Theatre announced the lineup for the 2023-24 season, the 44th season in its history and the second at the professional theater company’s new home in the Performing Arts Center on the campus of Notre Dame College. Joey Morona reports “A Season Of Justice: When Standing By Isn’t Enough” encompasses four shows, including two Cleveland premieres and the world premiere of a play about the life of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ask Yadi: If an invitation says no gifts, do you still bring a gift to a party? Yadi Rodriguez says no. But if you don’t feel comfortable attending empty-handed, ask “What can I bring to share at the party?” |
|
|
Teen seriously injured after suspected fall from vehicle in Lorain Read more Funding in the loop for Lower Shaker Lake Multipurpose Trail Read more Brecksville’s rubbish processing fees to rise, recycling fees drop Read more Cleveland Heights City Council candidates hit campaign trail for November Read more Strongsville hires Rhode Island firm to build town center renovation Read more North Royalton hires Berea firm to design new senior center Read more Shaker Schools files 9.95-mill November ballot issue with board of elections Read more Judge dismisses Friends of Horseshoe Lake lawsuit against Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights (Updated) Read more |
|
|
NEW! DINE DRINK CLE NEWSLETTER |
Get the latest news about Cleveland’s restaurant and bar scene. The latest on openings, closings, tastings and other events, plus features, guides, and recommendations from our team of writers and critics. Click here to sign up. |
|
|
Want the top headlines but don't have time to read? Listen to cleveland.com’s Today in Ohio podcast on Spotify, Google or Apple Podcasts. |
|
|
WANT TO SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER WITH A FRIEND? |
Did someone share this newsletter with you? Click here to never miss a day! |
|
|
To contact the newsrooms for any of our publications regarding technical support, news tips, classified ads and other inquiries, please click here. |
|
|
Unlimited Digital Access. |
|
|
50% off - Limited Time Offer (cancel anytime) |
| |
|
50% off - Limited Time Offer (cancel anytime) |
| |
|
INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING
OR SPONSORING OUR NEWSLETTERS? |
|
|
You received this email because you opted in to the newsletter. To ensure receipt of our emails, please add newsletters@update.cleveland.com to your address book or safe sender list. 4800 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn OH 44144 Contact us | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy |
|
|
|
