| It’s early, but I’m starting to get the sense that state lawmakers are in a bit of a rush to get their legislative priorities squared away before the end of the year rolls around and wipes all of the Ohio General Assembly’s unfinished business back to square one. Here’s a sampling of all that went on in Columbus this week, as well as the most important political news from the region. If you’d like to get in touch about politics or anything else, I can be contacted at 614-981-1422, avery.kreemer@coxinc.com or @AveryKreemer on X. You can also follow our political coverage on our website and through our Ohio Politics Facebook page. *** *** Ohio legislature votes to close ‘archaic’ spousal rape loophole Credit: AP • The gist: Once Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs the bill, Ohio will have officially closed a longstanding loophole in the law that made it difficult, if not impossible, to prosecute spouses who raped their partners in certain instances. Here’s my report. • The context: Advocates have tried to address this problem for years, if not decades. Perhaps ironically, much of the discussion about the bill in the Ohio Senate centered on how perplexingly long it’s taken to get this done here in Ohio. • The impact: Several rape survivors testified in favor of the bill. One said she lost count of how many times her husband had raped her: “If this was a stranger, he would be in jail, but because he was my husband he’s still walking free,” she said. “And who knows if he’s doing this to anyone else.” Ohio’s in a rush to spend $85M in federal funds on child care Credit: Marshall Gorby • The background: The state is still doling out chunks of the $5.4 billion it received from the American Rescue Plan Act, but the state actually needs to spend that money, or else it risks forfeiting back tens of millions of dollars to the federal government. • The pinch: With that deadline approaching, DeWine announced last week that $85 million will be up for grabs for child care centers across Ohio. The catch? Applications to access the funds have to be in by Friday, April 26. Here’s my story on the quick-turn program. Local political news of the week • Dayton plans $250 million PFAs water treatment site: It’s hard to overstate how large of a project the city is considering with a plant to rid the water supply of harmful forever chemicals. It would be the largest project of its kind in the country and would cost about $35.5 million more than the city’s entire 2024 operating budget. For more on this gargantuan project, check out Cory Frolik’s article. • Dayton officials back anti-hooning bill: Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims, Jr., and Police Chief Kamran Azfal traveled to Columbus to urge lawmakers to create a new criminal offense to curtail hooning, a thrill-seeking reckless driving fad that often involves full street takeovers, precariously perched passengers and police chases. Here’s my story. • More details in New Lebanon drama: The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that the village of New Lebanon has been a mainstay in this newsletter for quite some time. The space is well warranted for the ever-developing story that involves a state-assisted internal investigation, terminations of eight employees, court cases, and now, a resigned prosecutor that has left the village without legal representation. Here’s the latest from Aimee Hancock. State political news of the week Credit: AP • State rep goes to bat for Pete Rose: Republican Rep. Tom Young of Washington Twp. is trying to get the MLB to forgive — or at least look past — the gambling violations of Reds legend Pete Rose that has left him permanently ineligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Here’s my story. • Butler County is a hotbed for active ethics violations: I met up with the executive director of the Ohio Ethics Commission, who leads a 19-member staff in policing the ethics of about 590,000 state, county, city, village, township, school, college employees and elected officials. Here’s my story on the commission and what it got up to in 2023. • Area state rep proposes child care plan: Kettering Republican Rep. Andrea White recently introduced a bill that would give employers a chance to use state money to help provide child care solutions for their employees. Here’s my write-up. National political news of the week Credit: AP • Here’s how local Congress members voted on Ukraine aid package: Four of 16 Ohioans in Congress voted against sending the most recent batch of aid to Ukraine, including U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio and U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana; Warren Davidson, R-Troy; and Troy Balderson, R-Zanesville. Lynn Hulsey has the story. • Biden touts American ‘comeback’ in light of new manufacturing: Ahead of November, Biden has been using the development of new mega plants, such as Ohio’s forthcoming Intel computer chip factory, as a sign that the nation is getting back its once-great manufacturing status. Here’s the story from Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak of the Associated Press. *** | 