| Happy Thursday, everyone! Ohio lawmakers kept us Statehouse reporters in the building until about 11 o’clock last night before they went on a monthslong summer recess, so I’m in the mood to be brief. I’ll fill you in on what you need to know about the $4.2 billion capital budget they passed, highlights from some of the more than 50 other bills they passed, and various other tidbits of news from the week. If you have any tips, comments, or questions, I’d love to hear them. You can reach me 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. *** *** Local projects secure $166.4M in state’s new $4.2B spending bill Credit: Avery Kreemer • The story: The biggest of the 50-plus bills lawmakers voted on Wednesday was a multi-billion dollar capital budget, which more or less serves an itemized receipt of all the construction projects the state wants to take on in next two years. In the Dayton region, that summed out to over $166 million. • The impact: With its passage, the wheels will soon be in motion on bringing a 200-bed, state-run behavioral health hospital to Dayton; the state completed its obligation to keep the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament in Mason with a $27.5 million payment; and local universities will see over $30 million in capital improvements, among many other projects. • Some friction: This year’s capital budget is considered to be the largest in state history, in large part because it contained a $717 million pool of state surplus funds (meaning, the state could have done whatever it wanted with the money) set aside for community projects that wouldn’t usually be funded under normal circumstances. For a few local lawmakers, this was seen as wanton spending. • Here’s my story on the bill, with more reporting sure to come. Anti-hooning bill spurred by Dayton officials and activists set to become law • The story: If you’d like to celebrate the passage of the state’s new anti-hooning measure, just make sure you’re not doing doughnuts in the street. It’s not law yet, but once Gov. Mike DeWine signs it, a bill with Dayton origins will ban street takeovers to dissuade hooners. • The background: Hooning has been a scourge in Dayton for years now. Dayton Unit NAACP President Derrick Foward was one of the first Dayton officials to raise the alarm and was followed with attention from Montgomery County Reps. Phil Plummer and Andrea White, Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Azfal. • Here’s my story on the bill. Local political news of the week Credit: Aimee Hancock • Huber Heights city manager’s OVI: Huber Heights City Manager Rick Dzik will spend the next two years on probation after he was convicted of a drunken driving charge in Knox County this week. Jen Balduf and Aimee Hancock have the story. • Communication concerns in Vandalia: Residents are voicing concerns in Vandalia after the city forked over more than a quarter-million dollars to resigning City Manager Dan Wendt. His personnel file includes no disciplinary actions that would explain his departure, and he and the city have refused to comment. Aimee Hancock has the story. • Dayton abortion-rights rally: Dayton Women’s Rights Alliance hosted a rally two years after the Dobbs decision with the message that abortion-rights are not yet secured in Ohio. Samantha Wildow has the story. State political news of the week Credit: JIM NOELKER • ‘New sheriff in town’: Montgomery County Rep. Phil Plummer, who has long warred with Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens, successfully wrangled control of the Ohio House Republicans’ campaign finance PAC away from the speaker in a blow to current House leadership. Here’s my story. • House moves bathroom bill: At around 11 p.m. Wednesday evening, the Ohio House passed a bill that would block transgender students from using the bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity in school. Here’s my story. • State hooks official fish: The Ohio House passed a bill this week that would declare the noble walleye as the official fish of Ohio, but some local a-fish-ionados haven’t taken the bait. Here’s my story with Lillian Ali. National political news of the week Credit: NYT • What to know about tonight’s debate: President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will square off tonight in their first debate since Biden unseated Trump in 2020. If you’re into that sort of thing, the showdown should be interesting. The Associated Press has what you should look out for. • Court blocks opioid settlement: The Supreme Court rejected a nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would have shielded members of the Sackler family who own the company from civil lawsuits over the toll of opioids but also would have provided billions of dollars to combat the opioid epidemic. The Associated Press has the story. • EPA enforcement reeled back: The Supreme Court sided with Republican-led states including Ohio this week, blocking a federal rule that intends to restrict emissions from traveling to downwind states. The Associated Press has the story. *** | 