Bills to watch as Ohio lawmakers rush out legislation in ‘lame duck’ session • The story: For a bill to make it through lame duck session, it first needs to navigate the political obstacle that leadership in the House and Senate often don’t have the same priorities. Avery has an analysis of legislative priorities here. • Ballot measure: One measure that passed the Ohio Senate and is seen as likely to pass the House would put a statewide measure on the ballot in May 2025 to ask voters to approve the issuance of an additional $2.5 billion of general obligation bonds to fund local infrastructure capital improvements. • Dead in the water: Another measure passed the Senate last year but has little chance of passing the House. That is a controversial higher education reform bill that that would place significant regulations on Ohio’s institutions of higher education, like banning any mandatory training courses regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. • Much more: Other bills deal with banning intoxicating hemp products, lowering tax rates, public employee pensions, adoption reform, education, and much more. Read Avery’s story for a list of bills we’re following. Local political news of the week • A historic win: With all the votes counted, we can finally declare that former Trotwood mayor and Republican Mary McDonald narrowly unseated longtime incumbent and Democrat Debbie Lieberman, with McDonald bringing in 50.42% of the vote. McDonald is the first Black candidate elected to county commission. She also wasn’t the only Republican to unseat a county-level Democrat. Sydney Dawes has the full story. • ‘Abuse of power’: The Village of New Lebanon Council is being accused of multiple abuses of power by an attorney representing one former and one current council member. Aimee Hancock has that story. • Pink-slip update: Efforts by local police to “pink slip” someone in a mental health crisis because an officer believes the person is a danger to themselves or others rarely result in the person being involuntarily committed, a Dayton Daily News investigation found. One year after the Beavercreek Walmart shooting — which followed the shooter being pink-slipped twice — London Bishop found little has changed. State political news of the week • New leadership: Incoming Statehouse Republicans held an unofficial vote to elect new leadership going into the 136th General Assembly. It looks like Matt Huffman of Lima, currently the Senate president, will become the next House speaker, and Sen. Rob McColley of Napoleon will be the next Senate president. The official votes will happen next year. • Abortion update: A majority of Ohioans voted last year to enshrine abortion access in the Ohio Constitution, but with the November election resulting in a red wave of Republicans who will take political control next year, questions linger about whether abortion access in Ohio could change. Sam Wildow has the story. • Property taxes: The latest proposal by Ohio lawmakers to curb massive property tax increases hitting across the state because of soaring property values would reduce school funding by $336 million in three years statewide. Denise Callahan is following that issue. National political news of the week • Springfield update: Haitians are reportedly considering fleeing Springfield as President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming border czar Tom Homan says the legal protections allowing thousands of them to reside legally in the city can “end tomorrow.” I wrote up that story. • Education outlook: President-elect Donald Trump has called for dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. Here’s a story from the Associated Press on what that could mean. • Gaetz withdraws: Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. | 
