The Ohio Legislature has proved unpopular with voters, as of late, notes Republican Sen. Lou Blessing of Colerain Township, near Cincinnati. Last August, lawmakers overwhelmingly failed to persuade voters to make future constitutional amendments harder for citizens to propose and pass. Then, voters rejected the Republican supermajority when they created a a recreational marijuana program in the state and a constitutionally guaranteed right to abortion. “Frankly, I don’t think it’s a great look to just keep having things done at the ballot because we failed to act," said Blessing. So rather than bend to the will of the people in a possible referendum for a $15 minimum wage, Blessing introduced his own version, with a slower roll-out and no requirement that tipped servers also meet that standard. The tipped minimum wage would be half the value of the nontipped minimum wage. And lawmakers could change the number with a new bill, rather than require another statewide constitutional amendment. The Ohio minimum wage is currently $10.45 per hour for most employees, and $5.25 for tipped workers. The Ohio Restaurant Association is backing Blessing’s bill. Liberals, however, are lukewarm. — Laura |
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According to Policy Matters Ohio research, a universal $15 an hour minimum wage will directly boost salaries for 470,000 Ohio workers earning less. (Associated Press) |
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Minimum wage: A Senate Republican is pitching a compromise to a proposed constitutional amendment that could make the November ballot and raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour for all workers. The requirement would take full effect in 2028 after a multi-year phase-in under his bill, rather than 2026 under the ballot referendum, reports Jake Zuckerman. Jail management: Cuyahoga County lost more than $1.1 million on a failed jail management program that never came to fruition, the county’s internal watchdog found. Lucas Daprile reports that Cuyahoga County Inspector General Alexa Beeler told county council members the county paid $1.1 million to Securus Technologies for a jail management program that was never used. Today in Ohio: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost joined GOP counterparts in Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia and West Virginia in suing the administration of President Biden over changes in Title IX to protect transgender students. We’re talking about the federal move to allow transgender students to use locker rooms and other facilities -- and whether Yost’s reaction is a dog whistle -- on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Medical marijuana: Ohio medical marijuana patients purchased $54 million in flower, vape oils, edibles and other products from state-licensed dispensaries in March, Laura Hancock reports. This is up from February, when there were $38.4 million in sales. Sales in March were also higher than the same period last year, when sales were around $38 million. Voter purge: Elections officials are getting ready to cancel inactive voter registrations, after Secretary of State Frank LaRose ordered the state’s regular purge of voting rolls ahead of the November election. Andrew Tobias reports LaRose issued written guidance on Thursday telling county boards of elections to prepare for the cancelations, which under state law occurs when voters either notify the government that they’ve moved or if they don’t vote and fail respond to written notices over a six-year period. Public infrastructure: Ohio is considering committing taxpayer dollars over a decade in order to help cities repair roads, bridges and other infrastructure, reports Andrew Tobias. Funding the Public Works Commission, which spent $1.85 billion since 2014, allows cities to apply for grants and loans with zero-percent interest. The program has existed since 1987 and under a voter-approved 2014 constitutional amendment, it requires a statewide referendum to renew. |
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Convention center: There is no more Global Center for Health Innovation, no more Medical Mart. Susan Glaser reports the structure is now part of the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, which is in the final stages of absorbing the adjacent facility in an effort to attract more and larger groups. Delinquent: Shoplifting was routine for Reese after his father was convicted for federal drug crimes. By the time of his arrest, Reese had 15 sets of charges on his record, and he’d rack up five assault charges in juvenile jail. Following his bindover, an adult judge sentenced him to 15 to 20 years in prison, Kaitlin Durbin and John Tucker report in the series, Delinquent: Our System, Our Kids. Energy aggregation: After what city officials described as a successful first year using SOPEC for energy aggregation, Cleveland is seeking to stick with the company for another two years, reports Courtney Astolfi. FirstEnergy customers who live in the city and haven’t opted for a different aggregation service are automatically enrolled into Cleveland’s default aggregation service under SOPEC. Case Western protests: Case Western Reserve University President Eric Kaler said on Thursday that students are no longer allowed to protest the Israeli-Hammas war on campus. According to staff reports, Kaler said he made the decision after some protesters broke temporary rules set up by the school for demonstrations on the oval outside Kevin Smith Library. Sparkle Times: Emily Erker, a fifth-grader with a passion for the news, started her own newspaper, The Sparkle Times, on a whim because of a character she read about in a book; one of the series of Dork Diaries graphic novels. Now, Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports, she pays her friends to write for it. Every edition has local stories about the goings on at Lincoln Elementary, local, national and international current events, craft ideas, polls, as well as puzzles, movie and book reviews. |
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COVID numbers: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio has fallen again for the 11th consecutive week, decreasing from 1,350 last week to 1,241 this week, reports Julie Washington. This week’s case number is the lowest level since July. Case numbers have been falling since February. Betting licenses: The rule for Ohio’s sports betting licenses is “use it or lose it.” But regulators are looking to make that rule much softer, which could help companies with unused licenses like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Canton’s Hall of Fame Village. Sean McDonnell reports today a company can have its license revoked if it goes 12 months without accepting a wager. But under the newly proposed rules, the Ohio Casino Control Commission’s executive director can decide whether to revoke the license. Leadership CLE: The Cleveland Leadership Center announced Thursday that Rebecca Ruppert McMahon will become the organization’s next president and CEO, taking the helm from the Leadership Center’s current leader, Marianne Crosley. Sean McDonnell reports McMahon will transition into the role in late July, and Crosley will stay on as an adviser to help during the transition. Home sales: Buy low and sell high, but when does that really fit on the calendar when it comes to real estate? Megan Sims reports that ATTOM, which provides property data, analyzed national data for single-family home and condo home sales from 2011 to 2023. |
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Frank Tyson: Attorneys for Frank Tyson said the Canton man’s death in police custody evoked strong comparisons to the 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, reports Molly Walsh. Nationally-known civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Tyson’s family and previously represented Floyd’s family, spoke Thursday at a packed St. Paul AME Church in Canton filled with Tyson’s family and friends. School assault: The parents of a Black River track and field athlete said in a lawsuit filed this week that officials at two schools failed to protect their daughter from being sexually assaulted at a track meet in Ashland. Adam Ferrise reports the girl was a freshman when she was attacked in April 2022 at the Mapleton Night Invitational in a tent that operated as the team’s makeshift locker room, the lawsuit said. |
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Ask Yadi: Is it OK for your friend to text that she's there, rather than come to the door? Yadi Rodriguez writes that you could consider mentioning to her that when she texts that she has arrived, you may not see the message right away. Perhaps suggest that she text you when she leaves her house. "Company:" “Company” is perhaps the most inventive and funniest musical of Playhouse Square’s current Broadway season, writes Joey Morona. The production, at the Connor Palace through May 19, certainly features one of the strongest ensembles you’ll ever see on tour, though with a plotline that’s meandering and indecisive. Classic CLE: If Peter Chakerian is in Little Italy, he makes a point of a stop at Presti’s or Corbo’s for one of his favorite “Classic CLE Eats,” a sweet stuffed shell. Sfogliatelle (sometimes spelled with an “a” at the end) is an Italian word that loosely translates to “layers” or “thin leaves” depending on who you ask. The name for these delectable Italian pastries arrived of their characteristic texture – achieved by a rolling-and-folding process of the pastry dough. Distillery winners: Twelve Ohio distilleries brought home 39 medals from the esteemed 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, a program of The Tasting Alliance. Ten of those medals were the coveted double gold honors, reports Paris Wolfe. DineDrink: Cinco de Mayo weekend is upon us and Northeast Ohio has plenty of places to celebrate with tacos, tequila and beyond. On the latest episode of “DineDrinkCLE: The Podcast,” hosts Josh Duke and Alex Darus kick off the show by honoring the Kentucky Derby. Things to do: It’s a big weekend for theme parties at home and bars around Northeast Ohio. Paris Wolfe has 23 things to do. |
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Highland Local School District in Medina County reports 'probable cases' of whooping cough Read more Speed drop coming to Lake Avenue in Lakewood Read more Sextortion cases on the rise in Northeast Ohio Read more Midway Mall to become business park, Lorain County Port Authority decides Read more Akron police oversight board seeks more independence Read more Holden Arboretum seeks public help to research beech leaf disease Read more |
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