Gongwer News Service

Ohio Report Top Stories

It's already slated for a House committee vote in six days, however a bill to mostly reauthorize spending on current capital projects prompted several questions from lawmakers in a first committee hearing that underscored the current uneasiness - and political ramifications - over government spending.

SENATE APPROVES YOUTH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROTECTION BILL

Young Ohioans who are abused by other juveniles would be able to obtain protection orders against their attackers if long-sought legislation that cleared the Senate Wednesday becomes law.

WIND INDUSTRY, LOCAL OFFICIALS PUSH FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY TAX BREAK

International wind power developers and local officials lined up in support of a proposed tax break for renewable energy production during a hearing of the Senate Energy & Public Utilities Committee on Tuesday.

HOUSE MEMBERS QUESTION ASPECTS OF BILL TO REPLACE CALAMITY MAKE-UP DAYS WITH ONLINE LESSONS

While some educators might be in favor of a bill that allows school calamity days to be made up with online learning opportunities, a number of lawmakers expressed concerns Tuesday about the possibility.

HOUSE PANEL TOLD CLASS ACTION BILL COULD YIELD $60 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR CHARITIES

Advocates of placing in state law a system for giving charities about $60 million a year in undistributed settlement payments from class action lawsuits opened a second legislative front Tuesday with initial testimony in the House.

STATE LEGISLATORS SLOW PACE OF COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING BILLS PENDING FEDERAL HEALTH CARE DEBATE

A coalition of public health associations and medical professional societies said Tuesday that progress toward nationwide, state-mandated coverage of colon cancer screening according to accepted medical guidelines slowed to a crawl in 2009.

STATE LAUDS SAVINGS IN EMPLOYEE TRAVEL, VEHICLE FLEET

Changes to travel policy and the administration's decision to downsize the state's vehicle fleet have started yielding savings, according to a Department of Administrative Services report on 2009 operations.

SUPREME COURT ASKED IF DEFENDANT CAN BE 'MAJOR DRUG OFFENDER' WHEN POLICE FIND NO DRUGS

The government argued before the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday that a Cincinnati man who offered to sell two kilograms of cocaine could face a stiff prison sentence as a "major drug offender" even though no drugs were recovered. The defendant disagreed.

REPORT CONTRASTS TWO DECADES OF OHIO CENSUS RESULTS

"Spirits distilled" was Ohio's No. 1 industry 200 years ago during a time when the state's largest manufacturing industries were small-scale, home-based operations, according to a report on the history of the census.

COUNCIL TO ADVISE GOVERNOR ON WAYS TO ADVANCE STATUS OF OHIO WOMEN, GIRLS

Set against the Ohio Women's Summit, Gov. Ted Strickland made official the creation of a group tasked with improving the status of females of all ages.

OHIO BUSINESS: FRANCHISE PHARMACISTS FILE LAWSUIT; KROGER SALES GROW; BEULAH PARK SOLD; PARK-OHIO HOLDINGS NET SALES DECLINE; STIMULUS-FUNDED ROADS

A national group of independent Medicine Shoppe and Medicap pharmacy franchise owners said Tuesday they filed a class action suit in U.S. District Court, Columbus, against Cardinal Health, Medicine Shoppe Inc., and Medicap Pharmacies Incorporated.