GAMING/GAMBLING Casinos and racinos offering sports betting under HB194 (Greenspan-Kelly) would be required to pay an application fee of $100,000, as well as an annual renewal fee of $100,000 or 1 percent of the sportsbook’s “handle” over the previous one-year period, whichever is less. During sponsor testimony before the House Finance Committee on Thursday, Rep. […]
AGRICULTURE Hemp and hemp-derived products such as cannabidiol (CBD) could be legally produced and sold in Ohio under legislation to be proposed by Sens. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) and Brian Hill (R-Zanesville). The bill would create an industrial hemp program administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODAg), Huffman told Hannah News, noting the department […]
Legislators put their finishing touches on the 132nd Ohio General Assembly in December, albeit later than expected as lawmakers held a rare session after the Christmas holiday to override vetoes issued by Governor Kasich. The legislature successfully overrode Governor Kasich’s vetoes of SB 296, which included pay raises for legislators, and HB 228, which dealt […]
BUSINESS/CORPORATE Opportunity zones created by the 2017 federal tax bill represent great potential for Ohio, but the state must take steps to elevate itself over other states to fully benefit from venture capital investments, business leaders said in a Tuesday forum organized by Montrose Development Advisors (MDA). A lead speaker at the discussion, held at […]
CENSUS U.S. Census Bureau data released recently show an increase in the state’s rate of uninsured individuals, a decrease in poverty and a noticeable increase in the state’s median household income. Ohio’s percentage of uninsured individuals increased from 5.4 percent in 2016 to 6.0 percent in 2017; its rate of poverty decreased from 14.6 percent […]
AGRICULTURE The Ohio State Fair saw its attendance numbers increase in 2018 following the event’s 15-year low at the 2017 fair, during which an 18-year-old man died when an amusement ride broke apart on opening day. Attendance at the 2018 Ohio State Fair was 908,306, up 13 percent from last year’s turnout of 801,031, according […]
ATTORNEY GENERAL Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, along with 41 other attorneys general, announced a $100 million settlement with Citibank for fraudulent conduct involving the London interbank offered rate, or Libor, a key interest rate with widespread impact on global markets. Most of the settlement funds — about $95 million — will be used to […]
BALLOT ISSUES In a quick meeting, the Ohio Ballot Board certified a proposed constitutional amendment that would set new limits on payday lenders, allowing backers of the issue to begin collecting signatures to put in on the ballot. Ohioans for Payday Loan Reform brought the issue after complaining that the Ohio Legislature had moved too […]
FY18-19 BUDGET Tax revenues were 2 percent ahead of estimates in March after stronger sales tax collections outstripped a shortfall in income tax collections, according to preliminary figures released Thursday by the Office of Budget and Management. ENVIRONMENT The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) has put forward a wide-ranging legislative proposal seeking to address […]
AGING Commenting that, “We know the person that will live to be 125 has already been born,” AARP State Director Barbara Sykes opened her organization’s presentation Wednesday to the House Aging and Long Term Care Committee. Referencing Ohio’s aging population, she and AARP’s Vice President of State Advocacy and Strategy Elaine Ryan discussed some proposals […]
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