Ohio News

The state’s annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. featured four students who were awarded for speeches they wrote praising Dr. King’s work. The students shared their winning essays from the pulpit of Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square in Columbus. Here are Columbus third grader Elena Earley, Columbus fifth grader Mackenzie Lewis, Columbus freshman Playon Patrick and sophomore Ivy Holley of Lima. The video of the ceremony is here.

An estimated two thousand people marched through downtown Columbus in a preview of the Women’s March on Washington this weekend after President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

As the fight over the Affordable Care Act takes place in Washington D.C., the consequences are being weighed here in Ohio. 

Last year many issues seemed to divide heavily along party lines, but one topic that still brought Republicans and Democrats together was criminal justice reform. Now there’s a push to continue that effort in 2017. 

Last month, Gov. John Kasich has warned that a tough budget process is ahead. But other state officials have questioned the use of the word “recession” and have said they think the state’s economic situation is strong. In an interview for "The State of Ohio", the state budget director says all this is true, in a way.

Gov. John Kasich has been warning for months now that tax revenues coming into the state are below expectations and that the upcoming two-year state budget will be tighter than in the past. His recent speeches have taken on a new theme.

A coalition of anti-death penalty advocates are hoping Gov. John Kasich will once again delay the execution of a death row inmate next month. They rallied at the Ohio Statehouse where religious leaders tried to appeal to Kasich’s faith.

More than 15,000 Ohioans have texted a free crisis line when they have faced mental crisis within the past three years. The state and local behavioral health boards are hoping to make more people aware of that program. 

A two-year old state law that sets rules on traffic cameras went before the Ohio Supreme Court, in a case filed by cities who claim the law actually amounts to a ban on those devices.

Ohio’s Auditor is suggesting a way for the Bureau of Workers' Compensation to save money. The report suggests the agency raise its rent in a key building.

You don’t have to look far in Ohio to find something named after the late John Glenn. The astronaut turned U.S. Senator turned educator has his name on schools and even the main Columbus airport. Now, there’s a move to put a memorial of him somewhere else.

The Ohio Supreme Court will once again take up the issue of red light and traffic cameras Tuesday, deciding the constitutionality of a law that requires cities to post officers alongside those cameras if they want to continue using them. A trip back into the archives explains the basics of the case.

The Ohio Republican Party’s recent change in leadership is being hailed as a victory by Tea Party Republicans who support President Elect Donald Trump. But at least one political scientist thinks it could be good for Democrats in Ohio. 

Gov. John Kasich has warned state agencies and associations that this year’s budget will be tight. However, one group believes that’s exactly why Kasich needs to increase funding in one specific area.

The Ohio Republican Party has a new leader. Matt Borges, the man who has headed the party since 2013, has been replaced with a woman, Stark County Attorney Jane Timken. 

Soon foreclosed properties will have a different look in Ohio. The state became the first in the country to ban the use of plywood over windows. Statehouse correspondent Andy Chow reports.

Farmers want the state to change the way their land is valued after their property taxes skyrocketed over the past few years. But that issue is pitting farmers against school districts. 

Gov. John Kasich wants lawmakers to tackle the way Congressional districts are created, saying they need to be more competitive and fair. And he has a plan to make that happen.

State lawmakers have come back to Columbus to start their new year and new session, with the same House Speaker and House Minority Leader. The two recently sat down for an exclusive conversation for "The State of Ohio" about what happened in the long and confusing end of last year’s session, and what’s ahead.

It will be harder for police, prosecutors and the government to seize private property in Ohio under a new bill signed into law. 

Friday’s vote for chair of the Ohio Republican Party will be the biggest meeting for the party’s 66-member state central committee in several years. And both candidates say they have the votes to win.

As Republicans in Congress debate the idea of repealing the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, Gov. John Kasich is crediting part of that law for helping fight the war on opiates in Ohio. 

Around the state of Ohio, farmers are getting seeing their property taxes soar thanks to the method used to set a value on their farmland. The state’s two main farmer groups want lawmakers to change that valuation formula.

The only Democrat serving in statewide office - Ohio Supreme Court Justice William O'Neill - says he’ll spend this year deciding if he wants to run for governor next year. But he would have to quit that job if he does.

As the new session of the Ohio General Assembly starts its work, tax reform is on the mind of its top leaders. 

Ohio AAA estimates 4.2 million Ohioans will travel more than 50 miles from their homes during this holiday season. And with construction projects underway, it's likely to be a challenge. 

If you are thinking about joining a gym, returning an unwanted holiday gift or changing companies you do business with in this new year, Ohio’s Attorney General has some warnings for you. 

Supporters of a strict abortion ban that was vetoed by Gov. John Kasich are not giving up. 

Ohio’s population growth isn’t keeping up with some other states. And that could mean a big change after the 2020 census. 

When the new General Assembly comes in this month, there will be fewer experienced lawmakers due to term limits.