Ohio Senate Republicans vote to ban municipal broadband programs

Workers install fiber-optic high speed internet cable, Saturday, March 28, 2020, in East Palestine, Ohio. The workers said the installation is a continuation of scheduled work that started before the current COVID-19 outbreak.(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Workers install fiber-optic high speed internet cable, Saturday, March 28, 2020, in East Palestine, Ohio. Ohio Senate Republicans stuck language in their now-passed budget bill barring municipalities from establishing broadband utility programs. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)AP

Rotunda Rumblings

Download failed: Ohio Senate Republicans passed a last-minute amendment to their proposed budget that would bar municipalities from running their own broadband programs, essentially creating a monopoly for the current providers in the state, Jeremy Pelzer reports. Critics blasted the unannounced change as fundamentally eroding competition by giving internet service providers like Charter Spectrum and AT&T over broadband infrastructure in the state.

The Dennis System: Not one to hide away following an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2018, former Cleveland Mayor Dennis Kucinich is running for his old spot he last held in 1979, Robert Higgs and Seth Richardson report. Kucinich, a former congressman, said he wanted to focus on the crime surge in the city as well as issues related to poverty.

The Big 6: Kucinich enters an already crowded race with possibly the most name recognition and plenty of fans, though an ample amount of baggage as well, as Richardson previously pointed out. But all the top-tier contenders have many things working for and against them. Either way, the first open mayoral race in Cleveland in two decades is likely to get hectic.

Say what: Rep. Jim Jordan of Champaign County announced Monday that he’s starting the Campus Free Speech Caucus with freshman Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida and the Young America’s Foundation, whose top officials include former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Vice President Mike Pence, Sabrina Eaton writes. In a statement released by the youth organization, Jordan said the new caucus “will work with Congress to push back on ‘woke’ cancel culture and defend freedom for Americans everywhere.”

Action on autism bill: The Ohio House Health Committee is expected to vote tomorrow on the bipartisan bill that would allow medical marijuana for people on the autism spectrum. Rep. Juanita Brent said House Bill 60 is necessary because it would provide another medication option for people on the spectrum and including it in the state-sanctioned program would allow people to use it in a safe manner.

Power outage: It may be a short ride for Lordstown Motors Corp. given the recent wave of bad news. On the heels of the company saying it might go out of business within a year, CEO Steve Burns and CFO Julia Rodriguez both stepped down on Monday, per the Associated Press’ Michelle Chapman. The company’s stock followed suit, falling more than 18%.

No service: Another clause in the Senate GOP budget would allow doctors, hospitals and health insurance companies to refuse service or payment for medical practices that violate their religious or moral beliefs, the Columbus Dispatch’s Titus Wu and Jessie Balmert report. Critics described it as a roundabout way to hide restrictions on abortion and LGBTQ patients in the budget. The health insurance lobby said they opposed the measure.

Virus latest: On Monday, the state identified just 178 new coronavirus cases, well below the 21-day rolling average of 446, Laura Hancock reports.

Txting n driving: The Ohio State Highway Patrol has unveiled a new distracted driver dashboard, at distracteddrivingdashboard.ohio.gov, with data going back to 2016. In addition to using cell phones, the Statehouse News Bureau’s Jo Ingles reports that people have been in accidents while adjusting their radio or dealing with kids in the back seat.

Drug deal: Centene, the country’s largest managed-care provider, will pay Ohio $88 million to settle a lawsuit over a subsidiary’s pharmacy benefit manager program with Ohio Medicaid, the Dispatch’s Darrell Rowland reports. Pharmacy benefit managers are middlemen who negotiate prescription drug costs between pharmaceutical companies and insurers. Medicaid alleged the company wrongly charged Ohio tens of millions of dollars for the service, although the settlement doesn’t require Centene to admit fault. Half the money will go to the federal government, since Medicaid is a joint state-federal program.

Judge not? Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal Court Judge Mark Repp faces one year of suspension without pay after the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct notified the Ohio Supreme Court of its recommendation Friday. A complaint against the judge alleges that last year, Alexzandria Orta was in his courtroom, for her boyfriend’s case, when Repp called out to her from the bench several times during an unrelated hearing, suggesting she was a drug addict – even though she’d never been charged with a drug-related offense. He demanded she take a drug test and jailed her for contempt of court for 10 days when she refused. The Supreme Court now has to accept or deny the suspension, the Sandusky Register’s Alexa Scherzinger writes.

More Marsy’s law: A bill in the Ohio House would take the rights granted to crime victims through the 2017 Marsy’s Law constitutional amendment further by requiring victims receive a “Marsy’s Card” to inform them of their rights and provide resources. The bill would also allow victims to get copies of all court documents at no costs to them, among other provisions, writes the Dayton Daily News’ Jen Balduf.

Full Disclosure

Five things we learned from May 7 financial disclosure of state Sen. Teresa Fedor, a Toledo Democrat.

1.She reported receiving a gift from Gracehaven, which cares for minors who are sex trafficking victims.

2. The state reimbursed her $4,314 in mileage between home and Columbus.

3. For investments, Fedor reported pensions with the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and the State Teacher Retirement System. She also invests in Ohio Deferred Compensation.

4. She didn’t report any job outside the Ohio General Assembly.

5. At some point last year, she owed at least $1,000 to Macy’s American Express, Ann Taylor, J.C. Penney, Dillard’s, Discover and the Toledo Metro Federal Credit Union.

On The Move

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, who’s seeking the Democratic nomination for Ohio governor next year, was elected Friday as the 79th President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Whaley previously served as the group’s vice president.

Whaley was endorsed Tuesday by 314 Action Fund, a science-focused, Democratic-leaning political action committee. In a release, Shaughnessy Naughton, the group’s president said it’s “critical” that Democrats “get together” to back Whaley, whom she called “a smart, facts-first leader.” It’s among the first national endorsements to be made in the 2022 Ohio governor’s race.

Sante Ghetti is starting today as vice president, investor relations for the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce. Ghetti most recently worked as vice president, government advocacy for the Greater Cleveland Partnership.

Straight From The Source

“I rarely vote because I think most politicians are full of s---.”

-Former Columbus TV reporter Tom Sussi, quoted in the Columbus Dispatch, at a fundraiser where he was (presumably) asking people to vote for him in his bid for Columbus City Council. Records showed Sussi has only voted once in the past decade, in the November 2020 general election.

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