Rotunda Rumblings
Gun laws: Three new gun-rights measures passed during last month’s lame-duck legislative session are set to take effect in Ohio starting in March. As Jeremy Pelzer reports, the new Republican-authored laws expand legal immunity for using concealed handguns in self-defense at houses of worship, prohibit credit-card companies and governments from tracking firearms purchases, and ban government officials from requiring gun owners to pay fees or obtain liability insurance.
Sinking deep: Ohio is suing the United States Gypsum Co. for over $16 million to recoup the Ohio Department of Transportation’s costs in securing former underground mines to ensure that a state highway above them wouldn’t collapse and hurt motorists. State Route 2 in Ottawa County is used by tourists to assess Marblehead, Kelly’s Island and Cedar Point, Laura Hancock reports.
Hear me out: Newly-seated U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno on Wednesday defended President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Russell Vought, from Democrats who fear he’ll ignore Congress’ spending decisions, Sabrina Eaton writes. Vought was OMB director during Trump’s first presidential administration, but Democrats have raised concerns over his co-authoring parts of the Project 2025 GOP policy blueprint and expressed fears that Vought would use his position to unlawfully override spending decisions made by Congress. Moreno, a Westlake Republican, told Vought during the hearing “I’ve been a fan of yours before I even thought about running for public office.”
EV abuses: Moreno tells the New York Post he’s investigating nearly $22 billion in tax credits stemming from President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. He believes the credits are subsidizing luxury electric vehicle purchases around the country. The former auto dealer claims that criteria for green tax credits meant thousands of dollars have been doled out for well-off Americans to buy plush Rolls Royce and Porsche EVs. In a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, Moreno requested the “total dollar value” of all the tax credits tucked into the green energy bill that are now being borne by taxpayers.
Dave’s date: Attorney General Dave Yost is planning to fully roll out his 2026 campaign for Ohio governor sometime in late February, according to spokeswoman and senior advisor Amy Natoce. Yost, a Columbus Republican, has made no secret of his intention to run for governor, altering his campaign paperwork accordingly in 2023 and posting a social-media video last November with not-subtle hints about his 2026 plans.
Big ticket: Gov. Mike DeWine has called a Thursday press conference near Rickenbacker International Airport, a freight airport south of Columbus, to announce what his office is describing as an “historic economic development project.” An alert about the announcement didn’t provide details. Central Ohio has landed several high-profile projects in recent years, including the massive Intel project that is under construction. DeWine will be joined by Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, a contender for DeWine’s appointment to the U.S. Senate seat Vice President-elect JD Vance recently vacated.
Growing fast: LifeWise Academy, an Ohio-based released time religious instruction program, raised over $35 million for the fiscal year ending last June 30. This is double the revenue raised the previous year, writes the Dispatch’s Cole Behrens. The legislature recently changed the law to require all public school districts to accommodate released time.
Full Disclosure
Five things we learned from the Feb. 15, 2024, financial disclosure filed by state Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur, a Republican from Geneva-on-the-Lake.
1. In addition to her income in the Ohio House, which last year was $77,848, she reported rental income of $25,000 to $49,999, and a small income from Ashtabula County as a poll worker (no greater than $999.)
2. She is an owner/operator of Badger Run Berries, an owner/operator/partner of her rental company and an investor in Fowler Enterprises Inc., a livestock company.
3. She received $4,976 in mileage reimbursements from trips between home and Columbus in 2023.
4. She had an apiary permit from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
5. In 2023 she was an independent consultant for Lilla Rose, a hair accessory company.
On the Move
U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson
Spencer Dirrig, Ohio Environmental Council political director
Straight From the Source
“This agreement would not have been possible without President-elect Trump’s steadfast commitment to his foreign policy principle of ‘peace through strength.’”
-U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, a Dayton Republican and chair of the House Intelligence Committee, on the 42-day ceasefire agreement that Israel and Hamas negotiated. The Israeli cabinet must ratify it before it goes into effect Sunday. Trump will be sworn in as president next week.
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This article was originally published by a www.cleveland.com . Read the Original article here. .