Ohio Senate

The Ohio Senate Education Committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday on HB154, a measure that would overhaul the way the state handles failing school districts.

A panel of state senators is hitting the road to gather input on how the broad reach of Facebook and Google impacts average Ohioans.

A pair of Republican senators want to keep requiring Ohio vehicles to have front license plates. A new provision that drops that requirement goes into effect next year, so the lawmakers say they still have time to fight the change.

Ohio has been operating under a temporary budget for a week and a half. But Lt. Gov. Jon Husted isn't too worried about the budget stalemate, which must be resolved by next week.

The Ohio Office of Budget Management is instructing state agency directors to keep a close watch on their spending during the 17-day budget extension.

Ohio lawmakers failed to reach a state budget agreement by the midnight deadline, missing the mark for a spending deal for the new two-year cycle. Because the House and Senate couldn’t reach a compromise, both chambers passed a temporary budget extension to keep the government running. 

It’s looking like the conference committee working on a compromise state budget will stretch into the weekend – with the budget-signing deadline approaching on Sunday night. Among the differences between the Ohio House and Senate versions is an income tax cut and a small business tax break. 

The Senate has passed a $645 million budget for the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, after stripping out sections added by the House on first responders and immigration.