Ohio Senate

The leader of the Ohio Senate says the “Heartbeat Bill,” which would ban abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected, is one of his chamber’s priorities. It’s just not at the top of their list, which includes proposals aimed at cutting state regulations, adding environmental protections and reforming criminal sentencing laws.

Ohio Senate Republicans are saying one of their top goals is to protect what they believe to be the state’s number one natural resource: Lake Erie. They say keeping Lake Erie clean will be a team effort that doesn’t just fall on the shoulders of farmers. 

Backers of the six week abortion ban known as the “Heartbeat Bill” are upset after lawmakers’ attempt to override Gov. John Kasich’s veto failed. The measure passed the Ohio House but failed by a single vote in the Ohio Senate.

The Ohio House has passed a bill, SB 51, full of projects the lawmakers wanted approved before the end of the year. The so-called “Christmas Tree” bill includes millions of dollars for different repairs and developments, including at the Statehouse itself.

An Ohio Senate committee has approved "alternate pathways" to graduation for high school seniors and juniors who are not on track to earn their diploma through the current method of using standardized test scores.

A  bill in the Ohio Senate doesn’t ban so-called "step therapy," but would allow for exemptions such as if medication causes an allergy or if the patient has already tried the treatment and it didn’t work.

Republican senators are planning to discuss the possible changes they would like to make to HB 228, the so-called "Stand Your Ground" bill, which might include more specific language on when to use lethal force in self-defense situations.

Opponents of the "Heartbeat Bill," which would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, rallied outside the Ohio Statehouse while supporters gathered inside for a Senate committee hearing.

An Ohio Senate committee plans to pass the "Stand Your Ground" bill by the end of the week. The bill would make it easier for someone to use lethal force in self-defense by removing the duty to retreat in cases where a person feels threatened.