Gas tax in Ohio suspended for 90 days after politically charged Statehouse vote
The unexpected vote was hastily arranged after Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy called for it last week. The bill now heads to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk for his signature.
LATEST NEWS FROM SIGNAL STATEWIDE
Election 2026
GOP lawmakers revive plan to cut Ohio gas tax amid rising diesel prices
Republican lawmakers said Wednesday they will take up gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s gas tax holiday proposal next week. Democrats would need to cooperate for the measure to take effect before the November election.
Democrat Amy Acton joins fracking-waste fight in red Ohio
Campaigning in Appalachia, the gubernatorial candidate promised to honor a three-year moratorium in Marietta on injection wells that could store toxic liquid waste. Her message helped her win the backing of the town’s council president in a region long dominated by Republicans.
How Ohio college students can register to vote on campus or back home
Though potential changes around voting by mail have sparked confusion ahead of the Nov. 3 election, nothing is changing about voting in Ohio. Residents have until Oct. 5 to complete or update their voter registration.
GOVERNMENT
Fracking industry pays $11 million for first leases in Ohio’s only national forest
Five out-of-state gas companies win rights to drill under 2,800 acres of the Wayne National Forest, achieving a long-sought goal for the industry.
EDUCATION
Ohio colleges enroll fewer international students — again
This fall’s declining numbers could have consequences far beyond campuses, including for Ohio’s workforce.
HEALTH
Bracing for new Medicaid work requirements? Here’s the latest updates
The One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law last year, will require many Ohio residents with Medicaid to prove that they work or volunteer.
STATE SIGNALS NEWSLETTER
Why a doctors’ PAC endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy over Dr. Amy Acton
Ohio politics news and insights from the State Signals newsletter. Plus, Gov. Mike DeWine is promising to address sloppy data around rape examination kits.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Ohio dispensary closes after reports of ‘serious adverse health effects’ from vape
Neither the state nor the dispensary offered details about the health events, but regulators say an investigation is ongoing. Vapen brand products are on what their manufacturer calls a “precautionary hold.”
NEWS FROM NOTUS
DOGE Cut Off Small Town America’s 250th Birthday Money
Ohio Humanities was planning history projects for the 250th when DOGE axed its funding last year. Then Trump redirected federal money for his own beautification projects.
Local Newsrooms
Signal Ohio is a nonprofit statewide network of local newsrooms.
Why Local News
Local news is in crisis. Across the country, including here in Ohio, the commercial news industry has been on the decline, leading to the loss of nearly three-quarters of journalism jobs since 2005, leading to less accountability, more polarization, and more government waste. With the volume of original reporting in Ohio communities reduced to a small fraction of what it once was, nonprofit news offers a path forward
