Signature drive accelerates to block Ohio hemp law; Ohio Supreme Court loosens rule on judges’ political speech
Ohio politics news and insights from the State Signals newsletter. Plus, how lawyers and other experts are playing a central role in the ongoing FirstEnergy trial in Akron.
LATEST NEWS FROM SIGNAL STATEWIDE
Election 2026
Ohio legislative Democrats show signs of life in campaign fundraising
Democrats say stronger fundraising ahead of 2026 puts them in position to challenge the GOP’s legislative supermajority, even as Republicans reported far more cash.
Amy Acton’s fundraising surges after potential Democratic rivals bow out of Ohio’s governor’s race
Acton’s campaign will report having $3 million in campaign cash heading into the May 5 primary election. That’s stronger than recent Ohio Democratic governor candidates, although it significantly trails the $12.9 million in cash reported by Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.
Amy Acton picks former party chair as running mate in Ohio’s governor race
David Pepper, a Cincinnati-based writer and longtime party strategist, led Ohio Democrats from 2015 through 2020
GOVERNMENT
FirstEnergy lawyer ‘separated’ after questioning ‘bulls—’ contract at center of bribery case
A FirstEnergy lawyer lost his job after questioning executives about the company’s lucrative consulting contract with energy lawyer Sam Randazzo. That contract became the centerpiece of a bribery probe after Randazzo was appointed as a top regulator by the governor.
EDUCATION
What happens if ICE agents show up at Ohio’s public universities?
Few of the state’s 14 four-year institutions publicly share this information online.
HEALTH
Ohio’s hemp, marijuana crackdown to begin after DeWine signs bill
Governor signed legislation to add new criminal penalties around marijuana possession and restrict sales of ‘intoxicating hemp’ products. He also killed an exemption for hemp beverages. Opponents have announced a repeal effort.
STATE SIGNALS NEWSLETTER
On ICE, Sherrod Brown goes on offense while Jon Husted urges a ‘reset’
Sherrod Brown calls for Kristi Noem’s firing while Jon Husted urges a “reset” at ICE, highlighting shifting immigration politics in Ohio.
Read this and other Ohio political news and insights from the State Signals newsletter.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Springfield prepares for an ICE raid it can’t confirm: ‘You become powerless in a situation like this’
Temporary legal status for 12,000-plus Haitian immigrants in the city was set to expire on Wednesday until a federal judge intervened. The expectation that federal enforcement was looming upended daily life for some.
NEWS FROM NOTUS
Les Wexner Deposed by House Oversight Committee Over Epstein Ties
“There is no question in my mind, given the evidence so far, that Les Wexner knew about this and failed to stop it,” Rep. Stephen Lynch said after the deposition.
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