Ethics committee nixes complaint against Ohio Senator over his fracking businesses
Silence from the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee signals it rejected a complaint against Senate Energy Chair Sen. Brian Chavez. Environmental organizations accused him of failing to disclose ownership of his oil and gas businesses.
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
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.
EDUCATION
What Ohioans say would make them trust public universities more
Recent findings from an Ohio State research center show most state residents feel that public colleges provide a good education, but they are less confident that education is free from political bias.
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
FirstEnergy bribery trial arrives, prosecutors signal fresh evidence to come
Ohio politics news and insights from the State Signals newsletter. Plus: Brown, Husted call for investigation into ICE shooting.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Ohio state senator failed to disclose ties to his natural gas companies, complaint says
Environmental advocates say Senate Energy Chairman Brian Chavez violated state ethics laws by failing to disclose his ownership of oil and gas companies and bidding on state contracts. State ethics officials will review the complaint.
NEWS FROM NOTUS
ACA Tax Credit Negotiations Have Stalled. Senators Can’t Even Agree on a Reason Why
Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, a key negotiator, said conversations to revive the subsidies are “effectively over.”
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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