An Ohio state lawmaker was arrested this week for violating an order of protection. The debate over parental consent for abortions heated up, and we took a deep dive into property taxes.
We break down what it all means in this week’s episode of Ohio Politics Explained. A podcast from the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau to catch you up on the state’s political news in 15 minutes or less.
This week, host Anna Staver was joined by reporter Haley BeMiller.
How to read your property tax bill
Calculating your property taxes involves a complicated set of calculations complete with constitutional requirements and a myriad of state rules and exemptions. Not to mention the thousands of different taxing districts across Ohio that each have their own levies.
But as postcards go out alerting homeowners to historic rises in property values, we wanted to explain why these increases will mean bigger tax increases for some but not for others.
Republican representative arrested again
Rep. Bob Young, R-Green, was arrested this week for violating an order of protection that stemmed from another arrest in July where he was accused of assaulting two relatives.
Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, called for Young to resign after that first arrest, and this week he stripped him of his chairmanship, a leadership position that comes with a $9,000 annual pay bump.
Young has pleaded not guilty to all his charges, which include two first-degree misdemeanors for domestic violence and assault.
Parental consent
Parental consent for abortions and whether there should be any exceptions is a hot topic as Ohioans prepare to vote on a reproductive rights amendment for the state’s constitution this November.
The amendment would codify access to abortion, IVF and birth control, which means it would supersede state law.
Opponents say that means overturning the state’s requirement that parents sign off before a minor has an abortion. Supporters say there are cases like incest or abuse where parents shouldn’t have that authority.
Sen. J.D. Vance’s first months in office
U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance was sworn into office just a few weeks before the train derailment in East Palestine that dumped toxic chemicals into the environment.
It was a hit-the-ground-running moment for the political newcomer and his freshly hired staff. They had to read up on vinyl chloride, water testing, and rail safety all while working across the aisle with Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown on reforms and new regulations.
“If there’s a silver lining here, it’s that it forced the staff to actually do something, and to do it not in a hypothetical way or not in an abstract way, but in an actual real and substantive way,” Vance said. “It sort of drove home that there’s this great human tragedy here and if we want to do things the right way by our constituents, we actually have to do our job and do it well.”
Listen to “Ohio Politics Explained” on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts and TuneIn Radio. The episode is also available by clicking the link in this article.
The USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau serves The Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
