Week in Review 4-28-25

Week in Review > Week in Review 4-28-25

Posted by Buckeye Association of School Administrators on April 27th, 2025

BALLOT ISSUES

Attorney General Dave Yost announced Tuesday afternoon that he had certified the petition for a proposed constitutional amendment that would end qualified immunity in Ohio in response to a U.S. Sixth Circuit Court ruling. The appeals court earlier this month ruled that Yost had likely violated the First Amendment rights of Ohio citizens behind the ballot initiative titled “Protecting Ohioans’ Constitutional Rights,” which would create a private right of action against state government actors who deprive a person of state constitutional rights, without qualified immunity for the government actors involved.

A group of Youngstown State University professors kicked off an effort to repeal higher education reform bill SB1 (Cirino), submitting summary language and petitions to the secretary of state and attorney general’s office on Monday.

The coalition pushing for a “Yes” vote on public works amendment Issue 2 has raised nearly $700,000 since its formation earlier this year, according to campaign finance reports. Thursday was the deadline for candidates and issues to report their pre-Tuesday, May 6 primary fundraising and spending totals. While most ballots will contain candidates for local offices and local issues, statewide voters will weigh in on the renewal of the State Capital Improvement Program. It would authorize the state to issue up to $2.5 billion in bonds over a 10-year period. The Strong Ohio Communities Coalition, formed in February, is backing the issue, and reported it has raised $697,500, spent nearly $350,000, and has around $348,000 on hand.

FY26-27 BUDGET

The House-passed version of the budget, HB96 (Stewart), added the creation of an Airport Improvement Program for publicly owned, public-use airports in Ohio. The program would be funded by a portion of Petroleum Activity Tax (PAT) receipts derived from the sale of aircraft fuel, estimated at $4.65 million per fiscal year, and would fall under the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

EDUCATION

Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Director Stephen Dackin announced that 367 Ohio schools are receiving the Purple Star designation as part of the Class of 2025; the award is presented to schools that demonstrate a commitment to serving students and families connected to the U.S. armed forces.

A Franklin County judge has ordered Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) founder William Lager’s assets to be frozen as the state seeks to recover public money he earned from the now-defunct online charter school. Last week, Common Pleas Judge Kimberly Cocroft affirmed an October 2023 report from Magistrate Elizabeta Saken recommending that the court grant Attorney General Dave Yost’s request for a preliminary injunction to freeze Lager’s assets.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) on Thursday announced the new divisional breakdowns for cross country as the sport expands from three to four divisions this fall. OHSAA also announced a new three-year contract with Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park to host three cross country events each fall.

ELECTIONS 2026

In an appearance on the “Ohio Politics Explained” podcast this week, Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel again deflected questions about his political future, saying he has given “zero thought” to potentially running for governor to succeed Gov. Mike DeWine in 2026. The former Ohio State football coach compared his approach as lieutenant governor to coaching, saying then he was only focused on the task at hand rather than winning a championship or beating the rival.

EMPLOYMENT/UNEMPLOYMENT

Ohio’s unemployment rate increased from 4.7 percent in February to 4.8 percent in March, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) on Friday. The national unemployment rate for the month was 4.2 percent.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

Ron Hood, former long-time state representative and candidate for Ohio governor and U.S. Congress, died suddenly overnight on Saturday, April 19, reportedly of medical complications at age 55. Visitation will be 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, April 28 at Heritage Nazarene Church, 2264 Walnut Creek Pike, Circleville, followed by funeral services at 6 p.m. A graveside service will take place at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Reber Hill Cemetery in Ashville. The family requests memorial contributions in care of Wellman Funeral Home.

The six Senate standing committees that will delve into agency budgets and hear from the public on HB96 have laid out tentative schedules for the coming three weeks, with some planning twice-weekly meetings.

The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) on Thursday unanimously approved a $500,000 contract with architectural services firm BBCO. The firm is expected to assist with multiple projects at the Statehouse as part of the “indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity” (IDIQ) contract, CSRAB Executive Director Megan Wycuff said during the board’s meeting in the State Room. “That just allows us to have a single architect and engineer for multiple projects up to $500,000 over the biennium. It’s our intention for this consultant to assist with the architectural and engineering services for the list of priorities that was compiled for the FY26-27 process,” Wycuff said.

GOVERNOR

The governor signed the following bills:

– HB43 (Fowler-D. Thomas), to waive required minimum instructional hours for Ashtabula Lakeside High School due to the school building being unusable

– SB33 (Wilson-Lang), to allow employers to post certain labor law notices on the Internet.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Owens Community College (OCC) recently opened its new $31.3 million Healthcare Education Center. The renovation project expanded the space to more than 86,500 square feet for health care students and houses the college’s School of Nursing and Health Professions.

Almost a year after announcing a planned merger between the University of Findlay (UF) and Bluffton University, the deal has been called off after Findlay’s board voted against the continuation of the proposal, according to a statement released by the university.

Miami University recently suspended its chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi for 15 years due to accusations members were physically beating and verbally abusing new recruits, according to media reports. The university initially issued a permanent ban that was lowered on appeal.

Amid Trump administration action to freeze and curtail higher education funding, scores of institution presidents, including some from Ohio, have signed a statement decrying “government overreach and political interference.” The statement, titled “A Call for Constructive Engagement,” was organized by the American Association of Colleges and Universities.

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science (CCMS) Jack Lechner, Jr. has resigned from his position, effective March 19, having served in the role since 2016. During his time with CCMS, Lechner helped expand and enhance the CCMS curriculum, offering training in hands-on cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, hospitality management and pet loss. Lechner also contributed to the establishment of a new Educational Cremation Center.

The grove of trees planted in memory of former governors and presidents at the Ohio State Fairgrounds now has an Ohio Buckeye tree marking Ohio State University’s (OSU) victory in the college football championship. Three members of the championship team joined DeWine administration and university officials Thursday to plant the tree at the Buckeye Grove in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Natural Resources Park. The administration contingent had its own Buckeye connections, with Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a former OSU football coach who has his own championship ring, and Glen Cobb, chief of the ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft and a former OSU linebacker and team captain. “There’s something special about having a living memory of an extraordinary accomplishment, and I’m so proud of those kids and coaches,” Tressel said.

TAXATION

The head of a coalition backing property tax reforms said Wednesday that lawmakers should find ways to rein in “unvoted” tax increases and adopt other changes to make the system more understandable and less burdensome. Tom Zaino, tax commissioner during the Taft administration and now head of the Ohio Taxpayer Protection Coalition, said in a conversation with reporters that the coalition’s work stems from Ohio Chamber of Commerce research that found local taxes are more a drag on Ohio’s competitiveness than state-level taxes.