Week in Review 8-3-26

Week in Review > Week in Review 8-3-26

Posted by Buckeye Association of School Administrators on August 03rd, 2026

EDUCATION

The State Board of Education (SBOE) Tuesday announced four finalists out of the preliminary cohort of 11 District “Teachers of the Year” set to be considered for the 2027 Ohio “Teacher of the Year” award: District 1 – Kasey Church, who teaches special education students in grades 6-12 at Napoleon Junior/Senior High School; District 3 – Sarah Walters, a literacy instructional support specialist in Troy City Schools; District 6 – Taya Kidd, who teaches second grade students at French Run Elementary in Reynoldsburg City Schools; and District 11 – Angela Bowman, an intervention specialist with Cleveland Metropolitan Schools.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber recently declared the city of Marion was in a state of fiscal emergency due to a budget deficit of around $2.4 million, with the announcement coming nearly eight months after he placed Marion on fiscal caution in November 2025.

Local governments across Ohio’s 32-county Appalachian region can now apply for the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) 2026 READY Local Governments training and grant program, the Ohio Department of Development (DOD) announced earlier this month. The nine-week virtual course helps community leaders build the skills needed to identify, secure and manage federal grants that support local economic development projects. A READY Local Governments program overview can be found HERE.

The Ohio Supreme Court recently held oral arguments in the latest test case of home rule powers, Columbus v. State. In Columbus, the state capital and 20 other cities including Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo claim the General Assembly’s general law in 135-HB33 (Edwards) enacting exclusive “statewide regulation” of tobacco and “alternative nicotine products” contravenes Columbus’ asserted right to proscribe flavored e-cigarettes or “vapes.”

Ashville residents opposed to development of an EdgeConneX data center are asking the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn city officials’ decision to reject a referendum on a municipal ordinance related to the project. The case involves residents represented by a man who’s also campaigning to ban large centers outright via constitutional amendment and has drawn the support from former Attorney General Marc Dann as well.

MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM

Ohio Medicaid leadership talked with advocates Tuesday about DeWine administration priorities related to child and family wellness and how they can help to keep them going under a new gubernatorial administration amid federal budget pressures. Groundwork Ohio hosted a virtual presentation from Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) Director Scott Partika and Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives Bridget Harrison on the outcomes of programs related to maternal and infant care, home visiting, multi-system youth and quality improvement.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES (NCSL)

Personal relationships, focusing on policy not personality, acknowledging disagreement, and realizing the perspectives the other person brings to the debate are among the ways a panel of governors and legislative leaders said policymakers can turn a disagreement over issues into something that is productive. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima), and Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-PA) opened the 2026 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual meeting in Chicago Monday in a bipartisan discussion on how to lead through polarized times. The panel was moderated by Susan Urahn, the president and CEO of the Pew Charitable Trusts.

LinkedIn’s Sharat Raghavan, Connecticut Sen. James Maroney and Utah Rep. Doug Fiefia all agreed that artificial intelligence (AI) has not proven to be quite the job disrupter that was feared two years ago at a similar session at the 2024 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit: Raghavan pointed out that ChatGPT first surfaced four years ago and questions are still being asked about how to incorporate it into the workforce, while Maroney described questions around AI as not about job losses but job changing. Their comments came Monday during the NCSL session on “AI and the Future of Work” in Chicago.

As states across the nation grapple with how to address child care challenges ranging from affordability and access limitations to workforce shortages and low wages, a panel of legislative leaders gathered Monday afternoon in Chicago to discuss a new report released by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) presenting policy recommendations to help states tackle the multifaceted issue. Moderated by Jenna Bannon, NCSL associate director of the Children and Families Program, the panel brought together Maryland State Del. Aletheia McCaskill; North Carolina Sen. Jim Burgin; Linda Smith, executive director of the Child Care Trust; New Mexico Sen. Linda Trujillo; and South Dakota Sen. Tim Reed for a conversation focused on the report, “Child Care at a Crossroads: A State Legislative Framework for Strengthening Child Care Systems.”

Sara Slane repeatedly found herself on the defensive Monday morning as lawmakers and fellow panelists challenged her argument that prediction markets such as Kalshi are fundamentally different from gambling. The discussion at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) annual summit often shifted to a debate, with panelists interrupting one another, shaking their heads and openly disputing each other’s characterizations of the rapidly growing industry. Slane, who serves as head of corporate development at Kalshi and secretary of the Coalition for Prediction Markets, was the only panelist representing the industry. Sitting alongside her were two outspoken critics: Michael Hoenig, the vice president and associate general counsel for gaming for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in California, and former Trump administration official Mick Mulvaney, who now leads an advocacy group called the Gambling Is Not Investing Coalition.

With energy demand increasing, one answer may lie within local communities, and one Ohio state representative said the interest in the private sector is there. Rep. Sharon Ray (R-Wadsworth) joined a panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual meeting in Chicago to talk about distributed energy resources (DERS) and her legislation that would create a community energy pilot program.

Lawmakers should consider focusing more on prevention of problem gambling behaviors and include support for research and monitoring in their sports gambling laws, panelists at a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit session said. The session, “Beating the Odds of Sports Betting Addiction,” featured a discussion among Rachel Volberg, research professor of epidemiology who specializes in gambling issues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; Anthony D’Angelo, head of responsible gaming for Fanatics; and David Sasaki of the American Institute for Boys and Men.

As energy demand booms in part due to data center growth and increasing electrification, one expert told an audience at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) annual meeting that there is a risk that the causes of increased energy costs will be misdiagnosed and lead to shortsighted response strategies. Ryan Wiser, a senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, spoke on a panel addressing the balancing act of energy demand and affordability, saying that while there is plenty of discussion about an affordability crisis when it comes to energy, the data tells a more nuanced story with “significant regional differences.”

A map used for redistricting is only as good as the process behind it and the data that informs that process, according to a panel on redistricting Monday at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit in Chicago. The demographic and geographic data that inform states’ legislative and congressional maps begin with decennial census data from the U.S. Census Bureau (USCB), but that data is by no means counted just once every 10 years.

What is it like to wield the gavel of a state’s House of Representatives? It’s a lonely position that can be misunderstood by the public and fellow members, but it can be energizing when you see how policy can impact people’s lives. That is among the insights four chamber leaders from around the country shared during a panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), which featured Oregon Speaker Julie Fahey, Utah Speaker Mike Schultz, Delaware Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, and Kentucky Speaker David Osborne.

House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) won a leadership post with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) that puts him on track to serve as the organization’s president two years from now. NCSL announced Wednesday during the 2026 Legislative Summit in Chicago that Huffman was elected vice president. He will serve one year in that post, move up to president-elect, and then assume the presidency at the 2028 summit. Meanwhile, Rep. Marilyn John (R-Shelby) announced that she was appointed to serve on the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is made up of 63 members, including 41 legislators, 21 legislative staff members, and one nonvoting ex officio member representing international affiliates. The committee oversees NCSL by providing strategic direction and guiding policies and finances.

Federal policy changes, economic trends and geopolitical challenges are clouding states’ budget outlooks, but their healthy reserves and history of strong management practices could still make for a forecast of partly sunny. “I’ve always wanted to be a meteorologist,” joked Savannah Gilmore of credit rating agency S&P Global, who presented at a session titled “State Budget Forecast: Cloudy Days Ahead” during the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit.

Former U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Butigieg told state legislative Democrats that the question that haunts him when President Donald Trump leaves office is “then what?” Speaking at a luncheon for Democratic legislators at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual meeting on Wednesday, Buttigieg spoke on topics ranging from speaking in spaces that may be more hostile towards Democratic ideas to what the next president may face. He told lawmakers that after Trump leaves office, there will be a “muscle memory” among Democrats to go back to the old system while calling that a mistake.

The future of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and their effect on public transit was discussed by speakers at a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) panel Tuesday, with views from industry, labor and an academic expert. Panelists included Joseph Schwieterman, director of the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University in Chicago; Brian McGuigan, head of public policy campaigns at Waymo; and Andrew Gena, director of strategic research at the Amalgamated Transit Union. The panel was moderated by Ben Nasta, a senior legislative director overseeing NCSL’s Transportation Committee.

Amtrak had historic ridership in 2024 and 2025, and thanks to a recent program through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), more states are looking to add new routes and services, a representative of the passenger rail service said this week. Rob Eaton, a senior director of government affairs for Amtrak, spoke on the increased popularity of the service during a panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) annual meeting that examined some successes in expanding and reviving passenger rail around the country, highlighting recent growth and potential new corridors under study.

Some of the conference rooms hosting panels at the 2026 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit are more popular among attendees than others. As there are approximately 4,000 data centers and questions and concerns about them proliferate around nearly every state, Monday’s panel entitled “Data Center Debate: Hype or Real Deal?” was nearly standing room only.

Secretaries of state and legislators from both sides of the aisle weighed in at a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCLS) summit panel on two topics that have dominated elections administration discussions this year – when and how to verify voters’ citizenship status, and whether states should count absentee ballots that arrive after polls close. NCSL’s Katy Owens Hubler, director of elections and redistricting, moderated the discussion among Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan, Mississippi Sen. Jeremy England and Virginia Sen. Aaron Rouse.

An Ontario, Canada lawmaker drew applause Tuesday after bluntly challenging the Trump administration’s claims about tariffs and warning that the United States’ relationship with Canada could take years to repair. “I’m sure that there’s going to be some Americans in here who think I’m a jerk for this,” Member of Provincial Parliament Dave Smith said during a panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) conference in Chicago. “The narrative that your president is putting out is that there is no financial impact on the residents of the United States,” Smith said. “Your data 100 percent disproves what he is saying.”

States continue to address housing issues in 2026 as the nation faces a shortage of 4 million housing units, with no state having a sufficient supply of rental or owner-occupied housing. A panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) addressed how states are looking to close the housing gap, with NCSL policy specialist Cameron Rifkin opening the session with an overview of state policies.

Anybody who claims to know what effect the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) may have, even within the next 10 years, is crazy, according to British-Canadian computer scientist and psychologist Geoffrey Hinton — “the godfather of AI” — at the NCSL Legislative Summit. While AI advances potentially carry the risk of massive job losses, even within the next few years, leading governments to lose their tax base with the loss of workers, Hinton said AI could even bring fake videos that could influence elections, an increase in mass surveillance or deadly viruses manufactured more easily.

Few issues transcend state, federal and even partisan boundaries like military and veteran support, and one of Ohio’s legislative main leaders in the arena joined legislators from other states on Monday to discuss the ways states are stepping up to support those who served. Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), who chairs the House Veterans and Military Development Committee, discussed Ohio’s initiatives with Maryland State Delegate Mike Rogers, Washington House Deputy Minority Whip Mari Leavitt and South Dakota State Sen. Larry Zikmund.

Pet policies are quickly evolving in legislatures across the country, but a panel of dog experts at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual meeting warned against creating one-size fits all policies and following emotions rather than the data. Described as “quite possibly the cutest session,” with members of the four-legged community in attendance, Jennifer Clark of the American Kennel Club (AKC) and Jerry Klein, head emeritus of emergency veterinary medicine at MedVet Chicago, discussed various policies involving dogs across the country, from abuse to vicious dogs.

State lawmakers and broadband officers came together Tuesday afternoon for a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCLS) session focused on the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, a $42.5 billion federal grant initiative aiming to boost high-speed connectivity and support the construction of reliable Internet infrastructure across the country. Moderated by Washington Rep. Cindy Ryu, the panel featured comments from Wisconsin Rep. Rob Summerfield, Colorado Broadband Office Executive Director Brandy Reitter and Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of ConnectLA, Louisianna’s Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity.

The good news when it comes to addressing transportation infrastructure is that states are putting in more funding and searching for new ways to address their deferred maintenance backlogs. The bad news is that the costs are rising and the investment gap is widening. A panel at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual meeting examined where the nation is on supporting transportation asset management and sustainable transportation investment.

More than 60 bills seeking to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) companions have emerged across the country in less than two years, a legislative sprint driven partly by a fear that states waited too long to confront the harms associated with social media. Now Michigan lawmakers are trying to determine how far the state can go to protect minors from chatbots that imitate friendship, emotional support or intimacy — and how companies can reliably know when the person on the other end of the conversation is a child. Austin Jenkins, a technology policy reporter with Pluribus who moderated a panel on child safety and artificial intelligence at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ annual summit, said he wrote his first story about efforts to regulate AI companions in January 2025, before any state had introduced such legislation.

OHIO STATE FAIR

Spirits were high Wednesday morning as state officials, agency leaders and members of the Ohio Expositions Commission (OEC) joined Gov. Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine for the official ribbon cutting ceremony opening the 171st Ohio State Fair. “Well, my fellow Ohioans, welcome to the new Ohio State Fair,” DeWine said as he took the podium. “This was truly an all Ohio all-team effort.” His remarks praised the dedication of a number of people who all contributed to the process of envisioning a new State Fair experience, which now features several new attractions for Ohioans to visit.

As part of the 250th anniversary celebration of the founding of the United States, and for the first time in Ohio history, the locations of approximately 4,000 graves of the state’s first military veterans have been documented by the Ohio History Connection (OHC), which recently released the final result of its year-long project to seek out, document and clean the gravesites of Revolutionary War veterans within Ohio.

PENSIONS

The state and educator unions will argue their cases in September in the dispute over a now-frozen governance overhaul at the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS). Judge Carl Aveni of Franklin County Common Pleas Court has scheduled a trial in the case to begin 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22 in Courtroom 6A.