A complaint says Butler County Commissioner Cindy Carpenter behaved aggressively at a housing coalition meeting, the prosecutor found no criminal wrongdoing, but she was removed as the county's representative.

Plaintiffs filed an April 28, 2026 appeal after a judge dismissed consolidated lawsuits over the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires. The ruling said park officials’ warning choices were protected by federal immunity.

Ohio’s Supreme Court ruled April 28 that courts cannot retroactively apply marriage‑based parentage laws to unmarried same‑sex partners, reversing an appeals‑court remand.

Policy Matters Ohio says Ohio lost about 5,400 payroll jobs in February while an estimated 2,000 people left the labor force — masking real weakness beneath the unemployment rate. Public-sector cuts were a major driver.

A Senate committee unanimously advanced House Bill 359 — the Joshua Alert — which would require immediate statewide notices when minors with developmental disabilities go missing. Supporters point to drowning and elopement data to argue faster alerts save lives.

Senators Schaffer and Brenner filed SB 422 to bar Tier II and III sex offenders from schools and child‑care sites, with limited exceptions and stepped‑up penalties.

New Richmond heads to the May 5 ballot on a five‑year, 8‑mill school levy as officials warn lost power‑plant revenue and a state fiscal plan force steep cuts. Voters are split.

Sen. Shane Wilkin introduced SCR20 urging Congress to reform NEPA, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. The nonbinding measure would push for faster permits for mines, pipelines and power projects.

S.B. 278 cleared the Ohio Senate on April 15, a bill that would let private plaintiffs seek punitive damages from cities that pass local gun-safety laws. Columbus and other cities say they will fight the change in court.

A new Ohio dashboard shows roughly 25% of students were chronically absent last year. State officials say weekly school-level data should help communities act faster.

Ohio will ban synthetic kratom compounds statewide May 14 while natural kratom leaf remains under review. The rule targets engineered derivatives like 7‑OH.

House Bill 820 would require radon testing in every Ohio school and back the program with $14 million and homeowner tax credits. The measure also sets a four‑year testing schedule.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sued to block Hebrew Union College from selling its Cincinnati campus or moving donor-restricted gifts, arguing a 1950 pledge binds the assets to the city.