Two Republicans — Jay Edwards and Kristina Roegner — meet in the May 5 primary for Ohio treasurer, a race shaped by national endorsements, undecided voters and the House Bill 6 legacy.

Gov. DeWine says Ohio’s 2026 sales-tax holiday will run Aug. 7–9, reverting to a three‑day back-to-school weekend, clothing up to $75 and school supplies up to $20 will be exempt.

A Findlay Republican is drafting a bill to pause Ohio's gas tax for three months as pump prices climb toward $5 in some places. The plan could ease summer travel costs but raises questions about highway funding.

Hamilton County ran an April 30 public test of vote‑counting systems to verify tabulators ahead of the May 5 primary and remind voters about polling and ID updates.

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.