Rotunda Rumblings
County fairs cannot prohibit firearms on their fairgrounds, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. The ruling followed the arrest of an off-duty police chief in 2024 for carrying a pistol in public at the Champaign County Fair, which had a no-firearms sign. According to Anna Staver, the Fair Board asserted that it was a private organization.According to Yost, it is a political subdivision. Additionally, Ohio law prohibits municipal governments from superseding state gun regulations.
Don’t keep trucking: On Tuesday, Ohio Department of Transportation and Governor Mike DeWine announced plans to construct 1,400 new truck parking spots along roads at 33 locations across 19 counties, including Northeast Ohio’s Lake, Medina, and Summit counties. The goal of the program, according to Jeremy Pelzer, is to lower the frequency of collisions brought on by sleepy drivers who continue to drive because they are unable to locate a safe spot to stop. ODOT operating savings and a charge on motor fuel suppliers will provide the $150 million allocated for the project.
Teacher of the Year: Four candidates for the 2026 Ohio Teacher of the Year award were revealed by the Ohio State Board of Education. According to Laura Hancock, one of these is LeShun Ship Collins, a teacher at Orange High School, which is close to Cleveland. He was honored by former President Barack Obama for establishing a mentorship program.
Highway tribute: A bill that will shortly be submitted in the Ohio House might designate a portion of U.S. 6 the Officer Phillip Wagner Memorial Highway. On July 24, Wagner, a Marine Corps veteran and Lorain police officer, was ambushed and killed during lunch.Reports from StaverThe proposal is being sponsored by Democratic Representative Joe Miller, who is collaborating with local authorities and Lorain police.
Executive function: According to Sabrina Eaton, U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno is proposing legislation that would subject American CEOs whose businesses employ undocumented immigrants to severe penalties. In their annual reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, human resource officers at publicly traded companies would be required to certify their employees’ legal work status under his Strengthening Accountability for Employers Hiring Individuals and Reforming Enforcement Act, also known as the SAFE HIRE Act. Executives whose businesses employ illegal workers risk fines of up to $5 million and up to 20 years in prison.
Unable to avoid the headlines:A small group of protesters gathered across the street as Vance traveled to Ohio on Monday to discuss the Trump administration’s economic agenda, holding a sign that read: JD protects pedophiles, in reference to the president’s alleged relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to Mary Frances McGowan. The demonstrators spurred the media to ask Vance about a purported Epstein client list and the reasons for the federal government’s reluctance to make files on Epstein that the FBI and Justice Department had compiled public. Vance didn’t waste any time in defending Trump, stating that he wanted the case to be fully transparent.
Kid, come back?This weekend, former Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met in Ohio as Brown considers a potential run for governor or a comeback attempt to unseat the state’s GOP Senate majority, according to Axios. At an event held by Axios on Tuesday, Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno was questioned by the news outlet about the report. Moreno said that Brown’s lack of experience in the private sector is causing him to struggle to find employment. Moreno, who defeated Brown in November, stated, “I’m hoping that Axios could use a reporter in Ohio.” Sherrod is available, you know.
Remaining stationary:According to Adam Ferrise, a former chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital will continue to serve time in prison on contentious civil immigration charges. Due to claims that he was a supporter of a terrorist group, an immigration court decided she was unable to grant bond. Ayman Soliman’s lawyers have maintained that the terrorism charge is baseless and stems from a distorted interpretation of academic publications, the authors of which have since condemned Homeland Security’s exploitation of their work.
Read more Ohio politics stories
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JD Vance s Big Beautiful Bill promotion backfires as Congresswoman Sykes had him for lunch
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JD Vance defends Trump on Epstein case during Ohio steel mill visit
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Ohio plans massive expansion of truck parking to combat highway crashes
Lobbying Lineup
Onstate Senate Bill 63, which would generally forbid the use of ranked choice voting and withhold funds from the Local Government Fund to municipalities or chartered counties who employ it, is being lobbied by five organizations.
On the Move
According to Axios, Vice President JD Vance hosted costly RNC fundraisers in Big Sky, Montana, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Tuesday. Regular participants paid $100,000 per pair to attend, while host committee members paid $250,000. On Monday, Vance made an appearance in Ohio, his home state.
On Wednesday, July 30 at 11 a.m., members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees will travel to the Ohio State Fair for a joint hearing. Lawmakers will then remain for the Legislative Pig Showmanship and the Ronald McDonald House Celebrity Steer Show.
Birthdays
Former State Lawmaker John Becker
Riley Dean, political relations manager for the Ohio Environmental Council
State Senator Bill DeMora’s top legislative assistant is Patrick McDonald.
Ohio Senate Republicans’ director of strategic projects, Averel Meden
Todd Thatcher, Ohio Department of Agriculture’s director of legislative affairs
Straight from the Source
It’s half steaming milk and half coffee. It’s known as coffee with leche in Colombia. Therefore, everybody who is Colombian out there will say, “I know what that is.” I drink that, even if the others think it’s awful. The jitteriness is explained by the three sugars.
-After discussing policy measures to assist Americans in obtaining home ownership, Senator Bernie Moreno told Axios Stef Kight about his Dunkin Donuts order.
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