Here are your morning headlines for Thursday, May 9:
- Cincinnati company eyes Lordstown GM plant;
- Judge dismisses civil rights lawsuit;
- Autism, anxiety could soon be qualifying conditions for medical marijuana;
- Greak Lakes Brewing receives first-ever diversity, inclusion grant;
- House to approve two-year budget, cut back income tax;
- Summit County plans to put levy on November ballot for recovery services;
- Dayton calls on health systems to save remaining abortion clinic;
- State Medical Board: OSU shouldn't share findings of sexual misconduct investigation;
Cincinnati company eyes Lordstown GM plant
There could be a buyer for General Motors’s (GM) Lordstown plant. The company said it's in talks with Cincinnati-based Workhorse Group, which makes electric trucks. The sale could preserve some jobs, but it also dashes any hope that GM would reopen the factory. Until March, it had built cars there for more than five decades. The remaining 1,400 workers on the final shift were laid off when the production of the Chevy Cruze ceased in March. Gov. Mike DeWine said the initial job numbers would be in the hundreds but could go up if Workhorse secures a contract with the U.S. Postal Service. Workhorse would acquire the facility and would hold a minority stake in a new venture, according to a GM statement. It’s not clear who would own the rest.
Judge dismisses civil rights lawsuit
A federal judge has dismissed a civil rights lawsuit accusing Euclid police of using excessive force. Lamar Wright's 2017 lawsuit against Euclid says he stopped in a driveway to use his cellphone when two officers approached him with guns drawn. The lawsuit states police used a stun gun and pepper spray on the East Cleveland man without provocation before removing him from his vehicle. The judge ruled Wright didn't prove his rights were violated. He also ruled the officers had reasonable suspicion to approach Wright, and his failure to obey police orders justified use of the stun gun and pepper spray. Charges against Wright, including resisting arrest, were later dropped.
Autism, anxiety could soon be qualifying conditions for medical marijuana
Ohioans who have anxiety or autism could soon be able to purchase medical marijuana. The Columbus Dispatch reports a State Medical Board committee unanimously has recommended that the two conditions be added to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana. However, the committee unanimously declined to recommend other conditions, including treatment for opioid addiction, depression and insomnia. The committee says there isn't enough proof that medical marijuana could lead people to take fewer opioids. The State Medical Board will vote on the new recommendations next month.
House to approve two-year budget, cut back income tax
House lawmakers appear ready to approve a two-year budget that includes a healthy reduction in the state income tax. The GOP-controlled House scheduled a vote on the $69-billion spending plan Thursday following its approval by the House Finance Committee. Democrats joined Republicans in a rare unanimous committee vote. The House plan eliminates personal income taxes for those earning less than $22,500 and enacts a 6.6% cut for everyone else. Over the objection of some business groups, the plan also lowers a business income deduction from the first $250,000 in income to the first $100,000. The proposal increases the minimum salary for Ohio teachers from $20,000 to $30,000 annually, and adds $125 million to Gov. Mike DeWine's education proposal.
Greak Lakes Brewing receives first-ever diversity, inclusion grant
The Brewers Association has awarded Ohio's largest and oldest craft brewery with its first-ever diversity and inclusion event grant. Great Lakes Brewing Co. is one of six recipients of the $20,000 grant. The awards are a way to support events that house a diverse and inclusive community. Great Lakes Brewing said the money will go toward its employment fair called "Tapping Opportunity" on July 11.
Summit County plans to put levy on November ballot for recovery services
Summit County’s Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health board is planning to put a renewal levy on the November ballot. The six-year renewal would be used for mental health and recovery programs as well as for work on the agency’s facilities. The Summit County Council Committee of the Whole approved the resolution this week.
Dayton calls on health systems to save remaining abortion clinic
The Dayton City Commission is urging two local health systems to act to save the only remaining abortion clinic in the area. The state revoked the license of Women's Med Center in suburban Dayton last month for lacking an emergency patient-transfer agreement with a nearby hospital. That’s required by Ohio law. The City Commission has approved a resolution 4-1 naming both Premier Health and Kettering Medical Center as able to provide such an agreement. A Kettering spokesperson declined to address the commission's request directly. Premier Health said its ownership includes a Catholic organization, and its governing documents prohibit signing such an agreement. Both systems said they're legally bound to provide emergency care to all.
State Medical Board: OSU shouldn't share findings of sexual misconduct investigation
The State Medical Board said a judge shouldn't let Ohio State University publicly share information from an old board investigation involving a now-dead team doctor accused of decades-old sexual misconduct. A law firm is investigating allegations about Richard Strauss for OSU. The university plans to make the findings public and wants permission to include information about the old investigation.
