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2018 was a big election year in Ohio. Republicans held onto all five statewide executive offices including governor and super majorities in both the Ohio House and Senate. But there were a few bright spots for Democrats, among them the reelection of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and the election of two Democrats to the Ohio Supreme Court.With election 2018 over, the focus now shifts to governing. Stay connected with the latest on politics, policies and people making the decisions at all levels affecting your lives.

DeWine and Cordray Differ on Plans to Fund Infrastructure

photo of construction sign
KAREN KASLER
/
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU
DeWine is suggesting a blue ribbon task force, while Cordray suggests a "bond financing package."

The candidates for governor appear to have different approaches on how they’d pay for infrastructure, with construction costs going up and gas tax revenue declining.

Republican Mike DeWine told a group of agencies that work with local communities that he’d appoint a blue ribbon task force to study how to best pay for infrastructure fixes, saying that panel would need to make recommendations quickly. And DeWine says if a tax hike is suggested, he’d be open to a candid conversation on that.

Democrat Richard Cordray has a different idea.

“Blue ribbon commissions are often an excuse for not being ready to lead or not being ready to set a direction in the state,” he said.

Cordray says he’d go to voters with what he called a “significant bond financing package” for road and bridge repairs, improving the grid and expanding broadband.  But he says he doesn’t have a number in mind on how significant that package would be.

Karen is a lifelong Ohioan who has served as news director at WCBE-FM, assignment editor/overnight anchor at WBNS-TV, and afternoon drive anchor/assignment editor in WTAM-AM in Cleveland. In addition to her daily reporting for Ohio’s public radio stations, she’s reported for NPR, the BBC, ABC Radio News and other news outlets. She hosts and produces the Statehouse News Bureau’s weekly TV show “The State of Ohio”, which airs on PBS stations statewide. She’s also a frequent guest on WOSU TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, a regular panelist on “The Sound of Ideas” on ideastream in Cleveland, appeared on the inaugural edition of “Face the State” on WBNS-TV and occasionally reports for “PBS Newshour”. She’s often called to moderate debates, including the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s Issue 3/legal marijuana debate and its pre-primary mayoral debate, and the City Club of Cleveland’s US Senate debate in 2012.