Looking back on 2024 and the biggest stories from the Statehouse, it's hard to look past the results of the November General Election. Ohio went a deeper shade of red at both the state and federal levels of government and further solidified itself as a Republican stronghold. Ohio is no longer considered a swing or battleground state and as a result the presidential contenders largely skipped the Buckeye State.
The red wave in Ohio also washed out any chance supporters had of changing how the state draws its political district maps.
Issue 1, which would have put a citizens panel in charge of the mapmaking job, went down to defeat: 54 to 46%. State GOP lawmakers aligned against the measure.
It's been more than a year since Ohioans voted to enshrine abortion and reproductive health protections in the state constitution. During the year, court rulings began to unwind some of the laws impacting abortion in the state. One of the most noteworthy was the so-called "heartbeat bill" that was struck down as unconstitutional in October.
Legal recreational marijuana sales began for adult Ohioans, aged 21 and older, in August. Voters had passed a statute legalizing marijuana for recreational use and home growth in November of 2023. Changes, however, could be ahead in 2025 as a new legislative term begins in Columbus.
The push to open Ohio's public lands including its state parks to fracking moved forward in 2024. In February, the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission awarded bids to frack under Ohio’s largest park, Salt Fork State Park and two wildlife areas.
We will cover those stories and others on our 2024 review of the Ohio Statehouse on the "Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable."
Guests:
-Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV
-Jo Ingles, Statehouse News Bureau Reporter, Ohio Public Radio/TV
-Sarah Donaldson, Statehouse News Bureau Reporter, Ohio Public Radio/TV
-Haley BeMiller, Politics Reporter, The Columbus Dispatch
-Clare Roth, Managing Editor, The Ohio Newsroom
