On Jan. 20, JD Vance will be sworn-in as the next vice president of the United States. On Thursday, he announced his resignation from the U.S. Senate, effective at midnight Friday. Vance was elected to the Senate in 2022 taking the seat previously held by Rob Portman.
In a statement Vance wrote, “To the people of Ohio, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of representing you in the United States Senate. When I was elected to this office, I promised to never forget where I came from, and I’ve made sure to live by that promise every single day.”
Vance’s resignation will mean that Gov. Mike DeWine will appoint a replacement. There’s been no shortage of people interested in taking Vance’s seat.
On Friday’s “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” we will talk about the shortlist for the seat.
Dr. Amy Acton, familiar to Ohioans as the point-person for the state during the early days of the pandemic when she was the director of the Ohio Health Dept. announced this week she will seek the Democratic nomination for governor.
Gov. DeWine put his signature to more than two dozen bills this week---signing off on legislation passed in a flurry during the lame duck session that ended just before the holidays. One of the most notable bills signed by DeWine was House Bill 8—called the "Parents Bill of Rights" by supporters. Opponents called it Ohio's version of a "don't say gay law."
Cleveland City Council introduced and approved new ward maps during its meeting this week. The city is required to re-draw its ward maps every 10 years based on census data. Due to population loss in Cleveland, Council had to ax two of its 17 seats.
Guests:
-Abbey Marshall, Local Government Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
-Josh Boose, Associate Producer for Newscasts, Ideastream Public Media
-Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV
