© 2025 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Ohio lawmakers off to a fast start in new Statehouse session

 The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.
Ryan Loew
/
Ideastream Public Media
The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.

We're just a few weeks into the new session at the Ohio Statehouse and already lawmakers are signaling that this term bills will move quickly.

In the last session, several bills, including some high-profile ones, failed to get across the finish line. The slow pace last term was driven by in-fighting within the Republican caucus. Now it’s a new term with new leadership and a much faster pace.

Last week a bill to reform higher education passed out of the Senate and will now head to the Ohio House.

Senate Bill 1 sponsored by Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) looks to end what supporters say is a "liberal bias" on college campuses. The bill introduced last year as Senate Bill 83 did not make it through both chambers.

We're going to talk about the bill and others to begin Wednesday's "Sound of Ideas," including how the 2026 governor's primary is shaping up for Republicans. Vivek Ramaswamy announced he will formally enter the race next week with a statewide tour.

Later in the hour, we will talk about efforts to help young people kick the vaping habit. A government survey found more than 2 million American students use some form of tobacco with vaping among the most popular choices. To end the hour, we will discuss some legislation being considered locally that impacts vaping.

Guests:
-Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV
-Liz Klein, Ph.D., Chair and Professor, College of Public Health, Ohio State University
-Jessica Wingert, Family Health Coordinator, Summit County Public Health
-Stephen Langel, Health Reporter/Producer, Ideastream Public Media

Leigh Barr is a coordinating producer for the "Sound of Ideas" and the "Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable."