The Haslam Sports Group laid out the case for state funding of a mixed-use development in Brook Park that would include a domed stadium for the Cleveland Browns. The team wants the state to approve $600 million in bonds, paid off with taxes generated by the project, and sought to reassure legislators that the risk to taxpayers would be minimized. One way to minimize the risk? The team would provide more than $38 million in upfront cash.
We will talk about the Browns stadium financing plans and the pitch to lawmakers on Friday's “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable.”
Gov. DeWine delivered his State of the State speech this week. DeWine didn't break much new ground in terms of policy proposals in the speech. Instead, he drilled down on policy ideas that he's previously backed, including proposals put forth in his state budget. Much of the speech focused on Ohio's children.
Akron residents weighed in on the city's proposed budget, focusing heavily on public safety, at a forum this week in the Goodyear Heights Neighborhood. Mayor Shammas Malik's proposed $798 million dollar budget is focused in four main areas: public safety, core city services, strategic initiatives and fiscal responsibility.
Akron is in early talks with the University of Akron's Department of Criminal Justice Studies to review its use-of-force policy. Mayor Malik has called for a review of the policy, but council rejected his request to hire a national firm at a cost of $640,000.
Republicans in the statehouse are taking a page from Washington's playbook and forming a DOGE caucus.
DOGE is the Department of Government Efficiency that Elon Musk fronts which has been cutting what it says is fraud and waste from government bureaucracy.
A new People's Flag was unfurled in Cleveland last week. The new design was selected through a design and voting process. It features a navy-blue "C" and white, six-pointed star on a red and navy background. It's called the People's Flag because city council has no plans to adopt it as the city's flag. The current design has been in use for more than a century.
A Mahoning County state lawmaker wants Ohio to be part of the "Make America Healthy Again" movement supported by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Trump. His idea: Give people a tax credit for getting off their couch and into a gym. Senator Al Cutrona is proposing a personal income tax deduction for a gym membership and other personal training costs.
Guests:
-Anna Huntsman, Akron-Canton Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
-Glenn Forbes, Supervising Producer for Newscasts, Ideastream Public Media
-Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV
