Ohio Republicans may not have much of a presidential primary to decide when they go to the polls on March 19, but they will have a U.S. Senate primary to sort out. We discuss the recent debate with NBC4 TV’s Colleen Marshall.
GOP Debate
You know the candidates by now: State Senator Matt Dolan, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno.
They met in Cleveland this week for a statewide televised debate, and all three expressed varying degrees of affection for the current leader of the Republican Party, Donald Trump.
To summarize, Matt Dolan likes Trump but does not care if Trump does not like him. Frank LaRose wanted Trump’s endorsement but did not get it and Bernie Moreno got the prize.
Override the Veto
It is now Ohio law that doctors cannot provide many forms of gender-affirming care for minors, and trans women cannot compete on girls' or women's sports teams in high school.
This week, the State Senate voted to override Gov. DeWine’s veto, joining the House, which did so earlier this month. The law would take effect in 90 days, but a court challenge is almost certain. In other states, judges and appeals courts have put similar laws on hold.
Snollygoster of the Week
A small group of Republican lawmakers — including State Representatives Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Brian Lampton (R-Beavercreek), along with State Senator George Lang — aims not only to cut taxes but to eliminate them.
Specifically, they want to eliminate the state income tax and the Commercial Activities Tax, which certain businesses currently pay. The proposed plan comes with a hefty price tag of $13 billion in lost revenue. However, the lawmakers argue that the anticipated business growth resulting from the tax cuts will ultimately cover this cost.
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