COLUMBUS — Rules regulating oil and gas well construction, water handling, and the disclosure of chemicals used in drilling cleared final legislative hurdles Thursday before heading to Gov. John Kasich.
Earlier this month Site Selection magazine awarded its grand prize to Ohio for being the state with the most major business expansions in 2011 at 498 projects. The runner-up was Texas with 464 such projects. As might be expected, Ohio officials, including Mark Kvamme as head of Governor Kasich’s JobsOhio program, declared the victory a vindication of their efforts and suggested Ohio would remain a leader in attracting major expansions and new businesses, thereby producing good job growth for Ohioans.
COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. John Kasich has put in place temporary measures to crack down on private ownership of dangerous wild animals while tougher laws are written this fall. Some animal owner groups welcomed the order, though others have blasted it as not going far enough. Critics, including the Humane Society of the United States, say they would have preferred a ban on the purchase and sale of exotic animals. That’s what Kasich’s Democratic predecessor, former Gov. Ted Strickland, ordered before leaving office in January.
To hear Mark Kvamme tell it, Ohio’s future is incredibly bright.
COLUMBUS — The deadline for removing a repeal question on Ohio’s contentious collective bargaining law from the fall ballot passed Monday without fanfare, positioning voters to decide the fate of the law in November. Passing the deadline doesn’t prevent Republican leaders and opponents of the law from reaching a deal later to change or toss out the legislation, though that’s seen as unlikely.
COLUMBUS — Ohio will pay cash to tens of thousands of state workers this month to make up for personal days they gave up over the past two years to help balance the state budget, The Associated Press has learned.
CLEVELAND — Ohio Gov. John Kasich said Wednesday he is moving forward with legalized racetrack slot machines and making tax concessions to one of the state’s two casino developers in his efforts to get more money from expanded gambling for taxpayers.