LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Year: 2024

  • [With Photo Album] I-471 Fire repair update from ODOT

    [With Photo Album] I-471 Fire repair update from ODOT

    I-471 Expected to Reopen By Spring

    Cincinnati, Ohio – Following a November 1 fire that significantly damaged a section of the Interstate 471 Ohio approach to the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced today that it expects to have all lanes reopened in March. FULL NEWS RELEASE

    Updated December 10

    Interstate 471 is closed in the southbound direction at the Ohio River following a fire under the Ohio approach to the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, which connects Cincinnati, Ohio and Newport, Kentucky.

    At 3:20 a.m., November 1, the Cincinnati Fire Department was called to a fire on Pete Rose Way under the Ohio approach span to the bridge. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a large outdoor fire at a playground in Sawyer Point Park directly under the approach span. At the height of the fire, smoke and flames were seen billowing around and above I-471.

    At this time, the Cincinnati Fire Department has not determined the cause of the fire.

    Detours

    Right Click to see larger in new tab.

    Ohio Traffic Impacts and Detour
    Southbound I-471 remains closed at the bridge crossing in Ohio until further notice. ODOT is diverting southbound traffic by way of I-71 and I-75 South. Heavy truck (semi) drivers are encouraged to use I-275 to I-71/75 to avoid delays, and all HAZMAT operators are required to follow the I-275 outerbelt.

    In addition, the following restrictions are in place in downtown Cincinnati:

    • Liberty Street access to I-471 is closed.
    • 5th Street access to I-471 is closed.
    • U.S. 50 East and West access to I-471 is closed. (U.S. 50 remains open to thru traffic.)

    Kentucky Traffic Impacts
    A single-lane closure is in effect on I-471 North beginning at the 3.6-mile marker near Memorial Parkway and continuing across the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge.

    Sawyer Park Restrictions
    Click here here for the latest updates to the park and surrounding facilities from Cincinnati Parks.

    12/10/24 – 4PM Update

    Demolitions Progresses
    Crews have removed the damaged sections of concrete bridge deck. Now, the attention turns to removing the damaged steel girders. A 550-ton crane has arrived on site from Nashville, Tennessee. There are nine truckloads of parts needed to assemble the crane. It will be used to remove the damaged girders as they are disassembled. Girder removal could begin as early as today. Crews will be watching the weather forecast. If winds are too strong, girder removal will have to be rescheduled.

    Components Starting to Arrive
    Bronze bearings, custom-fabricated in Brunswick, Ohio, have arrived at Great Lakes Construction’s office in Cincinnati after being expedited by the manufacturer. These will be used to put four of the new custom-fabricated girders on once they arrive from Bowling Green, Kentucky in mid-January.

    Northbound I-471 Wall Repair
    Crews plan to begin pouring concrete to replace a 70’ damaged section of wall on the northbound side this week, weather permitting. All lanes of northbound I-471 are scheduled to reopen by the end of the year.

    Shoring Towers Relocated
    A group of four shoring towers has been moved south from their original location. These will support the remaining girders once the damaged girders are removed. There are a total of ten shoring towers supporting the structure during the next phase of demolition. These towers will remain in place through construction as well.

  • New polling shows people of all stripes want immigrants treated with dignity

    New polling shows people of all stripes want immigrants treated with dignity

    By:  – Ohio Capital Journal

    A poll conducted last week indicates that large majorities of Americans don’t hold views of immigrants that are as harsh of those of President-elect Donald Trump. They include many who voted for him.

    The poll found that Americans overwhelmingly think that deportations should focus on immigrants who commit violent crime, that the persecuted should be protected, and that families should be kept intact.

    The survey of 1,200 adults was conducted between Dec. 3 and Dec. 7 by the National Immigration Forum, which works with the business community, police, and the clergy as it advocates for immigrants.

    There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Trump has vowed to deport millions and his allies say he’ll “seal the border.”

    Respondents were asked whether they believe deportation efforts should focus on “violent criminals and those with final orders of removal,” or “all individuals without legal status, including those who have otherwise followed laws and have U.S. citizen family.”

    Two-thirds, 66%, said violent criminals and those with deportation orders should be the focus, while 34% said efforts should target all undocumented immigrants.

    Those sentiments were remarkably consistent across political ideologies. Of self-described liberals, 69% said deportations should target violent criminals and those with final removal orders. So did 66% of moderates and 65% of self-identified conservatives.

    YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.

     

    However, deportations of those with criminal convictions or final removal orders are nothing new, with the number this century peaking under the Obama administration and then falling off under Trump and Biden. When it comes to criminal deportations, those numbers peaked under Obama as well.

    Many immigrants come seeking economic opportunity. But many of their impoverished countries are also torn by dysfunctional, oppressive governments, corruption and gang violence. Two leaders of Springfield’s Haitian community last month said that if one has a good job there, that fact alone is reason for criminal gangs to target them.

    The National Immigration Forum survey conducted last week tried to get a sense of whether Americans think people who fled such circumstances should be deported. They were asked if they agreed that “In accordance with American values, family unity, respect for human dignity, and protection for the persecuted must remain key priorities as the government increases border security and border enforcement.”

    Of all those surveyed, 73% either somewhat or strongly agreed.

    And again, there was little divergence along ideological lines. Of self-identified liberals, 78% agreed. Of moderates, 72% agreed. That was identical to the rate at which conservatives agreed.

    Trump should take note, said Jennie Murray, president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum.

    “Key Trump constituencies want his administration to preserve American values and set enforcement priorities,” she said in an email. “The president-elect should respond accordingly and work with Congress on immigration solutions that boost our security, honor human dignity and preserve family unity. The administration should not take Americans’ immigration concerns to mean they support mass deportations for people who are here and contributing.”

    The findings might seem at odds with the findings of a separate survey conducted in October — or at least show cognitive dissonance about immigrants among some Americans.

    That survey, conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute, asked “Do you agree or disagree that immigrants who are entering the country today are poisoning the blood of our country?”

    A full 61% of Republicans agreed with the statement. That stands in stark contrast to 33% of independents, and just 13% of Democrats.

    The same survey found a 50-point gap between Republicans and Democrats over how pressing an issue immigration is for the country.

    GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

    ________________
    Marty Schladen
    Marty Schladen

    Marty Schladen has been a reporter for decades, working in Indiana, Texas and other places before returning to his native Ohio to work at The Columbus Dispatch in 2017. He’s won state and national journalism awards for investigations into utility regulation, public corruption, the environment, prescription drug spending and other matters.

    Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

    MORE FROM AUTHOR

  • Death penalty opponents push for elimination in Ohio

    Death penalty opponents push for elimination in Ohio

    By:  – Ohio Capital Journal

    Opponents of the death penalty are once again urging the Ohio legislature to eliminate the practice in the state.

    In a hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee, advocacy groups and family members of murder victims alike came together to ask for passage of a bill that would abolish the death penalty.

    “This is a question of overall public policy; it’s a question of is the system applying the death penalty consistently across a wide range of cases,” said Robert Dunham, director of the Death Penalty Policy Project.

    Senate Bill 101 would ban the death penalty, a practice that in Ohio has been few and far between in recent years, and has essentially stopped during the DeWine administration as the state has been unable to obtain lethal injection drugs from pharmaceutical companies. With Republicans controlling supermajorities in both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly, the effort faces an uphill battle even with some bipartisan support.

    The Death Penalty Policy Project did an analysis of more than three decades of FBI homicide data and law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, and found that after 50 years and 1,600 executions nationwide, “the public and police are actually safer in states that don’t have the death penalty, or have recently abolished the death penalty, than they are in states that have the death penalty.”

    “Moreover, the states that are now most actively carrying out executions are among the least safe for the public and the most dangerous for police,” Dunham told the committee. “They have failed to execute their way into violence prevention.”

    Jonathan Mann has the unique perspective of going through the murder of his father in 2017, and asking the state not to use the death penalty to punish his father’s killer. He said he believed in the death penalty before his father’s death, but as his experience continued, he found the process “does not represent family members of murder victims.”

    “You are not representing family members of victims adequately, whether they believe in the death penalty or not,” Mann said. “The death penalty is not working. It is not working; you can not say it’s working.”

    Bryan Corbett saw one of his family members wrongfully accused of murder, and the reputation and potential of this member of his family was damaged after spending more than six years on death row before being exonerated. Corbett said the conviction was lifted after it was found “junk science,” “hypnotized witnesses,” and other evidence deemed inadmissible was used in the case. That, and two men confessed to the crime after more than a decade.

    GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

     

    As a Christian pastor and a man who has witnessed the flaws in the justice system, Corbett said the state can’t continue to use the death penalty as an option.

    “I would simply ask: who among us is qualified to cast that stone,” Corbett said to the committee. “Who among us is qualified to flip that switch and end a life?”

    State Rep. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, pondered whether it was up to the legislature to decide whether or not the death penalty should be an option, when the state leaves those decisions up to a jury of peers.

    “Should this legislature take that away from the individuals or should we look to whether this should be a statewide issue and let Ohioans … make that decision,” Dolan asked Dunham.

    Dunham pushed back, saying juries are only deciding cases based on the information at hand, and can’t consider the factors of, for example, withheld evidence or evidence that “the defense had failed to investigate because of poor representation.”

    “(Legislators) are the ones who set public policy, so when we look at the death penalty as a policy, I think you are the people who should be making that determination,” Dunham said.

    The measure is one of many similar bills that have been introduced in the state over the years, but while the measure has been the subject of much testimony in support of death penalty elimination, the legislature has not shown much support for the issue.

    One group stood in opposition to the current bill in last week’s committee hearing. The Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association submitted written testimony saying the association “continues to believe that this topic is important enough that the public should be given the opportunity to decide whether or not Ohio continues to have capital punishment.”

    Louis Tobin, executive director of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association cited a study by Claremont McKenna College in response to Gallup and Pew Research Center polls showing support for the repeal of the death penalty and diminishing support for the practice in the United States.

    In the Claremont McKenna poll, survey-takers were asked if they supported the death penalty when considering specific crimes, rather than general opposition or support for the death penalty.

    “What they found was that support for the death penalty is much more widespread than either Gallup or Pew have reported,” Tobin wrote.

    Statistics from the poll cited by Tobin show 10 of the 15 murder types selected as part of the survey — including raping and murdering a child and being a part of a terrorist attack — “garnered at least 60% support.”

    The only true measure of support is “a vote of the people,” Tobin concluded.

    “If the proponents of Senate Bill 101 believe their own polling and their own argument that there is not majority support for the death penalty, then they should have no problem agreeing to allow the public to vote and to decide on the future of the death penalty in Ohio,” Tobin wrote.

    The OPAA executive director has expressed support for a bill that would change the way capital punishment is done in Ohio, which would add nitrogen hypoxia to the list of protocols that can be used. The method asphyxiates a condemned person by replacing the air they breathe, a mixture of mostly nitrogen and oxygen, with pure nitrogen.

    With the current General Assembly term expiring at the end of the month, the bill may not have much chance of getting by this time around without a last-minute burst of legislative support. Along with its bipartisan sponsors, Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, and state Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, the bill only has 10 cosponsors signed on in support.

    Any bills that aren’t approved by the end of the month will need to be reintroduced and restart the legislative process in the new year.

    YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.

    ___________
    Susan Tebben
    Susan Tebben

    Susan Tebben is an award-winning journalist with a decade of experience covering Ohio news, including courts and crime, Appalachian social issues, government, education, diversity and culture. She has worked for The Newark Advocate, The Glasgow (KY) Daily Times, The Athens Messenger, and WOUB Public Media. She has also had work featured on National Public Radio.

    Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

    MORE FROM AUTHOR

  • Loveland gets new Quint

    Loveland gets new Quint

    Photo courtesy of Loveland Symmes Fire Department

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Symmes Fire Department‘s Quint 62 ladder truck has arrived. A Quint, is a quintuple combination pumper, is a fire truck that combines the capabilities of a ladder truck and a fire engine. “Quintuple” refers to the five functions that a quint provides: pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device, and ground ladders.

    The new truck purchase was approved by City Council in November of 2022. The purchase agreement with the Sutphen Corporation was for an anticipated total cost of $1,173,708.

  • Roaming Naturalist & Little Miami Conservancy invite you to Historic Downtown Loveland

    Roaming Naturalist & Little Miami Conservancy invite you to Historic Downtown Loveland

    Loveland, Ohio – Celebrate the shortest day of the year with a guided evening hike with The Roaming Naturalist and the Little Miami Conservancy. Hikers will enjoy a peaceful forest walk and say goodbye to the darkness and welcome the return of light with a quiet moment by candlelight.
    .
    Pre-registration is required to attend. Save your spot here: https://forms.gle/HcdDE44jqu5fEtfs9

    Saturday, December 21
    4:30pm – 5:45pm
    Little Miami Conservancy

    209 Railroad Avenue Loveland, Ohio 45140
    *Recommended for adults and families with kids ages 7 & up

    Contact us at info@theroamingnaturalist.org if you need assistance with registration
  • Ohio’s STORK Act: Tax relief for parents or a push against abortion rights?

    Ohio’s STORK Act: Tax relief for parents or a push against abortion rights?

    (Adobe Stock Photo)

    If the STORK Act is passed, Ohio would join states such as Georgia, which already allow tax deductions for unborn children, a policy enacted in 2022. By Vanessa Davidson / Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State NewsLab-Ohio News Connection Collaboration.

    __________

    Listen to this story:

     

    Ohio Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery) in August proposed the STORK Act, which would allow expecting families to claim their unborn children as dependents on their income taxes starting the year the child is conceived.

    Click says every dollar makes a difference for expecting families.

    “You start planning and preparing ahead of time,” he said. “The hospital won’t even let you take them home without a car seat. So, you have to get that car seat, you get a crib, you get a bassinet, you get a pack-and-play, and you get all the little toys for a newborn, and you just stock up before they’re born to get ready for that child.”

    However, some raise concern that the proposal could lead toward the recognition of fetal personhood, which could affect abortion rights within Ohio.

    Danielle Firsich, director of public policy for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, said Click’s proposal acts as a continued attempt to attack abortion rights following the passage of Issue 1 in 2023.

    Firsich said there have been several other proposals that have tested fences and sought out loopholes to get around state codifications of reproductive rights, including similar bills proposed in Wisconsin, Florida, Kansas and Kentucky.

    “We know that this argument – that someone can have tax credits for an unborn child – directly correlates with the concept that if you’re receiving some sort of tax benefit, or tax credit, you are thereby able to be recognized as a person and be granted rights as such,” Firsich said. “This is a movement that has come, largely, especially after the Dobbs decision.”

    Given Click’s extensive history of pro-life advocacy – with one of his past proposals declaring fetal personhood from conception – Firsich believes the STORK Act could have possible ulterior motives.

    Click denied such claims and called such rhetoric an “extremist attack.”

    “This bill recognizes the expenses that parents put out,” said Click. “It doesn’t say anything about the baby… this tax credit has no power to overturn a constitutional amendment.”

    Jessie Hill, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University who specializes in reproductive rights in Ohio, believes the proposal will have little impact on abortion rights.

    “I just don’t think that this is something that is going to really, in the end, make a big difference in light of Issue 1 still being there,” Hill said. Issue 1 is “part of our constitution, and our constitution is supreme over state law,” she added.

    However, Hill believes concerns about the proposal aren’t baseless. She pointed out that it’s not clear whether parents would still be able to receive tax benefits for an unborn child even if the pregnancy isn’t carried to term.

    Firsich argues that Click should demonstrate his commitment to Ohio families by expanding paid family leave and offering affordable childcare.

    “That would mean real change for pregnant people and for parents in the state of Ohio, not something like this,” Firsich said.

    The STORK Act is currently being reviewed by the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee.

    This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.

  • Wreaths Across America honors Ramsey-Paxton Cemetery

    Wreaths Across America honors Ramsey-Paxton Cemetery

    All photos courtesy of the Ramsey-Paxton Cemetery Association

    Loveland, Ohio – The Ramsey-Paxton Cemetery Association says, “Thank you Wreaths Across America!”

    On Sunday Wreaths Across America they laid wreaths at the Ramsey-Paxton Cemetery in Loveland.

    There will be an official ceremony on Saturday December 14 at Noon, at the Maineville Cemetery at 476 E. Foster-Maineville Road. This location is bigger and during the ceremony, they will be recognizing all cemeteries including the Ramsey-Paxton Cemetery.

    The Mission of Wreaths Across America is to “Remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach the next generation the value of freedom.”

    Loveland’s Ramsey-Paxton Cemetery is located at 206 Ramsey Court in the White Pillars subdivision.
    _____________

    The Ramsey-Paxton Cemetery is a hidden gem locally, state-wide and nationally!

    The Ramsey-Paxton Cemetery originated in 1813 with the burial of Lt. Col. Thomas Paxton, a Revolutionary War Soldier, on land that he received for his military service. Paxton’s original land grant was 1,000 acres starting in Warren County and sweeping into Clermont County. Read on…

    ________________


    [Video and Slide Show] Ramsey-Paxton Cemetery Association holds ceremony for marking new headstones and grave dedication

  • Hemp industry workers testify against bill that would ban intoxicating hemp products

    Hemp industry workers testify against bill that would ban intoxicating hemp products

    People who spoke out against Senate Bill 326 bill called for regulations, not a ban on sales — arguing that would cause the illicit market to flourish.

    By:  – Ohio Capital Journal

    Workers in the hemp industry spoke out against a bill that would ban intoxicating hemp products in Ohio, effectively putting them out of business. These are known as delta-8 THC products that are often sold at smoke shops and corner stores.

    Those who spoke out against Senate Bill 326 during last week’s Senate Government Committee Meeting called for regulations, not a ban on sales — arguing that would cause the black market to flourish.

    “Strict bans will only support illicit sales of these products, with no enforceable safety or age requirements, which does nothing to address the issues legislators have cited as the need for new hemp legislation,” said Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable.

    Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has been asking lawmakers to regulate or ban delta-8 THC products and State Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, introduced S.B. 326 last month.

    Twenty-five people submitted opponent testimony on S.B. 326 last week and nearly 20 people submitted proponent testimony on the bill last month.

    Marijuana is legal in Ohio and is not considered an intoxicating hemp product. The 2018 Farm Bill says hemp can be grown legally if it contains less than 0.3% THC.

    “Senate Bill 326 aims to make illegal an industry made up of thousands of small businesses but in fact it will simply strengthen the black market,” said JD McCormick, president of the American Healthy Alternatives Association.

    Several Ohioans have turned to hemp as an alternative to opioid pain prescriptions, he said.

    “A 2023 economic impact report on the United States cannabinoid industry indicates that Ohio’s hemp-derived cannabinoid market is responsible for $704,782,000.00 in revenue,” he said. “It also estimates the hemp-derived product industry provides 8,157 jobs with $327,448,000.00 in wages for the employees of the industry, and approximately $40,524,970.00 in annual sales tax receipts.”

    GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

     

    Mo Dayem owns six smoke shops across the state that sells hemp products.

    “S.B. 326 bill would jeopardize my business and my employees,” he said. “I assure you that the industry is in support of reasonable regulations. We want the responsible businesses to continue to operate and ensure there are not bad actors, and unsafe products, in the market.”

    The hemp industry supports banning sales to people under 21, testing products, labeling requirements, and restrictions, Dayem said.

    “Some products that have garnered media attention are packaged like known children’s candy brands,” he said. “This should be prohibited, and the industry agrees they should be off the market.”

     Delta-8 products purchased from a gas station. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal). 

    Doug Strahm owns two CBD stores — Happy Harvest Delaware and Happy Harvest Marion — and he said this bill would destroy his business.

    “My family’s financial stability and well-being, as well as the jobs of our employees, are all tied to this industry,” he said.

    About 80% of their sales come from delta products, which they only sell to customers 21 and older.

    “The median age of our customers is actually around 45 years old,” Strahm said.

    Jaimee Courtney owns a CBD store in Bellefontaine where most of their customers are over 55.

    “These are responsible adults seeking relief and wellness without the intoxicating effects of marijuana,” she said.

    Courtney shared the story of a 90-year-old customer who says taking CBD gummies has helped her stop having seizures.

    “I think this ban would hurt people more than it would actually help,” she said.

    Lawmakers are trying to get their bills passed before the current General Assembly comes to a close at the end of the month, meaning any bills that don’t pass will die and would have to be reintroduced in the next General Assembly, which starts in January.

    Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on X.

    Megan Henry
    Megan Henry

    Megan Henry is a reporter for the Ohio Capital Journal and has spent the past five years reporting in Ohio on various topics including education, healthcare, business and crime. She previously worked at The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA Today Network.

    Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

    MORE FROM AUTHOR

  • Register now for Loveland Preschool

    Register now for Loveland Preschool

    Loveland, Ohio – Preschool registration is now open for next school year. Families with students who will be 3-5 years old in the fall can register online now through January 13. Space is limited. Find details on our website by following this link.

  • Ohio House passes bill that could cause expelled students to undergo a psychiatric assessment

    Ohio House passes bill that could cause expelled students to undergo a psychiatric assessment

    By:  – Ohio Capital Journal

    The Ohio House passed a bill that would allow school districts to create a policy to expel a student that poses an “imminent and severe endangerment” to the safety of other students or school staff for 180 school days, and possibly longer.

    House Bill 206 passed with a 65-15 vote during Wednesday’s session. The bill now heads to the Ohio Senate for consideration. Any bill that does not pass by the end of the year will die and would have to be reintroduced next General Assembly.

    State Reps. Gary Click, R-Vickery, and Monica Robb Blasdel, R-Columbiana, introduced H.B. 206 last summer, which passed in the Ohio House Primary and Secondary Committee a little over a year ago.

    “House Bill 206 will grant greater flexibility to schools when expelling dangerous individuals, while also producing a re-entry plan designed to promote the safety and protection of all students and staff,” Robb Blasdel said.

    She said the bill will give more control to school administrators, parents and mental health professionals “when dealing with the most difficult and stressful cases they encounter, understanding that these decisions are best made at the local level.”

    H.B. 206 defines “imminent and severe endangerment” as bringing a firearm or a knife “capable of causing serious bodily injury” to school, making a bomb threat to a school building, causing serious physical harm to someone at school or making an “articulated or verbalized threat, including a hit list, threatening manifesto, or social media post, that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that the pupil poses a serious threat,” according to the bill’s language.

    The bill would allow a district school board to create a policy that would authorize the superintendent to create conditions for an expelled student to meet before being reinstated — including an assessment by a psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, or licensed school psychologist to evaluate if the student poses a danger.

    GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

    After the assessment, the expelled student can be reinstated “if the superintendent determines that the pupil has shown sufficient rehabilitation,” according to the bill.

    A student’s expulsion can be extended 90 days at a time and there is no limit on how many times a student’s expulsion may be extended, according to the bill.

    “Our current law says that you can only be expelled for 180 days, and then you must be permitted to return to school, readmitted unconditionally,” Click said. “And while we do believe in rehabilitation, we also think that there ought to be safety first. We ought to consider the safety of our students, safety of our teachers, the safety of the faculty and everyone that’s on that property. This just allows flexibility for schools to make sure that the student has been rehabilitated and that the students and the teachers are safe when the student returns to school.”

    There are about 180 school days in an average school year and the bill would require the superintendent to come up with a list of alternative educational options for the expelled student.

    While all of the votes against the bill came from Democrats, 10 Democrats voted for the bill. Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, was one of the 15 Democrats who voted against the bill.

    “For me, it was the disproportionate impact that expulsions have on children of color,” Russo said on why she voted against the bill. “I don’t think that there are enough safeguards in that bill to protect and provide necessary mental health and behavioral health support for children who are in … crisis. I think there’s a more thoughtful way to do that.”

    Children’s Defense Fund Ohio released a report earlier this year that found that Black male students were 4.3 times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers.

    The report discovered that Black students represented 39.7 per 100 students with “discipline occurrences.” Disabled students who were suspended or expelled accounted for 22.2 of every 100 students and students considered economically disadvantaged saw 21.5 discipline occurrences per 100 students.

    The Ohio Poverty Law Center said the bill is well-intentioned, but needs work.

    “HB 206 … still places far too much discretion in the hands of school officials to expel a student indefinitely,” Ohio Poverty Law said in a statement. “One of the greatest predictors of academic success is being present in the classroom, and we must exercise extreme caution when giving schools the power to remove students from school for extended periods.”

    Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on X.

    YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.

    ______________
    Megan Henry
    Megan Henry

    Megan Henry is a reporter for the Ohio Capital Journal and has spent the past five years reporting in Ohio on various topics including education, healthcare, business and crime. She previously worked at The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA Today Network.

    Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

    MORE FROM AUTHOR