Mayor from Ohio. (Getty image file photo.)
Each morning in the Ohio Capital Journal’s free newsletter, The Eye-Opener, we round up the news and commentary from across Ohio, the country and the world that catches our eye. We call this feature Catching Our Eye and have published it here.
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Catching our eyes
• Ohio State. The New York Times reports: “A football school that wants to be better keeps dropping the ball“
Universities of all stripes faced challenges as political debates rocked campuses and public confidence in higher education wavered, including at School Up North – as Ohio State rival Michigan is known in Columbus. Many have faced attacks from the Trump administration, political conflicts and their own scandals over their ties to Epstein. In some places, campuses rally around their leaders to fight outside forces.
But Ohio State’s growing problems — often caused by them — are as massive as its 67,000-student population. The steady decline in standards has led to frustration among students, faculty and alumni, and even fears of constant reputational damage.
“It’s a national disgrace,” said Tristan Rader, a state representative who is among a growing number of Ohio politicians who are critical of the school’s leadership. “It puts a black mark on the entire state.”
• Property taxes. Karen Kasler of the Statehouse News Bureau reports: “Ohio police, teachers and local officials are joining forces to oppose the property tax repeal“
More than 65 groups of local officials, libraries, businesses and labor groups, and unions representing first responders and teachers have united against a possible amendment to eliminate property taxes in Ohio. This is likely just the beginning of the massive effort voters could see if the group supporting the amendment reaches voters this fall.
The group’s formation comes as an all-volunteer group collecting signatures for an amendment abolishing the plans is expected to be announced next week.
• ICE. WVXU’s Nick Swartsell reports: “The data shows how many people ICE has deported to Ohio this year“
Recently obtained data from the Department of Homeland Security sheds delicate on the scope of recent federal immigration enforcement efforts in the Tri-State.
A team of scientists and lawyers called the Deportation Data Project obtained the data through federal Freedom of Information Act requests.
The data comes as the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts remain the subject of intense political debate.
• Amendment of reproductive rights. Cleveland.comAs Mary Frances McGowan reports: “A Republican Trumbull County judge is challenging Ohio’s reproductive rights amendment“
A Republican district juvenile court judge is challenging the voter-approved reproductive rights amendment in the Ohio Supreme Court, arguing that it is being interpreted in a way that eliminates parental consent in Ohio and judicial bypass requirements for minors seeking abortions.
Trumbull County Superior Court Justice David Engler filed a lawsuit with the Ohio Supreme Court this week, maintaining that the amendment violates Article IV of the Ohio Constitution, which establishes the power and jurisdiction of state courts.
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