Cleveland, OH

Judge delays for 14 days education overhaul law that guts OH state school board

Published

11 months ago

September 21, 2023

Judge delays for 14 days education overhaul law that guts OH state school board

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Franklin County judge ordered Gov. Mike DeWine and the state to delay its planned reorganization of how education policy is decided and executed for 14 days, leaving power in the hands of the Ohio State Board of Education.

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Karen Held Phipps on Thursday afternoon issued a 14-day temporary restraining order on the request of seven school board members who had sued over the changes, which were part of the state budget lawmakers passed at the end of June.

At issue is whether Ohio’s legislature and Gov. Mike DeWine can transfer most of the Ohio State Board of Education’s power over education policy to the governor and a new agency, which is to be called the Department of Education and Workforce, or DEW. The transition was to begin Oct. 3. The 14-day order scuttles those plans, at least for now.

Also on Thursday, Phipps announced an Oct. 2 hearing in which a request for a longer-term hold on the transition would be argued in her courtroom.

Last November, three Democrats were elected to the state school board, after a couple of years in which the board was bitterly divided over issues such as how racism hurts students’ education and LGBTQ students’ rights.

The following week, Republicans in the legislature renewed efforts they’d made over the years to put education policy under the governor. Changes they’d previously proposed were included n the state budget that Gov. Mike DeWine signed July 4. DEW is to be led by a director who would be a member of DeWine’s cabinet.

Learning standards – which describe the knowledge and skills students must obtain in a subject – and model curricula – such as the manner and timeframe of instruction – are currently designed by the state board and implemented by the Ohio Department of Education. Under the changes included in the budget, DEW and the governor would control learning standards and model curricula.

During the hearing Thursday, attorneys representing the seven board members, which include the three Democrats recently elected, argued that the changes were unconstitutional because they violate a concept known as the “single subject rule,” in which a bill can only focus on a single subject. Putting an education policy overhaul in a fiscal bill was unconstitutional, said their attorney, Amanda Martinsek.

She argued the education provisions were also illegal because the legislature didn’t properly review and vote on them. She also said that the changes are illegal due to a constitutional amendment Ohio voters adopted in 1953 to create a state school board and remove education from the governor, because it had become too political.

READ MORE: A 1953 amendment created the Ohio school board. Are bills that gut its power constitutional?

“The public has a vital interest in ensuring that they are governed only by constitutional laws,” Martinsek said.

Democracy Forward, a Washington D.C. organization that litigates what they believe are corrupt executive branch actions, is assisting in the suit.

In the complaint the board members filed earlier this week, they argued that if a parent has an issue with the schools, they can find resolution through one of the 19 members of the state school board in an easier manner than trying to reach someone in the governor’s office. The public also has better representation because all learning standards, model curricula and other issues under review are conducted in open meetings where members of the public have a right to comment. That transparency isn’t required under the new structure, the suit says.

However, Julie M. Pfeiffer, who works for Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and was defending Gov. Mike DeWine and the state in the lawsuit, said that the seven school board members do not represent the interests of the entire school board because they are a minority.

Pfeiffer took issue with the plaintiffs waiting for months after DeWine signed the budget to file suit.

The budget law that contains the controversial provisions is 1,300 pages long. In those 1,300 pages are budget provisions that have nothing to do with education, such laws having to do with the filing of crime records. A temporary restraining order would affect those aspects of state government, too, Pfeiffer said.

“The ask has to be specific and it has to be proven with specific facts,” she said. “Their request for relief is dangerously overbroad.”

The plaintiffs then offered to narrow the scope of their request and the court went into recess while the attorneys separated out the parts of the budget law that only applied to the state board. Martinsek said she tried to work with the attorney general’s office on the matter during the courtroom break, but the attorney general’s office didn’t help. The judge was unhappy.

“It’s been brought to the court’s attention that the attorney general’s office is not interested in cooperating with the plaintiffs in regard to specifying exactly what pages, sections, lines that they are asking for,” Phipps said.

Pfeiffer later apologized to the judge, saying that the state couldn’t assist the plaintiffs in the matter and that she didn’t know the judge expected them to work together.

Laura Hancock covers state government and politics for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.

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Cleveland, OH

GCSC Summer Golf Classic | Greater Cleveland Sports Commission

Published

58 mins ago

August 4, 2024

Press Room

GCSC Summer Golf Classic | Greater Cleveland Sports Commission

Get Your Golf On!
Golfers of all abilities are invited to play in GCSC’s Summer Golf Classic presented by First National Bank on Monday, August 5, 2024 at Cleveland Metroparks Sleepy Hollow.
Join us for a day of 18 holes with cart featuring beverages, contests & prizes, lunch and a buffet dinner.
FORMAT:…

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Cleveland, OH

Fatal shooting on east side after reports of large fight: Cleveland Police

Published

8 hours ago

August 4, 2024

Press Room

Fatal shooting on east side after reports of large fight: Cleveland Police

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – One man is dead after a shooting following reports of a large fight on the east side, according to Cleveland Police.

Police got reports of a large fight around 2:50 a.m. on Saturday in the 1000 block of East 71st Street.

While officers were en route, they learned that two people were shot.

Police located a 22-year-old man and a 24-year-old man who were both shot, according to a release.

Both of the men were taken to the hospital by EMS.

The 22-year-old man later died at the hospital.

The condition of the 24-year-old is unknown.

Cleveland Police homicide unit is investigating, according to police.

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Cleveland, OH

WWE SummerSlam 2024 Results: Winners And Grades On August 3, 2024

Published

16 hours ago

August 4, 2024

Press Room

WWE SummerSlam 2024 results

Credit: WWE.com

WWE SummerSlam 2024 from Cleveland, Ohio advertised six championship matches. Among them was Solo Sikoa challenging Cody Rhodes for the WWE Undisputed Championship, LA Knight challenging Logan Paul for the WWE United States Championship, Sami Zayn defending the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Bron Breakker and GUNTHER challenging Damian Priest for the WWE World Championship.

This week’s broadcast of WWE Raw garnered 1.412 million viewers on SyFy after being preempted by the Olympics.

WWE SummerSlam Results | August 3, 2024

Liv Morgan def. Rhea Ripley | WWE Women’s World Championship
Bron Breakker def. Sami Zayn | WWE Intercontinental Championship
LA Knight def. Logan Paul | WWE United States Championship
Nia Jax def. Bayley | WWE Women’s Championship
Drew McIntyre def. CM Punk
GUNTHER def. Damian Priest | WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Cody Rhodes def. Solo Sikoa | WWE Undisputed Championship

WWE SummerSlam 2024 Ticket Sales

WWE SummerSlam 2024 Venue: Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland, OH)
WWE SummerSlam 2024 Tickets Distributed: 55,858
WWE SummerSlam 2024 Tickets Available: 807

WWE Money In The Bank 2024 Winners And Grades

Liv Morgan Def. Rhea Ripley

Despite all the talk of The Judgment Day competing by themselves, Dominik Mysterio accompanied Rhea Ripley to the ring.

Michael Cole noted the last time Rhea Ripley lost a singles match was 26 months ago. To Liv Morgan.

This match started as a cat-and-mouse as Liv ran away from Ripley. Fans became frustrated and booed Liv loudly.

Rhea dominated this match until Liv Morgan dodged a charging Ripley and followed up by throwing her, shoulder-first, into the turnbuckle. Ripley could be heard (kayfabe) saying “it’s out, it’s out!”

Fans were split as they made dueling chants of “let’s go Rhea/let’s go Liv!”

Liv Morgan (kayfabe) popped her shoulder back into place by running herself into the announce table and fans went crazy.

Ripley hit the riptide, but did not pin Morgan. Instead, she grabbed a steel chair that Morgan brought into the ring. Mysterio grabbed the chair from her, which was the wise decision because she would have gotten herself disqualified. This led to an Oblivion for a nearfall and “holy s—t” chants.

Dom distracted the ref, leading to an Oblivion on the steel chair for the win. After the match, Dominik Mysterio kissed Liv Morgan and they left together.

Backstage, Damian Priest was furious with Dominik Mysterio for his actions. Finn and the rest of the Judgment Day vowed to go find him. I don’t trust them.

Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan Grade: A-

Bron Breakker Def. Sami Zayn

Bron Breakker hit his always impressive Breakkensteiner early on, then he proceeded to scream “quit!” at Sami Zayn.

Bron Breakker cut Sami Zayn off with a Spear, then he hit ayn with another Spear for the win. This wasn’t necessarily a squash match, but it was definitely a dominant win for Breakker.

Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn Grade: B

LA Knight Def. Logan Paul

Logan Paul wore a Cleveland-inspired American Flag vest and greeted two security guards on his way to the ring. One of hte security guards turned out to be Cleveland’s own MGK.

LA Knight shattered the glass on Logan Paul’s Prime vehicle before making his way to the ring.

Paul cleared the table, but LA Knight got the better of him with a modified TKO, though the table didn’t break.

Paul won these people over with a springboard moonsault on LA Knight. Though they cheered the spot, they eventually came to their senses and chanted “you still suck!”

After jumping up on the top rope, LA Knight hit a scary looking superplex. Fans chanted “this is awesome” after a nearfall.

Logan Paul borrowed brass knuckles from MGK. After a shot to LA Knight, Knight countered with a BFT.

Logan Paul vs. LA Knight Grade: A-

Nia Jax Def. Bayley

Bayley relentlessly knocked Nia Jax off her feet early in the match.

Nia Jax took control of the match, to the point where she hit the Annihilator, but Bayley kicked out.

Jax called herself “reckless” and “clumsy” while trash-talking Bayley on offense.

Bayley hit an awesome power bomb on Nia Jax from the top rope. The fans were fervently into a match that struggled to follow Logan Paul vs. LA Knight.

A Tiffany Stratton cash-in was thwarted by Bayley, but the distraction led to two power bombs and two Annihilators for the win.

Nia Jax vs. Bayley Grade: A-

Drew McIntyre Def. CM Punk

Seth Rollins walked out in a long cloak, and what was under the jacket was certain to be even wilder.

WWE used ref cameras on the referee’s ear, and there were never more ref cam shots than during Seth Rollins’ entrance.

Rollins’ referee outfit were baggy, bedazzled pants and a cutoff shirt similar to Shawn Michaels.

Fans chanted “CM Punk” to start the match as punk donned pink gear in homage to Bret Hart.

Rollins did a great job working the fans into a frenzy before ringing the bell. When the bell rang, Punk and McIntyre brawled like crazy.

Instead of counting to 10 while Punk and McIntyre were outside of the ring, Rollins instead chose to tie his shoes. Rollins also took immense pleasure in seeing Punk and Rollins beat the hell out of one another.

During an Anaconda Vice on McIntyre, Punk secured his friendship bracelet and the entire stadium celebrated.

Punk stopped his GTS on McIntyre dead in its tracks and confronted Rollins about wearing his bracelet, which Rollins picked up off the ground did wear, but out of no malice.

After a ref bump and a nearfall (followed by a second visual pinfall), Punk and Rollins got into a heated argument. Punk hit a Go To Sleep on Rollins and took his bracelet back, but it cost him the match.

Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk Grade: B+

GUNTHER Def. Damian Priest

Finn Balor wished Damian Priest luck before the match. Famous last words.

GUNTHER already had chop marks on his chest before the match even started.

GUNTHER and Priest chopped the hell out of one another to the point where GUNTHER was bleeding from the chest.

Finn Balor hit the ring, presumably to save Priest, but he ended up costing Priest the WWE World Heavyweight Championship by putting GUNTHER’s leg on the bottom rope.

After this match, Jelly Roll, The Miz and R-Truth took out A-Town Down Under.

GUNTHER vs. Damian Priest Grade: B+

Cody Rhodes Def. Solo Sikoa

Cody Rhodes ran into Arn Anderson backstage, and Anderson said he called in a few favors to a few allies of Cody Rhodes. Some of whom he knows, some he doesn’t.

For a full recap of Cody vs. Solo Sikoa in Bloodline Rules, click here.

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