Ohio’s exceptionally dry and hot summer has drawn the federal government’s attention.

The USDA Farm Service Agency declared 22 Ohio counties natural disaster areas Tuesday due to the state’s ongoing drought, allowing farmers to apply for emergency loans from the federal government.

What Ohio counties are included in natural disaster declaration?

The counties named in the USDA declaration include:

Athens, Belmont, Fairfield, Fayette, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Vinton and Washington counties.

Those counties have all faced eight or more consecutive weeks of severe drought and some have faced extreme to exceptional droughts, making them natural disaster areas, according to a USDA press release.

For the first time in Ohio history, two counties, Athens and Meigs, face exceptional drought conditions, the most severe level of drought possible, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Alongside those 22 “primary” counties, farmers in 18 neighboring counties are eligible to receive emergency loans as well. They are Adams, Brown, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Franklin, Greene, Lawrence, Licking, Meigs, Scioto, Tuscarawas, and Union counties.

How do USDA emergency disaster loans work?

Farmers can borrow up to $500,000 with a 3.75% interest rate to restore or replace essential property, pay production costs for the disaster year, pay essential family living expenses, reorganize the family farming operation or refinance the farm’s non-real estate debts, according to the USDA.

Only farm owners or tenant farmers who intend to continue farming are eligible for the loans.

Eligible farmers can apply on the USDA’s website.

NHart@dispatch.com

@NathanRHart

Bernie Moreno doesn’t want to talk about abortion.

During a campaign stop in Washington Court House last month, the Republican Ohio Senate candidate accused news media of using abortion to “gaslight Democrat voters.” Ohio voters have spoken, he argued − it’s time to move forward and “stop picking at wounds that are 52 years old.”

But abortion has emerged as a top issue in Moreno’s race against Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who’s seeking a fourth term in one of the country’s most competitive Senate campaigns that could decide which party controls the chamber. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, states including Ohio voted to protect reproductive rights and block abortion bans pushed by the GOP.

The outcome of the 2023 ballot issue put Republicans in a bind, while Brown and other Democrats have cast their opponents as out of touch. Even now, Moreno appears to harbor frustration about the decision to enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution.

“Look, we lost Issue 1 last year because only 52% of evangelical Christians bothered to show up at the ballot box,” Moreno said during a July campaign event, according to audio obtained by the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau. “What did we get in exchange? We have abortion right until birth. We have no parental consent for minors getting an abortion because we didn’t show up to vote. Can’t do that. They can only cheat so much.”

Abortion is legal in Ohio up to 22 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions beyond that to preserve the patient’s life and health. The state’s parental consent law remains on the books and has yet to be challenged in the wake of the amendment’s passage.

When asked about Moreno’s comments, spokesperson Reagan McCarthy said he was “referring to low turnout and encouraging voters to be engaged in this election, rather than sit on the sidelines.”

Where do Bernie Moreno, Sherrod Brown stand on abortion?

Since Ohio’s election, Republicans nationwide have pivoted on abortion and said they’re focused on policies to support families. Former President Donald Trump came out against federal abortion restrictions after waffling on whether he would support a 15-week ban.

Trump’s stance guided a policy platform at the Republican National Convention that painted abortion as a states’ issue, frustrating social conservatives who wanted to see a stronger rebuke of the procedure.

“We will oppose late term abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance prenatal care, access to birth control, and IVF (fertility treatments),” the platform stated.

Moreno’s position has also evolved. He told a Cincinnati radio host in 2022 that he was “absolute pro-life, no exceptions.” During his Senate primary campaign, Moreno advocated for a 15-week ban with “commonsense restrictions,” including exceptions for rape, incest and to save the pregnant person’s life.

Citing the RNC platform, Moreno told reporters in Washington Court House that Republicans don’t support abortion bans − even though GOP officials and anti-abortion activists worked for years to curtail access and overturn Roe v. Wade. Moreno also said adoptions should be more available and called for women to have better access to health care and contraception.

“I don’t think most Ohioans think that a 35-week-old baby that’s healthy with a healthy mom should be killed,” Moreno said. “Most people don’t think that. Left-wing European countries put restrictions − not bans, restrictions − after 15 weeks, but that’s my personal belief. I support the party platform, which says let’s leave this up to the states.”

Moreno donated $100,000 to a group opposing Ohio’s abortion rights amendment − a stark contrast to Brown, who openly campaigned in favor of it. The three-term senator supported efforts to codify the right to an abortion, protect access to fertility treatments and birth control, and prevent restrictions on out-of-state abortions. He previously said he supports the parameters in Roe, which guaranteed abortion access until fetal viability.

Brown is backed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio. He received an “F” grade from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America − which endorsed Moreno − for opposing legislation to codify the Hyde Amendment and prohibit abortion when there’s a diagnosis of Down syndrome. He also voted against a federal abortion ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Unlike Moreno, Brown has sought to highlight the issue on the campaign trail − even holding a media call with feminist activist Gloria Steinem.

“It’s not just that (Moreno is) wrong on women’s reproductive rights. It’s not just that he disregards women and the rights of half of our society,” Brown said in an interview. “It’s also that he’s flying in the face of what the voters have said we should do. You’re going to go off to Washington fundamentally fighting against something your voters just overwhelmingly passed? This should not be a ticket to office.”

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

A contentious senate race in Ohio is stressing the disconnect between the Democratic Party’s pro-tax agenda and the personal finances of some of its most prominent members.

One of those Democrats is Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, whose race against Republican Bernie Moreno may decide party control on Capitol Hill.

During his long career, Brown has voted for tax increases and against cuts regularly.

• In 2010, Brown co-sponsored Bernie Sanders’ so-called “Death Tax” bill, which would have taxed estates up to 65% after the owner’s death.
• Then, In 2013 and 2015, Brown voted NO on creating new tax funds that would have allowed the “Death Tax” to be phased out all together.
• Brown voted against – and opposed the extension of – George Bush-era tax cuts which lowered the tax rate for all income levels.
• Brown currently supports President Biden’s plan to “forgive”student loan debt, which opponents say is simply a cleverly disguised $1.4 trillion tax hike. 

In 2023, Brown faced heavy criticism for falsely claiming tax credits for his home and filing late payments on his own personal returns. 

NBC News reported Brown was late on tax payments at least seven times for his Cleveland home and was even labeled “delinquent” by Cuyahoga County for failing to make a scheduled $1,200 payment. 

Brown was also forced to pay back Franklin County for falsely claiming occupancy tax credits on a second residence in Columbus. Brown says he no longer claims those tax credits on the Columbus property, which the Franklin County clerk confirmed. 

“Perhaps these members, like Sherrod Brown, shouldn’t be getting paid their senate salary until they pay back their fair share,” Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform told The Post.

“Or maybe he can start flying coach instead of first class on all these special senatorial flights. That middle seat would probably make a lot of politicians very honest very quickly.”

A spokesperson for Brown told The Post that the tax credit issue was fully resolved over a year ago, but did not comment on whether the senator still owes late payments or is currently up to date on his personal returns.

”Democrats view taxes as incoming money,” Norquist continued.

“I think most of us would actually view it as outgoing money. Our loss is quite literally their gain. They see us as two groups: you pay the taxes, we’ll spend the taxes. They say ‘taxes are wonderful,’ and then we’re all out there wondering: ‘wait…wonderful for who?’”

Norquist says the problems go all the way to the top.

“It’s all of them. Even President Biden was caught at one point avoiding taxes. I’m sure Harris and the others all fear a call from the IRS just as much as the rest of us,” he told The Post.

“Hypocrite Sherrod Brown has spent his career hiking taxes on Ohioans but time and again refuses to pay his own. Brown is just another career politician who thinks he’s above the law,” NRSC Spokesman Philip Letsou told The Post. 

Experts like University of Dayton Professor Chris DeVine believe taxes will be a key issue across the country this November.

“The economy is a key factor for voters in Ohio, and throughout the United States,” he told The Post.

“Taxation is a key economic concern. One challenge for Bernie Moreno and other Republicans will be convincing voters that, contrary to Democratic messaging on this issue, their tax cuts will benefit the middle class and not just wealthy people or corporations.”

Polling shows that Brown maintains a five point lead over Moreno in the nation’s most expensive senate race.