Ohio
Ohio House GOP votes to take control of House campaign funds from Speaker Jason Stephens
The majority of Ohio House Republicans voted to strip Speaker Jason Stephens of control over House GOP campaign funds during a Wednesday morning meeting.
The resolution − backed by 38 of 67 House Republicans and a designee of the Ohio Republican Party − would give Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Dayton, sole authority over House Republicans’ campaign coffers, known as the Ohio House Republican Alliance, state Rep. Brian Stewart said.
If successful, the move could hurt Stephens’ bid to retain control of the speaker’s gavel next year. Stephens said Wednesday afternoon that he was not aware of the vote.
Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, is returning to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2025 and is openly campaigning to replace Stephens, R-Kitts Hill. If Stephens can’t spend campaign cash, it could hamstring his ability to elect candidates this November who support his bid for speaker.
In the March primary, Stephens spent at least $3 million defending Republican incumbents, most of whom backed his 2023 leadership bid. Four Republican lawmakers lost their seats to primary challengers.
“Jason Stephens has used the current OHRA bank account to spend all the caucus’ money defending a few hand-picked people,” Stewart, R-Ashville, said. “We cannot have that situation heading into the fall elections, and we cannot have the campaign fund being managed by a speaker who has every incentive to lose Republican seats.”
Stephens won the speakership in January 2023 with all 32 Democratic votes and 22 Republican votes for a total of 54. His challenger, Toledo area Rep. Derek Merrin, had 43 GOP votes.
Stephens’ opponents have tried once before to wrest control of campaign money. They filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court to block Stephens and his allies from spending the money, but Judge Mark Serrott denied their request before the primary. “It is impossible to ignore the specter of political gamesmanship that looms over this litigation,” Serrott wrote.
Stewart said the new vote was taken Wednesday to formalize what most House Republicans already said they wanted: Stephens to let go of the campaign account.
The resolution gives Plummer the power to form a new entity called the Ohio House Republican Organization to raise money and spend it on candidates − if Stephens doesn’t release the purse strings, Stewart said. “We are going to give people the opportunity to comply with the law and comply with the majority wishes of the caucus.”
All House Republicans were invited to the meeting, which occurred Wednesday morning at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel downtown, Stewart said.
Meanwhile, a member of the Ohio Republican Party governing body Josh Brown has circulated a petition, asking the state party to “deal with Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens’ illegal, anti-Republican political spending.” That request will be addressed at the Ohio GOP’s next meeting, spokesman Dan Luscheck said.
Reporter Erin Glynn contributed to the article.
Jessie Balmert 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.
Photo:
Casey Laughter / Eclipse Sportswire
This year’s Preakness Stakes was advertised as the weak sister of the 2026 Triple Crown series. While Golden Tempo, Renegade, Commandment, and Chief Wallabee all took a hard pass on the middle jewel, they still ran the race at Laurel Park. The brunt of jokes before and after Napoleon Solo’s victory, the Preakness may yet enjoy the last laugh.
While Napoleon Solo and Iron Honor, the top two finishers from Maryland’s classic, will wait for the $1 million Haskell (G1) next month at Monmouth Park, Saturday’s $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) attracted a solid field of 3-year-old males to Thistledown. Included in the group was a quartet coming straight out of the Preakness, led by Chip Honcho and Ocelli.
Bull by the Horns and Robusta were longshots off their results at Laurel and they ran like it in Ohio. Chip Honcho and Ocelli, on the other hand, were well supported on Saturday after running third and fourth in the Preakness.
After the pair put away the favored Desert Gate at the top of the stretch, they battled it out down the lane. In the end, it was Chip Honcho getting the better of his rival late to pull clear to a one-length score in the Ohio Derby. The Lexington Stakes (G3) winner Trendsetter was able to rally and get by the favorite for third, but this really was a two-horse race down the Thistledown stretch.
Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden again by Jose Ortiz, Chip Honcho earned his second stakes win of his career, and his first of his sophomore season with the performance.
Before his solid third-place effort in the Preakness behind Napoleon Solo and Iron Honor, the son of Connect had run several good efforts in New Orleans, including a win in the Gun Runner and a strong second-place performance behind Paladin and ahead of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes hero Golden Tempo in the Risen Star (G2).
Despite his solid racing at Fair Grounds the decision was made to skip the Kentucky Derby with Chip Honcho and point for the Preakness instead. That decision already seems to be paying dividends.
On Saturday, he was steadied just a bit heading into the first turn but had already been asked to keep off the early lead set by Robusta. His ability to stalk from just off the pace in his last two races has seemingly made him a better and more dangerous horse.
When Ocelli rolled by him on the turn, he had to come up with a strong stretch drive to win and he did just that. Other than the Louisiana Derby, where he was hung out to dry a little bit early and faded to fifth, Chip Honcho has run nothing but good races in his career and looks to continue to be a player in the division as we move into the second half of the season.
As for Ocelli, I must admit that he was the one I was pulling for in the Ohio Derby. Also a son of the Curlin stallion Connect, he is a horse that I find it impossible not to root for.
After Saturday’s strong run for second, Ocelli has now run nine times in his career and remains winless. Sent off as the third choice in the Ohio Derby behind Desert Gate and Chip Honcho, the maiden once again ran a big race in defeat.
After displaying some rallying talent in his first three career starts, it has been a steady diet of stakes races and tough competition for the Whit Beckman-trained runner.
Even in the Sam F. Davis, won by Renegade, and the Virginia Derby, won by Incredibolt, Ocelli made his move from behind, but in both races, he was too immature to handle any adversity, and he backed out down the lane.
Undeterred, his connections were willing to keep trying. A solid rally to be third in the Wood Memorial (G2) was enough to get him into the Run for the Roses and his connections took full advantage. He actually briefly led in the stretch run of the Kentucky Derby, before finishing third as the longest shot on the board.
No horse was able to make up much ground in the Preakness, but Ocelli was the best of the late-runners, checking in 4th of 14. In the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the maiden finished ahead of all but 5 of the 30 horses he faced.
In the Ohio Derby, he had a wide trip and came with his patented rally under rider Tyler Gaffalione but could not hold off Chip Honcho in an exciting battle.
Despite still being winless in nine career starts, Ocelli has amassed $829,800. Not bad for a maiden, and not bad for a horse that was originally purchased for $12,000 as a yearling.
I cannot recall a maiden ever reaching the $1 million mark in earnings. I believe Ocelli has a chance to be the first. With a demanding schedule and a consistent far turn rally, it has been fun to watch the ride.
Chip Honcho and Ocelli, coming out of good efforts at Laurel Park, absolutely dominated Saturday’s Ohio Derby. Maybe we should start taking a more positive view of the 2026 Preakness Stakes.
MIDDLEFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) — The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Chardon Post is investigating a fatal plane crash that killed three people around 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
According to a press release, about one mile east of the Geauga County Airport, a Piper Comanche 250 crashed into a field.
The plane sustained major damage — killing three Ohioans who were identified as Thomas A. Cunningham, 76, of Rome, John W. Taipale, 71, and Alexander C. Taipale, 40, both from Geneva.
OSHP was assisted by the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office, Geauga County Coroner’s Office, Geauga County Emergency Management Agency, Middlefield Fire Department and Community Care Ambulance.
The Western Reserve Port Authority, Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport’s executive director, Anthony Trevena, reached out to our team with a statement regarding the crash.
“We were heartbroken to learn that members of our extended YNG and Youngstown aviation family, were victims in today’s crash in Geagua County. Our deepest condolences go out the Cunningham and Taipale families. We ask that their privacy please be respected during this difficult time. The FAA and NTSB are leading the investigation to determine the cause and will provide any updates as information becomes available.,” Trevena said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified of the crash.
The crash remains under investigation.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — As concerns have grown over the impact of social media on young people, lawmakers are pushing to keep protections in tact to keep children safe online.
This week the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Ohio’s law, the Social Media Parental Notification Act, requiring parental consent for children under the age of 16 to use social media must be restored. Gov. Mike DeWine signed the act into law in July 2023.
Netchoice, the trade group that represents Tik Tok, Snapchat, Meta and other tech companies contested Ohio’s law in 2024, arguing that it was overly broad, vague and represented an unconstitutional impediment to free speech.
“An unconstitutional law protects no one, and we remain focused on ensuring the First Amendment rights of Ohioans are protected,” Paul Taske, NetChoice Litigation Center Director said.
Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit’s panel does not agree with this view point, determined that the law is not unconstitutional and had the block on the law’s enforcement vacated.
“At bottom, the Act imposes a parental consent requirement,” Judge Eric Clay wrote. “That requirement constitutes a marginal burden that precisely targets the multi-faceted problem that Ohio has identified: Children’s unsupervised assent to terms and conditions for use of platforms that take advantage of and harm them.”
The Social Media Parental Notification Act is a way to protect children’s mental health against the “intentionally addictive” nature of social media, according to U.S. senator Jon Husted.
The law requires companies to get parental permission for social media and gaming apps and to provide their privacy guidelines so families know what content would be censored or moderated on their child’s profile.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson says the ruling is “a win for Ohio families.”
“The court agreed that parents –- not social media companies –- should get a say in what kids see online,” he said in a statement. “We have an obligation to keep our children safe, and today, the most dangerous place for our kids is the internet. This decision gives parents the tools to be involved and provide oversight.”
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