Ohio

Ohio’s School Cell Phone Policies Taking Hold

Published

1 year ago

December 9, 2024

Press Room

Ohio’s School Cell Phone Policies Taking Hold

Cell phones have a limited future in Ohio classrooms.

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Last week, the U.S. Department of Education called on states, districts, and schools to adopt policies around the student use of call phones in school. Ohio is one state that is already well on its way.

The department’s call is one more sign of the growing consensus that smart devices and screens need to be brought under control in the nation’s schools.

Pressure to ban the devices has been building in education circles for years; most teachers can tell a story of a student checked out and unable to separate from their device. Works like Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation have fed the idea that internet connection is at least partly responsible for a growing mental health problem among children.

While students often push back against phone bans, parents can be the real challenge for a school district. For some parents, the power to stay in touch throughout the entire day can be irresistible. For families that are stretching resources (two jobs, three kids, one car), cellphones can be invaluable. And in an age with heightened fear of school shootings and other emergency situations, many parents to do not trust the schools to provide the kind of quick crisis communication that they need.

Several states have some sort of law requiring schools to deal with cell phones in school. Florida, Louisiana, California and South Carolina have outright bans for cell phones. Virginia has an executive order calling for officials to solicit public opinion as a basis for crafting policy. Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio have passed laws requiring schools to develop some sort of policy about student cell phones.

Ohio’s law requires schools to adopt a policy governing cell phone use by July of 2025. The law calls for districts to reduce cell phone-related distractions and limit use as much as possible, while still allowing devices to be used for learning or in connection with student health concerns. However, the Ohio Department of Education, “under the leadership of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted,” encourages districts and schools to adopt a policy to eliminate cell phone use during the school day.

The department conducted a survey of school districts within the state to see how they were progressing in compliance with the law. The results show the degree to which Ohio schools are on the same page when it comes to cell phone policy.

98% of possible respondents replied to the survey— 992 in all (traditional districts, community schools, independent STEM schools, and joint vocational schools).

61% of those districts have adopted formal policies. 31% are drafting a new policy or revising the old one. 5% are ready for adoption. Only 3% have not yet started working on a policy.

Two thirds of respondents implemented their policy last fall with the new school year. 17% will be implementing later this year, and 17% will be launching their policy next fall.

Schools were evenly split between two approaches to reining in cell phones- either banning them during the entire school day or limiting their use to certain windows. In some districts, policy varies by grade.

Policies to limit the appearance of cell phones in the classroom ultimately come down to one factor—whether or not building administration backs up the rules and the teachers who have to enforce them. But in a state that is often a stage for debates over many education policy issues, it’s notable that Ohio schools and leaders seem largely in agreement about responding to cell phones in schools.

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Ohio

2026 Winter Olympics guide to Ohio State, Ohioan Olympians and how to watch

Published

31 minutes ago

February 4, 2026

Press Room

2026 Winter Olympics guide to Ohio State, Ohioan Olympians and how to watch

Ohio will be represented by seven native-born athletes and 12 current or former Ohio State athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Athletes from Ohio will compete in men’s and women’s hockey as well as freestyle skiing aerials.
Four Ohioans will compete in the men’s, women’s, and mixed freestyle skiing aerials events.

The 2026 Winter Olympics have arrived in Milano Cortina already, and the first Ohioans and Ohio State athletes begin play Feb. 5 with women’s hockey group play.

While seven Ohio-born Olympians will compete in this year’s games, the Buckeyes are sending 12 current or former collegiate athletes to compete for multiple countries in women’s hockey.

Besides hockey, four Ohioans will compete in the freestyle skiing aerials events in the men’s, women’s and mixed disciplines.

Here’s your complete guide to Ohio’s Olympians, including viewing options and event dates and times for watching the athletes representing the Buckeye State:

What events feature Ohio State, Ohioan athletes in 2026 Winter Olympics?

Four events will feature Ohioans or Ohio State athletes at the upcoming games in Milano Cortina: men’s and women’s hockey, and men’s and women’s freestyle skiing.

Women’s hockey

Ohio will have a majority of its Olympic representation via Ohio State women’s hockey, including five current Buckeyes who will represent their countries at Milano Cortina. You can read more about these Buckeyes and their path to the Winter Games here.

Ohio State women’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Current Ohio State players

Joy Dunne, United States
Sanni Vanhanen, Finland (2022 bronze medalist)
Hilda Svensson, Sweden
Jenna Raunio, Sweden
Mira Jungaker, Sweden

Ohio State women’s hockey alumni

Cayla Barnes, Seattle Torrent (PWHL), United States (Class of 2024, gold medalist in 2018, silver medalist in 2022)
Hannah Bilka, United States (class of 2024)
Jenn Gardiner, Canada (class of 2024)
Sophie Jaques, Canada (class of 2024)
Emma Maltais, Canada (class of 2023, gold medalist in 2022)
Natalie Spooner, Canada (class of 2012, four-time Olympian, silver medalist in 2018, gold medalist in 2014, 2022)
Andrea Braendli, Switzerland (class of 2022, three-time Olympian)

Ohioans competing in women’s hockey

Laila Edwards – Cleveland Heights, Wisconsin women’s hockey

Edwards is a two-time NCAA national champion with Wisconsin. She is sixth in the country in points per game in 2025 and led the NCAA last season in goals with 35.

Edwards is the first black woman to play for the U.S. women’s hockey team and will become the first black woman to play hockey for the U.S. at the Olympics.

Gwyneth Philips – Athens, PWHL Ottawa Charge

Philips was a finalist for PWHL Rookie of the Year and Goaltender of the Year in the 2024-25 season after being selected by the Charge with the 14th draft pick. She also led the league in playoff saves with 257 and was awarded the playoff MVP award despite finishing as a runner-up to the Minnesota Frost in the finals.

Edwards played college hockey at Northeastern and went to high school in Pittsburgh.

Men’s hockey

J.T. Miller, East Palestine, NHL New York Rangers

Miller is a 14-year NHL veteran center who has spent the majority of his career with the New York Rangers. He was drafted No. 15 overall by the Rangers and was traded back to his original team in the 2024-25 season from the Vancouver Canucks. He was named captain before the start of the Rangers’ season and will make his Olympics debut at Milano Cortina.

A Michigan native, Werenski is competing in his first Olympics on the U.S. team. He recorded one goal and five assists at the 2025 IIHF World Championships and helped the U.S. take home their first championship since 1933.

Elvis Merzlinkins, Latvia, Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets goalie has experience in international play with Latvia in world championships from 2016 to 2018. This is his first Olympics.

Freestyle skiing

Kyra Dossa, Cleveland, women’s freestyle aerials

A former gymnast, Dossa converted to a skiier and finished eighth place in her first Freestyle Skiing World Cup appearance in 2024, according to her U.S. Ski and Snowboard profile. She will participate in the aerials category at Milano Cortina.

Connor Curran, Cincinnati, men’s freestyle aerials

Curran, 21, trained on a trampoline and tumbling team in Cincinnati to master flips in aerial skiing before relocating to Lake Placid, New York at age 13 to pursue his Olympic dreams, according to his Team USA profile. He then relocated to Park City, Utah at age 15 to join the city’s ski and snowboard aerials program.

Joining the Freestyle Skiing World Cup in the 2023-24 season, Curran has five career top-six finishes on the circuit. and won his first U.S. national championship in 2025 in Bristol, New York, according to his U.S. Ski and Snowboard profile.

Quinn Dehlinger, Cincinnati, men’s freestyle aerials

Dehlinger began freestyle skiing at age 10 and has been on the U.S. Ski and Snowboard team since 2020, according to his U.S. Ski and Snowboard profile. He won two world championships in 2023 and 2025 as a member of the Aerials mixed team and has four World Cup podium finishes.

Derek Krueger, Chagrin Falls, freestyle aerials

Krueger has been competing for the U.S. Ski Team since 2023; he has seven World Cup top-10 finishes.

When to watch Ohio State, Ohioan athletes compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics | TV and streaming info

Below are the schedules for the events in which Ohioan athletes will appear in for the Winter Games (all times in Eastern time).

All Olympic events listed below are available to stream on NBC’s streaming service Peacock. Games airing on national television will be noted with the channel below.

Bolded hockey teams include any of the players mentioned above.

Feb. 5

Women’s hockey – group stage
- Sweden vs. Germany – 6:10 a.m.
- United States vs. Czechia – 10:40 a.m.
  - TV: USA Network (re-airs at 5:30 p.m.)
- Canada vs. Finland – 3:10 p.m.

Feb. 6

Women’s hockey – group stage
- Czechia vs. Switzerland – 8:40 a.m.

Feb. 7

Women’s hockey – group stage
- Sweden vs. Italy – 8:40 a.m.
  - TV: USA Network (only at 9 p.m.)
- United States vs. Finland – 10:40 a.m.
  - TV: USA Network (re-airs at 6 p.m., 11 p.m.)
- Switzerland vs. Canada – 3:10 p.m.

Feb. 8

Women’s hockey – group stage
- France vs. Sweden – 10:40 a.m.
  - TV: USA Network (only at 8:30 p.m.)
- Czechia vs. Finland – 3:10 p.m.
  - TV: USA Network (only at 5 p.m.)

Feb. 9

Women’s hockey – group stage
- United States vs. Switzerland – 2:40 p.m.
  - TV: USA Network (re-airs at 11 p.m.)
- Canada vs. Czechia – 3:10 p.m.
  - TV USA Network (only at 5 p.m.)

Feb. 10

Women’s hockey – group stage
- Japan vs. Sweden – 6:10 a.m.
- United States vs. Canada – 2:10 p.m.
  - TV: USA Network (re-airs at 11 p.m.)
- Finland vs. Switzerland – 3:10 p.m.

Feb 12

Men’s hockey – group stage
- United States vs. Latvia – 3:10 p.m.
  - TV: USA Network (re-airs at 11 p.m.)

Feb. 13

Women’s hockey quarterfinals (Teams TBD)
- 10:40 a.m., (Peacock) 3:10 p.m. (USA Network)

Feb. 14

Women’s hockey quarterfinals (teams TBD)
- 10:40 a.m. (CNBC), 3:10 p.m. (CNBC)
Men’s hockey – group stage
- Germany vs. Latvia – 6 a.m.
- United States vs. Denmark – 3:10 p.m.
  - TV: USA Network (re-airs at 11 p.m.)

Feb. 15

Men’s hockey – group stage
- Denmark vs. Latvia – 1:10 p.m.
- United States vs. Germany – 3:10 p.m.

Feb. 16

Women’s hockey semifinals (teams TBD)
- 10:40 a.m. (NBC), 3:10 p.m. (USA Network)

Feb. 17

Men’s hockey – playoff (teams TBD)
- 6:10 a.m. (2), 10:40 a.m., 3:10 p.m
Women’s and men’s aerials qualifying
- Women’s – 4:45 a.m.
  - TV: USA Network (re-airs at 6:15 p.m.)
- Men’s – 7:30 a.m.
  - TV: USA Network (re-airs at 7 p.m.)
- TV: men’s and women’s on NBC at 12 p.m.

Feb. 18

Men’s hockey – quarterfinal (teams TBD)
- 6:10 a.m., 8:10 a.m., 10:40 a.m., 3:10 p.m.
- TV: USA Network (10:40 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m.), NBC (3:10 p.m.)
Women’s aerials final – 5:30 a.m.
- TV: USA Network (re-airs at 4:30 p.m.), NBC at 1:30 p.m.

Feb. 19

Women’s hockey bronze, gold medal matches
- Bronze medal match – 8:40 a.m.
  - TV: USA Network (12 p.m., re-airs at 10 p.m.)
- Gold medal match – 1:10 p.m.
  - TV: USA Network (re-airs at 11 p.m.)
Men’s aerials final – 5:30 a.m.
- TV: USA Network (NBC at 12 p.m.)

Feb 20

Men’s hockey – semifinals
- 10:40 a.m. (USA Network at 11:50 a.m., re-airs at 6 p.m.), 3:10 p.m. (NBC, re-airs at 11p.m. on USA Network)

Feb 21

Mens’ hockey – bronze medal match (teams TBD)
- 2:40 p.m. (USA Network, re-airs at 7 p.m. on CNBC, 11 p.m. on USA Network)
Mixed team aerials final – 4:45 a.m.
- TV: USA Network (re-airs at 12:15 p.m.), NBC at 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 22

Men’s hockey – gold medal match (teams TBD)
- 8:10 a.m. (NBC, re-airs at 4:30 p.m. on USA Network)

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Ohio

Ohio bill would cut funding to school districts suing over vouchers: Capitol Letter

Published

13 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Press Room

Ohio bill would cut funding to school districts suing over vouchers: Capitol Letter

Rotunda Rumblings

Not vouching for that: A new Ohio House bill would withhold all state funding to local school districts suing over the state’s education funding formula, including the 100-plus districts suing the state over private school vouchers, Laura Hancock reports. Last year, the average amount of a school district’s funding that came from the state was 37%. The school districts mostly won their case against vouchers, but it’s now in a state appellate court.

Power check: A federal judge blocked the end of protections for Haitians, citing sharp concerns about how the government made its decision. While much of the attention focused on conditions in Haiti, the case may hinge on whether federal agencies must explain their actions. Anna Staver reports the outcome could shape how much power courts have to review major government decisions.

Harsh words: The judge’s decision Monday that blocked the Trump administration from ending protections for Haitians in the U.S. was a sharply worded departure from the long history federal judges have of using even tones to explain the opinions. Here’s some of her more pointed remarks.

Who’s call? A new Ohio House bill would reverse a recent Ohio High School Athletic Association policy that allows middle and high school athletes to enter into sponsorships and other agreements to make money off their name, image and likeness. The OHSAA had long banned NIL agreements for middle and high school students. But the organization passed a policy permitting them in November, when it lost a round in court a month before, Hancock reports. The bill sponsors say allowing corporations into interscholastic athletics ruins the benefits of sports, and that young preteens, especially, cannot handle a contract with a business. It’s the third time in recent years that the legislature has sounded off on OHSAA policies and protocols.

Green light: Attorney General Dave Yost on Tuesday certified a referendum petition seeking to block portions of Ohio’s marijuana and hemp regulations from taking effect, Mary Frances McGowan reports. The certification allows Ohioans for Cannabis Choice to begin gathering the nearly 250,000 signatures necessary to place the measure on the November ballot. The proposed referendum seeks to repeal much of Senate Bill 56, which Gov. Mike DeWine signed in December. The petition would repeal provisions related to the regulation, criminalization, and taxation of cannabis products.

No exceptions: New bipartisan legislation pending in the Ohio Senate would prohibit anyone under age 18 from marrying in Ohio, eliminating current exceptions that allow 17-year-olds to wed, McGowan reports. Ohio law allows 17-year-olds to marry with juvenile court consent if they prove to a judge that they have received marriage counseling, underwent a 14-day waiting period and that the age difference is no more than four years. Senate Bill 341, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Bill DeMora and Republican Sen. Louis Blessing, would make the state’s minimum marriage age 18 an absolute requirement with no exceptions.

Opening salvos: Two former FirstEnergy executives’ obsession with hiking stock prices and fattening their wallets led them to bribe a top state regulator who was supposed to protect customers, prosecutors said Tuesday during opening statements in a key bribery trial, Adam Ferrise reports.

Flattery drive: U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno joined President Donald Trump and industry leaders in the Oval Office on Monday for an event to announce development of a strategic critical minerals reserve, where the Westlake Republican effusively praised Trump and tied the initiative to the auto industry where he made his fortune, Sabrina Eaton writes. “You know not to be hyperbolic, but if you hadn’t been elected the auto industry in America would be over,” said Moreno. “The country would be over,” Trump added.

Money talks: Republican Vivek Ramaswamy far outpaced Democrat Amy Acton in fundraising last year, raising an eye-watering $19.5 million to Acton’s $4.4 million. As Jeremy Pelzer reports, both are records: Ramaswamy for any Ohio governor candidate the year before the election, and Acton for any Democratic gubernatorial hopeful during that time. Ramaswamy’s campaign filings show he spent $513,000 in 2025 on the Columbus-area billionaire’s private jet, plus another $312,000 on charter flights. Ex-Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper and his family, meanwhile, gave $32,500 to Acton’s campaign after she picked him as her running mate.

Censorship in Europe: The House Judiciary Committee chaired by Ohio’s Jim Jordan on Tuesday released a 160-page interim report that accuses European Union regulators of conducting a decade-long campaign to censor political speech worldwide, including content posted by Americans in the United States, Eaton writes. “For more than a year, the Committee has been warning that European censorship laws threaten U.S. free speech online,” said a social media statement from the Champaign County Republican. “Now, we have proof: Big Tech is censoring Americans’ speech in the U.S., including true information, to comply with Europe’s far-reaching Digital Services Act.”

Show of support: Ohio lawmakers heard sobering testimony on Tuesday from advocates backing House Bill 524, which is aimed at protecting vulnerable Ohioans from artificial intelligence chatbots that encourage self-harm or harm to others, McGowan writes. Tony Coder, CEO of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, told the Ohio House Innovation and Technology Committee that he has heard from at least four Ohio parents who lost children to suicide whose children had their suicide letters written by artificial intelligence.

Lobbying Lineup

Five organizations that were registered to lobby on House Bill 561 through December, which would require public and most private school to notify parents of the exemptions in the law to vaccination requirements. The bill has its first hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning in the Ohio House Health Committee.

Akron Children’s Hospital
Ohio Department of Children and Youth
American Academy of Pediatrics, Ohio Chapter
Pfizer Inc.
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)

On The Move

Orlando Sonza, a Cincinnati Republican who ran against U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman in 2026, is one of the attorneys prosecuting independent journalist Don Lemon for entering a church in Minnesota.

The Ohio Children’s Hospital Association has named Kate Huffman as its vice president. She has over a decade of experience in legislative and executive lobbying. She previously worked for the Ohio Hospital Association and the office of the Ohio Speaker of the House.

Birthdays

State Sen. Michele Reynolds William Wohrle, legislative aide to state Rep. DJ Swearingen

Straight from the Source

“The past (few) Sundays I have been preaching on Genesis Chapter 1 where God is able to bring structure to the chaos and I encouraged my congregants to keep heart and keep praying because the same God who says that let there be light and there was light, it’s the same God today … and he speaks especially when there is this type of trouble.”

 Vilès Dorsainvil, local pastor and Haitian leader said the federal judge’s ruling blocking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from ending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians said the decision “will lower the pressure quite a bit and ease the fear that has been in the community.”

Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. Subscribe to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free. 

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Joel Klatt defends Ohio State & Ryan Day’s hiring Arthur Smith as OC

Published

1 day ago

February 3, 2026

Press Room

Joel Klatt defends Ohio State & Ryan Day’s hiring Arthur Smith as OC

Ohio State hired former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in late January, and the move drew plenty of pushback almost immediately. For a lot of fans, Smith is still defined by his time as head coach in Atlanta, where the Falcons went 7-10 in three straight seasons. After being fired, Smith resurfaced as the Steelers’ OC, where the offense finished 23rd in total offense at 319.4 yards per game and 16th in scoring in 2024, then slipped to 25th in total yards at 305.6 yards per game in 2025.

Still, Ryan Day clearly saw something he liked and moved quickly to bring Smith to Columbus after Pittsburgh’s playoff loss to the Texans. Smith replaces Brian Hartline, who has since taken over as the head coach at USF.

On Monday, Fox Sports analyst and top college football voice Joel Klatt broke down Ohio State’s decision to hire Smith as offensive coordinator.

“I don’t think [OSU head coach] Ryan Day wants to have to worry about, look over the shoulder of, the offense,” Klatt said. “I really don’t. I think that he wants to be able to give the keys to the offense to a guy like Arthur Smith, just like he gave the keys to the defense to a guy like [OSU defensive coordinator] Matt Patricia.

“Now, he can be CEO, and he can worry about evaluating and valuating talent, and then fixing a problem here or there that arose. He was able to do that two years ago when Chip Kelly was the offensive coordinator, and he jumped in on the defensive side and allowed them to make some changes that ultimately led to a national championship. Last year, he was never really able to do that.”

Klatt makes some strong points, and with Matt Patricia returning in 2026, he sees Smith having a similar immediate impact on the Buckeyes’ offense. The idea is simple: Day doesn’t have to step in and help. Being a head coach is hard enough, and when one side of the ball demands more attention than it should, things can start slipping elsewhere.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and say the Ohio State offense was bad last season, because it wasn’t. There were, however, some growing pains and small details that needed to be cleaned up. Hartline is an elite recruiter and helped guide Ohio State to a top 26 finish in total offense, but it still felt like there was another level to reach. Because of Hartline departing for USF, Day stepped in to call plays during the CFP game against Miami, and it wasn’t all that inspiring. With Arthur Smith coming in, you get stability. You get a coach who has been around the block and won’t flinch when the lights are brightest, even if his NFL numbers don’t jump off the page.

Klatt sees it the same way.

“[Ryan Day] knows what the blueprint looks like, and he can free himself up to be the CEO of the organization. In that respect, this all makes a lot of sense,” Klatt said. “Arthur Smith is going to have a veteran quarterback in Julian Sayin, the best wide receiver in college football in Jeremiah Smith, a 1,000-yard running back, most of his offensive line back—should be a really good offense. And, an offense that, in theory, could control the line of scrimmage and really do some damage up front.”

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