Ohio
Proposed Ohio bill would charge teachers, librarians with felonies for 'pandering obscenity' • Ohio Capital Journal
A Republican-led bill just introduced in the Ohio House would charge teachers and librarians with a felony offense for distributing material deemed “obscene.”
The problem is, the bill does not explain what materials would be considered obscene, despite laying a fifth-degree felony on the feet of teachers and “public school librarians” who may possess or share such material.
State Rep. Adam Mathews, R-Lebanon, put forth House Bill 556 last week, a bill that would “create criminal liability for certain teachers and librarians for the offense of pandering obscenity,” according to the language of the bill.
Librarian, in this sense, is defined as “a librarian employed by a school district, other public school … or chartered nonpublic school and a librarian employed in a school district public library.”
Teachers and school district librarians would be barred from creating, reproducing, publishing, promoting or advertising “obscene material.” They are also prohibited from creating, directing or producing “an obscene performance,” the bill states.
But what falls under “obscenity” is not clear from the initial language of HB 556, which has yet to receive committee consideration in the House. The word “obscenity” only appears three times in the six-page bill: in the title of the proposed legislation and twice referring to the title of the criminal offense.
“Obscene” shows up eight times in the bill, but only accompanying “material,” “performance,” “articles” and in a clause about giving notice about “the character of the material or a performance.”
HB 556 aims to amend existing statutes in the Ohio Revised Code, and pulls exact language from those statutes — for pandering obscenity and one explaining legal “presumptions in obscenity cases” — but neither of those statutes lay out what is considered obscenity either.
It’s that lack of clarity that is giving teachers and library groups hesitation on the bill.
The Ohio Education Association said it is still reviewing HB 556, and Ohio Federation of Teachers president Melissa Cropper said the group has not taken a position on the bill, but she is “concerned with the vagueness of the bill and the ability for it to be weaponized by bad faith actors who are focused on attacking public schools and libraries, not on protecting children.”
“We also question whether there is need for this new bill or if existing laws can address the concerns behind HB 556,” Cropper said in a statement. “We plan to discuss this bill and these concerns with legislators and with our members.”
Questions beyond the motivations of the bill are still coming up as well, including whether or not “school district public libraries” can include the libraries of a community that are also classified as school district libraries.
The Ohio Library Council’s executive director, Michelle Francis, said the group does “have concerns with the legislation.”
“We reached out to the sponsor and we look forward to meeting with him soon,” Francis told the Capital Journal.
The bill includes an “affirmative defense,” meaning if the person accused of pandering obscenity can prove the material or performance was “for a bona fide medical, scientific, religious, governmental, judicial or other proper purpose,” they can use that as a defense against the charge. The word “educational” was struck from the language in the proposal as reasoning for an affirmative defense.
As part of the affirmative defense, the material must also have been given by or to a “physician, psychologist, sociologist, scientist, health or biology teacher, faculty member, person pursuing bona fide studies or research, librarian other than a school librarian, member of the clergy, prosecutor, judge or other person having a proper interest in the material or performance.”
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ohio Goes to the Movies, the statewide film festival launching in February, is coming into focus. Organizers have released the initial schedule for the nearly yearlong event. Part of the state’s America 250 celebration, it will bring more than 280 screenings to all 88 counties. Each film is tied to the Buckeye State in some way, and all screenings are free.
“Ohio has played a significant role in the history of American film and continues to attract talent, productions and storytelling that resonate around the world,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. “Ohio Goes to the Movies ensures that residents in every community can participate in the America 250 celebration and rediscover the films that connect us.”
From classic movies starring or made by Ohioans to Hollywood blockbusters shot in downtown Cleveland, the lineup highlights the depth of the state’s influence on the film industry. The festival is also meant to encourage movie fans to explore the state by attending screenings all over Ohio.
Here’s a list of events planned for Northeast Ohio’s seven-county region.
CUYAHOGA COUNTY
“Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Feb. 12. Phoenix Theatres Great Northern Mall.
“Major League.” March 1. Cinemark Strongsville at SouthPark Mall.
“Draft Day.” March 1. Cinemark Valley View.
“Welcome to Collinwood.” March 12. Cleveland History Center.
“Major League.” April 5. Capitol Theatre.
“Cool Hand Luke.” April 12. Cedar Lee Theatre.
“Draft Day.” April 23. Atlas Cinemas at Shaker Square.
“Toy Story 2.” June 24. Chagrin Documentary Film Festival HQ.
“The Scarlet Letter.” July 11. Cleveland Silent Film Festival at Cleveland Public Library.
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” July 11. Great Lakes Science Center.
“More Than a Game.” Sept. 11. AMC Ridge Park Square.
“Superman.” Sept. 18. AMC Westwood Town Center.
“Passing Through.” Sept. 19. Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque.
“Kill the Irishman.” Oct. 6. Atlas Cinemas Lakeshore.
GEAUGA COUNTY
“A Christmas Story.” June 11. Mayfield Road Drive-In Theatre.
LAKE COUNTY
“White Boy Rick.” March 11. Regal Willoughby Commons.
“Superman.” April 8. Atlas Cinemas Great Lakes Stadium.
“Air Force One.” July 7. Atlas Cinemas Diamond Center.
LORAIN COUNTY
“The Princess Bride.” April 22. Apollo Theatre.
“The Hunger Games.” Sept. 18. Regal Cobblestone Square.
MEDINA COUNTY
“Major League.” March 7. Hickory Ridge Cinema.
“Draft Day.” Sept. 12. Regal Medina.
PORTAGE COUNTY
“Unstoppable.” Feb. 22. Atlas Cinemas Barrington.
“Dog Man.” March 8. The Kent Stage.
“The Philadelphia Story.” March 19. Kent State University Museum.
“A Christmas Story.” June 10. Midway Twin Drive-In Theatre.
SUMMIT COUNTY
“The Big Short.” Feb. 21. Regal Hudson.
“The Avengers.” April 12. Akron Civic Theatre.
“Howard the Duck.” May 21. The Nightlight Cinema.
“Down by Law.” June 13. Akron–Summit County Public Library Main.
For a complete guide, go to ohiogoestothemovies.org.
POMEROY, Ohio (WCHS) — A fire destroyed one home and damaged two others Wednesday evening, but then rekindled early Thursday morning and destroyed another home, police said.
The fire was first reported just after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday night in the 300 block of Wetzgall Street in Pomeroy, according to a press release from the Pomeroy Police Department.
According to police, the fire spread to the two homes on either side of the original home on fire. Firefighters contained the fire and saved the two surrounding homes, but the home that first caught fire was deemed a total loss.
Then, just after 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, the fire rekindled and spread to one of the other homes, resulting in a total loss of that home as well, police said.
Pomeroy police said both homes were occupied at the time of the fires, but all occupants of each home were able to exit their homes safely. Police also said that there were no reported injuries, though both families lost everything they owned due to the total losses of the homes.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, and the incident is still under active investigation by the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office, according to police.
What we know about student loans and the Education Department
Will Education Department restructuring affect your student loans? Here’s what we know know.
Student loan borrowers under the Biden-era student loan repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), may soon have to select a new repayment plan after the U.S. Department of Education agreed to a measure to permanently end the program.
A proposed joint settlement agreement announced Tuesday between the DOE and the State of Missouri seeks to end what officials call the “illegal” SAVE program, impacting more than seven million SAVE borrowers who would have to enroll in another program. The settlement must be approved by the court before it can be implemented.
Ohio borrowers carry some of the nation’s highest student loan debt. Here’s how the proposed change could affect them.
What is the SAVE plan?
Originally known as REPAYE, the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan was created to deliver the lowest monthly payments among income-driven repayment programs. Under the Biden administration, it became the most affordable option for borrowers.
According to USA TODAY, the SAVE plan was part of Biden’s push to deliver nearly $200 billion in student loan relief to more than 5 million Americans. It wiped out $5.5 billion in debt for nearly half a million borrowers and cut many monthly payments down to $0.
But officials in President Donald Trump’s administration claim the Biden plan was illegal.
Why does the Department of Education want to end the SAVE plan?
The DOE says the SAVE plan aimed to provide mass forgiveness without congressional approval, costing taxpayers $342 billion over 10 years. In a press release, the Department said the administration promised unrealistically low payments and quick forgiveness without legal authority.
“The Trump administration is righting this wrong and bringing an end to this deceptive scheme,” Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a release. “Thanks to the State of Missouri and other states fighting against this egregious federal overreach, American taxpayers can now rest assured they will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for illegal and irresponsible student loan policies.”
If the agreement is approved by the court, no new borrowers will be able to enroll in the SAVE plan. The agency says it will deny any pending applications and move all SAVE borrowers back into other repayment plans.
Borrowers currently enrolled in the SAVE Plan would have a limited time to select a new repayment plan and begin repaying their student loans.
The DOE adds that it is working on the loan repayment provisions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, which created a new Income-Driven Repayment plan called the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), that will be available to borrowers by July 1, 2026.
How many people in Ohio have student loan debt?
Numbers from the Education Data Initiative show that there are about 1.7 million student loan borrowers in Ohio, carrying over $60 billion in debt. The average student loan debt is approximately $35,072.
Ohio also ranks No. 10 among the states with the most student debt, according to personal finance site WalletHub.
How much money does Ohio get from the Department of Education?
The DOE budget for Ohio for fiscal year 2025 is estimated to be more than $5.65 billion, The Columbus Dispatch previously reported.
President Trump announced his intentions to eliminate the Department of Education earlier this year, meaning that Ohio could lose more than $5 billion in annual funding.
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