Ohio

The CHIPS Act brought Intel to Ohio. Here's what GOP says about Trump's plan to repeal.

Published

12 months ago

March 5, 2025

The CHIPS Act brought Intel to Ohio. Here's what GOP says about Trump's plan to repeal.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thanks to the bipartisan CHIPS Act, tech giant Intel chose to invest billions in Ohio to develop a massive semiconductor manufacturing plant. But during a speech President Donald Trump gave Tuesday night, he urged Congress to repeal it.

This exclamation set off concerns inside the Statehouse, especially for people who worked closely to get Intel to the Buckeye State. But a repeal would require enough votes from the U.S. House and Senate. Do they have enough votes?

Well, of Ohio’s congressional delegation who responded to me, U.S. Senator Jon Husted was the only member to speak in total support of the CHIPS Act.

Here’s what’s happening on the ground — and in D.C.

A bit of context

The CHIPS Act, signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2022, authorized more than $50 billion in subsidies for creating semiconductors, or chips.

Semiconductors are the chips behind e-commerce, social media, cars, computers, and everything that utilizes digital technology, which nowadays is just about everything.

Intel, working with Ohio’s congressional delegation and other members of the federal government, said it would invest in the state if the CHIPS Act was passed.

The company promised Central Ohio at least $20 billion, now nearly $30 billion, for a plant that would create tens of thousands of jobs.

The immediate economic impact was supposed to be major, especially for Licking County. The plant was supposed to create 3,000 longer-term, higher-paying jobs, 7,000 construction jobs and tens of thousands of additional jobs. The highest profile were the researchers and facility workers making the chips.

Ohio’s top politicians have celebrated this extensively since this is a historic investment into not just the state but the entire country.

“It will determine how Ohio fulfills the promise of becoming the center of high-tech manufacturing in America,” U.S. Senator Jon Husted, who was then lieutenant governor, said during the groundbreaking in 2022. “So our children and grandchildren will never have to look beyond Ohio for great career opportunities.”

But then came the troubles.

Intel had been stuck in negotiations with the U.S. Department of Commerce. The tech company continued to delay construction multiple times due to this.

Finally, its long-awaited $1.5 billion wasn’t awarded until late November 2024. Intel had been approved to get roughly $8 billion total.

Even after receiving the money, Intel has been facing financial issues.

Intel’s stock has dropped more than 50% in the last year while the industry has grown more than 120%. After spending 25 years on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Intel was replaced on the index by Nvidia, a leader in artificial intelligence, in late Nov. The company also had mass layoffs in October, cutting 15,000 jobs, slashing its workforce by 15%.

Some officials in Ohio have privately worried that Intel will become another ‘Foxconn’ scandal. In 2023, Ohio-based Lordstown Motors filed for bankruptcy and sued international manufacturer Foxconn for failing to live up to and follow through on their massive investment deal.

Just at the end of February, Intel once again delayed.

More worries as Intel, once again, delays massive Ohio chipmaking plant

Trump causes a tidal wave

“This was going to be the Silicon Heartland,” Mike Knisley with the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council told me.

But could this Central Ohio worksite revert back to dust?

“This will be a huge setback for Ohio,” he said. “It’s just so disappointing, Morgan, on so many different levels, [like] from a standpoint of national defense.”

Knisely has worked closely for years with Intel, the members of Congress and state politicians in order to push the CHIPS Act forward.

But the future of the project is now being questioned by Trump.

“Your CHIPS Act is a horrible, horrible thing,” the president said during his speech to Congress Tuesday night.

During his speech, Trump lamented how the companies aren’t spending the money — funds they are only starting to receive over the past couple of months.

“You should get rid of the CHIPS Act,” he continued. “And whatever’s left over, Mr. Speaker, you should use it to reduce debt, or any other reason you want to.”

He claimed that the companies don’t really care about anything except not paying tariffs.

“They will come because they won’t have to pay tariffs if they build in America,” he said.

Knisely was appalled.

“Grandpa’s lost his mind,” he said, noting that he was fine being quoted saying that. “Really, at the end of the day, whose side are you really on here?”

State Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus), who has been skeptical of Intel’s continual delays from the start, is also panicked.

“Are we ever going to see Intel built?” he said. “Millions and millions and hundreds of millions of dollars and we might get nothing but a white elephant with holes in the ground.”

Governor Mike DeWine and the state have already given billions to subsidize the project. Knisely added that the unions and colleges have been training workers. Cities have also been a part of the progress — Columbus especially, including the effort to build better transportation from the site to the heart of downtown.

“What does this say to the taxpayer of Ohio?” I asked the lawmaker.

“I think it says to the taxpayer that you don’t matter,” he replied.

Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) said the Biden administration “dragged” their feet on getting the money out.

“The CHIPS Act funding should have been out a while ago,” McColley said. “Now I think the point the president was trying to make is that his ideas towards economic development are a little bit different.”

Trump would be “much more willing” to add tariffs to these types of products, as opposed to direct subsidies, the lawmaker added.

When I followed up and asked if he would be in favor of repealing it, he said because he doesn’t have a vote in the matter, it doesn’t matter what he thinks.

“I think our delegation is paying attention to see where this thing goes and we’ll see where it ends up,” he continued.

House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) was less defensive of the president than McColley. Instead, he wondered what would happen to the remaining money that has already been allocated to Intel.

“I find it hard to believe that the money is just going to get pulled and somehow would imperil the project,” the speaker said.

If something does happen to the money, that will then fall on Intel to stay loyal to Ohio.

“Certainly I, like everybody else, I’d like for this thing to go full steam ahead and they build all 10 sections and they spend their $100 billion,” Huffman said about Intel. “But I don’t think they’re going to walk away from the $2.3 billion they’ve already spent in structure and all of that.”

Senate Finance Chair Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) said it’s possible Trump didn’t actually mean a full repeal.

“It might not be a wholesale elimination of it, maybe downgrading it a bit,” Cirino said. “But I think that we’re still gonna see Intel come here.”

Cirino doesn’t want to repeal the CHIPS Act but said that he would have to go back and take a look at it to see if something could be “fixed” so it could be better.

“There are so many other good reasons to come to Ohio, and they decided to come here before the CHIPS Act was even enacted,” he added.

The governor’s team insists that Intel will continue their promise.

“When Intel announced the New Albany project, they committed to it whether the CHIPS Act was passed or not,” DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney said in a statement. “The company remains committed to onshoring its manufacturing, which aligns with President Trump’s semiconductor strategy and onshoring strategy. Until a firm proposal moves through Congress, it is prudent to reserve comment until more details are known.”

Knisely doesn’t buy this.

“Right out of the gate, Morgan, CHIPS was part of this whole equation,” he said.

Intel even delayed the groundbreaking ceremony because the CHIPS Act wasn’t signed.

I reached out to each of Ohio’s Republican members of Congress to comment, and I asked each how they would vote on a repeal effort.

Not a single one answered my direct question of how they would vote.

U.S. Senator Jon Husted

Husted has been the face of Intel in Ohio.

In a statement, he said:

“The CHIPS Act was a major bipartisan piece of legislation to pass recently, and I am confident bipartisan support remains. For the economic and national security of America, we need to make chips in the USA—I believe this is part of an America First agenda. Making chips in places like Ohio will make sure that China doesn’t win.”

Although he didn’t address the voting question, he gave the clearest answer that he supports the CHIPS Act.

Congressman Dave Joyce, OH-14

“Domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research allows the United States to be independent from our adversaries and Intel’s Ohio One project is designed to help us do just that. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration dropped the ball by failing to implement the CHIPS Act efficiently and effectively, putting our nation’s national security at risk. In Congress, I will continue to work with my colleagues and the administration to improve our domestic semiconductor supply chain.”

Congressman Michael Rulli, OH-06

“I’ve supported boosting domestic production of semiconductors and Ohio’s Intel project from the beginning. While the Biden approach mandated DEI hiring and other woke giveaways, President Trump’s economic agenda will invigorate American industry without the endless red tape.

Monday’s announcement that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is investing another $100 billion to expand its U.S. operations shows just how effective President Trump’s leadership has already been. I’ll be working with federal, state, and local governments to push for these manufacturing facilities to come to our state—especially the 6th district. President Trump’s America First agenda is simple: manufacturing should happen here, and high-paying jobs should go to American workers first.”

Congressman Troy Balderson, OH-12

“Intel made a commitment to Ohio and to our kids. The Ohio One project promised to be full speed ahead, regardless of supplemental federal funding—while passage of the CHIPS Act would allow Intel to ‘go faster and further.’ Unfortunately, the Biden Administration completely botched the rollout and implementation of the CHIPS Act, sabotaging Congress’s mandate to onshore chipmaking and strengthen national security. Intel made it clear from the outset that they would make a historic investment in Ohio with or without the CHIPS Act, and Ohioans fully expect them to keep their promise.”

Remaining members

Congressman Dave Taylor, OH-02, and his team responded but declined to comment.

The remaining, including Senator Bernie Moreno and U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan, Bob Latta, Max Miller, Warren Davidson, Mike Turner and Mike Carey never replied.

“I think it’s now a time for everyone — corporations, politicians, everyday Americans — to show some spine,” Knisely said.

Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.

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Ohio

Ohio woman sentenced in $775,000 Medicaid scheme

Published

8 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

COLUMBUS — A Lake County woman was sentenced this morning to jail time and ordered to pay $775,000 in restitution for fraudulently billing Medicaid, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced. “She inflated her earnings through brazen fraud, but her scheme burst wide open when our investigators got the case,” Yost said. “Cheating taxpayers comes with […]

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Ohio

‘Catastrophic’ Ohio farm fire kills 6,000 hogs and pigs, officials say

Published

20 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

‘Catastrophic’ Ohio farm fire kills 6,000 hogs and pigs, officials say

A wind-swept blaze at an Ohio hog farm complex caused “catastrophic” damage and left thousands of pigs dead, fire officials said, marking another devastating barn inferno contributing to the deaths of millions of animals in recent years.

The massive fire occurred on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Fine Oak Farms in Union Township, Madison County, located west of Ohio’s capital of Columbus, according to the Central Townships Joint Fire District. Fire crews received a report of a barn fire shortly before 12 p.m. local time.

The incident was later upgraded to a commercial structure fire after Chief Brian Bennington observed a “large column of smoke visible from a distance” and requested additional resources. Multiple local fire departments, along with several other emergency agencies, were called to the scene.

“What our crews encountered upon arrival was a very difficult and heartbreaking incident,” Bennington said in a statement on Feb. 26.

The fire chief described the facility as a large farm complex used for hog production consisting of five large agricultural buildings, including four that housed about 7,500 hogs. When crews arrived at the scene, they found two of the barns engulfed in flames, Bennington said.

Crews were challenged by windy conditions that significantly impacted fire suppression efforts, according to Bennington. Three barns were destroyed in the fire, and about 6,000 hogs and pigs were killed.

Firefighters saved one barn and about 1,500 hogs, the fire chief added. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Bennington highlighted the assistance of the farming community throughout Madison and Clark counties, as multiple farmers responded with water trucks to help with water supply efforts. “Rural Ohio’s agricultural community is tight-knit, and they truly step up when one of their own is in need,” he said.

The incident remains under investigation, and the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office will determine the fire’s cause and origin. Bennington said there is no suspicion of arson and no ongoing threat to the public at this time.

‘Rapidly changing fire behavior conditions’

Heavy smoke from the fire could be seen for miles, and Bennington said first-arriving units were met with fire conditions coming from the opposite side of the hog farm complex.

The fire chief noted that the incident required extensive water-shuttle operations due to rural water-supply limitations in the area. Crews attempted to cut the fire off by deploying multiple handlines and using an aerial device, but “faced extremely challenging conditions throughout the incident,” according to Bennington.

Sustained winds of about 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph accelerated the fire’s spread, Bennington said. The high winds made it “extremely difficult” to contain forward fire progression and created “rapidly changing fire behavior conditions” across the agricultural complex, he added.

After about four to five hours, the fire was contained by fire personnel from four different counties, according to the fire chief.

“Unfortunately, the fire resulted in catastrophic damage to the business,” Bennington said in an earlier statement on Feb. 25. “A significant portion of the agricultural structures were destroyed.”

Latest major fire to impact an Ohio hog farm

The incident at Fine Oak Farms is the latest major fire to cause significant damage to an Ohio hog farm in recent years.

In August 2024, about 1,100 pigs were killed in Versailles, a village about 50 miles northwest of Dayton, Ohio, according to data from the nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute. In March 2022, about 2,000 hogs died in a barn fire at Kenneth Scholl Hog Farm in Brown Township, just west of Columbus.

Before the fire at Fine Oak Farms, the Animal Welfare Institute reported that other barn fires in Ohio this year killed 162 sheep, horses, cows, chickens, and other animals.

Hundreds of thousands of animals killed in barn fires each year

Data from the Animal Welfare Institute shows that hundreds of thousands of animals are killed in barn fires across the country each year. Since 2013, over 9 million farm animals have been killed in barn fires, according to the organization.

As of Feb. 26, the Animal Welfare Institute reported that 118,738 farm animals have died in U.S. barn fires this year, including the incident at Fine Oak Farms. The majority of farm animals killed were chickens in separate incidents in North Carolina and Georgia in January, and another incident in Missouri earlier this month.

“Most fatal barn fires occurred in colder states, particularly the Upper Midwest and the Northeast. New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois had the highest number of barn fires, respectively,” according to the organization. “The amount of cold weather a state experienced appeared to be a greater factor in the prevalence of barn fires than the intensity of a state’s animal agriculture production.”

In an updated report on farm animal deaths due to barn fires in 2025, the Animal Welfare Institute said more than 2.53 million farm animals were killed in barn fires from 2022 to 2024. The organization noted that the high death toll was “driven primarily” by fires at large operations that housed several thousand to over 1 million farm animals.

The majority of deaths in these incidents during that period, over 98%, were farmed birds, such as chickens and turkeys, according to the Animal Welfare Institute. But in 2023, a massive fire at a west Texas dairy farm became the single deadliest event involving livestock in the state’s history and the deadliest cattle fire in America in at least a decade.

18,000 head of cattle perished in the fire at the South Fork Dairy farm near Dimmitt, Texas. At the time, Roger Malone, who is the former mayor of Dimmitt, called the incident “mind-boggling.”

“I don’t think it’s ever happened before around here. It’s a real tragedy,” Malone said.

Contributing: Rick Jervis, USA TODAY; Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch

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Ohio

Ohio’s LaRose pushes back on voter fraud critics, Democrats

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Ohio’s LaRose pushes back on voter fraud critics, Democrats

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose discussed voter fraud and Ohio’s efforts to prevent it during a recent radio appearance.

LaRose appeared on “The Bill Cunningham” radio show, where he defended the state’s efforts to minimize voter fraud. A clip posted on X shows audio of LaRose arguing that policies aimed at preventing voter fraud are necessary even though cases are rare.

Here’s what to know.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose says voter fraud in Ohio is rare, compares prevention efforts to TSA security

In the clip, LaRose says that Democrats claim voter fraud is rare, and should be ignored.

“The left claims that voter fraud is rare, so we should just ignore it,” he said. “Well, airplane hijackings are also rare — we don’t abolish the TSA. The reason why we keep voter fraud rare in states like Ohio because we do these very things that they’re trying to take away from me.”

LaRose announced the inaugural meeting of the new Ohio Election Integrity Commission, which replaces what he called the flawed Ohio Elections Commission, in January 2026. The new committee, he says, will be used in “enforcing Ohio’s election laws, reviewing alleged violations, and ensuring accountability in matters relating to voting.”

In October 2025, LaRose said that he forwarded more than 1,000 cases of voter fraud to the U.S. Department of Justice. The cases involved 1,084 noncitizen individuals who appear to have registered to vote unlawfully in Ohio, and 167 noncitizens who appear to have also cast a ballot in a federal election since 2018.

In February 2026, President Donald Trump said Republicans should “nationalize” elections. He also accused Democrats of bringing migrants into the United States to illegally vote, a claim that is not backed by evidence, USA TODAY reports.

Voter fraud in the U.S. is considered rare nationwide, according to NPR, but there are still debates from both political sides on how frequently it occurs.

What is voter fraud?

Electoral fraud is defined as illegally interfering with the process of an election, according to Ballotpedia. This includes in-person voter fraud, absentee or mail ballots and illegal voter suppression.

Criminal penalties can include fines or imprisonment for up to five years, according to U.S. code. In Ohio, election interference can carry a felony of the fourth degree, according to Ohio Code.

Voter fraud is often a topic of debate among Democrats and Republicans, where organizations such as the conservative Heritage Foundation maintains a database claiming to show nearly 1,500 cases of election fraud since the year 2000.

Meanwhile, research by law professor Justin Leavitt published in 2014 found 31 cases of in-person voter fraud among billions of ballots cast from 2000–2014, according to Ballotpedia.

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