Rotunda Rumblings
Saved by the bell: Last year, over a quarter of Ohio students were chronically absent, defined as missing 10% or more of school. While that is actually an improvement from the prior school year, chronic absenteeism rates still are over twice as high as before the pandemic. There’s been a culture shift in families allowing their children to stay at home more. The state, the Cleveland Browns, Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati, and researchers at Harvard University are working with districts to improve the numbers. Laura Hancock explains how and provides a searchable tool where you can see your district’s chronic absenteeism rate for the past seven years.
No vote for you: Since Ohio passed one of the nation’s most stringent photo ID requirements to vote, thousands of provisional ballots have gone uncounted for lack of proper identification. As Jake Zuckerman reports, if the same rejection rate holds up in November, thousands of voters will be denied. The sponsor of the legal change called the data an unexpected “problem,” while voter advocates say they explicitly warned of this outcome.
SNAP ya fingers: Ohio tweaked its eligibility criteria for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to try to mitigate the “benefits cliff,” Zuckerman reports. The new “sliding scale” maximum earnings are designed to remove a disincentive against taking on a promotion or extra shifts for fear the added earned income will mean the loss of SNAP benefits and therefore a net reduced income.
Trust us: Employees at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections conducted a test of the ballot scanner equipment and demonstrated how votes are counted ahead of the November election Friday morning. Molly Walsh was there to observe the demonstration and writes that board Director Anthony Perlatti said he wants to be as transparent as possible with the election process, especially as early voting starts Tuesday.
Debate report card: Polished but full of lies. A switch from his attack dog persona. A potential successor to ex-President Donald Trump as head of the MAGA movement. That’s what the national media had to say about how Republican U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Cincinnati performed in Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate with Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Sabrina Eaton writes.
Citizens not politicians: Netflix reality show Love is Blind is hiring Ohio contestants for an upcoming season. Politicians need not apply. An online application form specified that applicants cannot be a candidate or public office. Sorry to all the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes of Cap Square.
Lashing Vance: Following Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate, Elle magazine surveyed beauty experts on whether JD Vance wears “guyliner” on his eyelashes. The consensus was “no,” with celebrity makeup artist Romy Soleimani telling the publication: “I don’t agree with him on any level and [I still] don’t think that he is wearing eyeliner. But aren’t we lucky to live in country where people have the freedom to make their own choices? Makeup for all!”
Full disclosure
Bowling Green State University released poll results from an online survey of 1,000 likely voters in Ohio. The pollsters offer typical horse race predictors (TLDR, it’s good for Donald Trump, Sherrod Brown and Issue 1), but the more telling finding is just how bleak an outlook respondents have about the country and the state. Here are five snapshots from the survey:
- Majorities say both the nation (64% of respondents) and Ohio (53%) are moving in the wrong direction.
- Most say both the overall economy (59%) and their own personal finances (50%) have worsened
- A whopping 84% agree that the current political environment is as toxic as it has been at any point in their lifetime
- About four in five agree the current political environment will lead to increased violence in the U.S. and that it has weakened the nation’s standing in the world
- Roughly 61% say they always or often feel exhausted in thinking about politics these days.
On the Move
Eighteen applicants applied for the hot job of running the Capital Square Review and Advisory Board, which oversees the Statehouse and its grounds, as Gongwer reports.
Tick Tock
The 2024 election is approaching, where Ohioans will help decide the presidential race, control of the U.S. Senate, how the state draws state legislative and congressional lines and many other down-ballot races. Here are some key dates in the election countdown:
Voter registration deadline… Today (Oct. 7)
Early voting begins… 4 days (Oct. 8)
Deadline to request an absentee ballot… 22 days (Oct. 29)
Final day of early voting… 27 days (Nov. 3)
Last day to postmark an absentee ballot… 28 days (Nov. 4)
Election Day… 29 days (Nov. 5)
Birthdays
Andrew Johnson, communications manager, AARP Ohio
Regan Burke Onda, executive assistant to Senate President Matt Huffman
State Rep. Gail Pavliga
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, created on this date in 1949
Straight From The Source
“We’re a large organization with 23,000 members, so not everyone’s going to agree. I don’t always agree with my wife. There are things that we will agree on and not agree on.”
-Ohio Fraternal Order of Police government affairs director Mike Weinman to the Statehouse News Bureau. The FOP 12 years ago broke from a decades long streak of backing Republicans and endorsed U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown. This cycle, the union’s rank and file members voted down a recommendation from its political committee to renew the endorsement.
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