Rotunda Rumblings
Marijuana markets: Ohio marijuana prices have dropped since recreational sales began in August 2024, but they’re still far higher than in Michigan, where flower sells for about one third of the cost. Anna Staver reports the price gap stems from deep differences in regulations, market maturity and supply. Experts expect Ohio prices to keep declining but proposed state budget changes, including higher taxes and tighter regulations, could make marijuana more expensive for Ohio consumers.
Reverse course: The Trump administration on Friday announced that it intends to manually reverse the terminated legal status of hundreds of international college students, including at least 62 in Ohio. As of Friday afternoon, the status was reversed for three Kent State University students and four Case Western Reserve University students. The students’ legal status was marked “terminated” in a federal records database earlier this month, Laura Hancock reports. But the government maintains that doesn’t necessarily mean their student visas were revoked, and it plans to work on a new policy for database terminations.
Where’d they go? New research led by a Harvard University professor of computer science found that more than 14,500 Ohioans’ voter registrations disappeared within 90 days of the election. As Jake Zuckerman reports, the research suggests they weren’t canceled due to death, incarceration, or at the request of the voter – the only allowable cancelations so close to an election. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose criticized the scholarship as “shoddy” but gave no indication as to what happened to the voters.
Temporary reprieve: The federal government must reinstate the legal status of Ohio State University graduate student Ahwar Sultan. Adam Ferrise reports that the judge’s temporary order came hours before the federal government said it reverse the terminated status of hundreds of international students’ records.
Retirement plans: Martin O’Malley, the former Social Security Commissioner, said that people need to push back on the misconception that the retirement benefit is an entitlement or welfare. It’s an earned benefit, he said at a Cleveland town hall event hosted by U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, Molly Walsh reports.
Pick me: Most endorsements don’t determine elections, but one sure does help in Ohio. The Columbus Dispatch’s Jessie Balmert takes stock of the endorsement scorecard in the race to replace Gov. Mike DeWine in 2026. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has already picked up the most consequential endorsement in the race: that of President Donald Trump, who has dominated Ohio the last three presidential elections.
Crypto bros: Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose want those who interact with state government to be able to pay with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency. Balmert writes that the pair plan to ask the state Board of Deposit next month to approve the use of Bitcoin to pay the state. It would be up to each agency to decide whether to accept crypto payments.
Health funding: Columbus is the latest entity to sue President Donald Trump’s administration over local funding cuts. The Columbus Dispatch’s Samantha Hendrickson writes that the city’s federal lawsuit claims that health funding cuts are unconstitutional, as money already was appropriated by Congress, and run afoul of administrative regulations over grant cancelations. The feds had canceled $11.4 billion in funding for state and community health departments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the Move
U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, a Columbus-area Republican, announced Friday that he’s opened constituent service offices in Cleveland, Toledo, Middletown and Columbus, in addition to his office in Washington, D.C. His Cleveland office is located at Suite 3061 of the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building at 1240 East 9th Street.
Birthdays
Grace Brogan, legislative aide to state Rep. Cindy Abrams
Vincent Coleman, government affairs director, Columbus REALTORS
Abe J. Jacob, senior vice president, Kallner & Associates
Marcella Perretti, senior legislative aide to Senate President Rob McColley
Straight from the Source
“They put out close to $8 billion into the ground and there’s going to be chips that are going to be made there. I will guarantee you that. They’re not going to walk away from it.”
-Gov. Mike DeWine, expressing confidence that Intel will finish construction on its semiconductor plant near Columbus, Jo Ingles reports. The company announced last week that it will have a new round of layoffs and restructuring.
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Recreational prices have dropped since sales began in August, though may increase with potential higher taxes. Read More
