Snollygoster

Ohio’s new voter photo ID law goes into effect on April 7. That means you can’t just use a utility bill or a mortgage statement to prove your identity. You need an Ohio-issued photo ID.On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown talk about the impact of the new law.

Republican lawmakers who oppose abortion want to make 60% the new threshold for amending the Ohio constitution. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the rush for a special election in August, before a possible abortion rights vote in November. Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau Chief Karen Kasler joins the show...

A key piece of evidence in the corruption trial of Larry Householder and Matt Borges was a recorded conversation between Borges and FBI informant Tyler Fehrman. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown talk with Fehrman about his decision to blow the whistle when his former mentor offered him a shady deal.

After seven weeks of testimony, a jury has found former House Speaker Larry Householder and former state Republican Chairman Matt Borges guilty of bribery and racketeering. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the verdict.

Anti-abortion rights organizations are getting ready to defeat the proposed amendment that would essentially codify the Roe v. Wade decision in the Ohio constitution. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the proposal with Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right To Life.

On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the proposal's chances of succeeding at the ballot. Dr. Sri Thakkilapati of Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom joins the show.

The Ohio House is making up for lost time. After a leadership squabble, lawmakers have introduced dozens of bills, including income tax cuts and a ban on transgender girls playing high school and college sports.

On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the debate on who should control the campaign funds for the House GOP.

For the third time as governor and the first time in his second term, Mike DeWine delivered his State of the State address this week. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the governors speech, which avoided divisive hot-button cultural issues.

Federal prosecutors say Larry Householder and Matt Borges participated in a $61 million bribery scheme to get Householder elected speaker and pass a billion-dollar nuclear bailout law. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the opening of the trial. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow joins the show.

The bribery and racketeering trial of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder—one of the biggest figures in Ohio politics over the last two decades—is set to begin this week. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the state's largest-ever bribery scandal.

Mike DeWine took the oath of office as an elected official for his second term as governor and for likely the last time. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the event and what's on his governing bucket list. Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau reporter Andy Chow joins the show.

Last month, Republican House members said they supported State Rep. Derek Merrin of suburban Toledo to be the next speaker, but that was not to be. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown talk about a surprising turn to Jason Stephens for the top job. Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau reporter Jo Ingles joins the show.

Whether it was the November election, unconstitutional legislative maps or the fight over abortion rights, there were a lot of stories that kept on giving throughout 2022. In this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown sorts through the biggest political stories in Ohio this year.

After the Dobbs decision came down this summer, abortion rights supporters in Ohio turned their attention to the ballot. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss why a voter-approved change to the state constitution seems like the only way to restore abortion access.

The House and Senate are working on a couple of bills that would change voting rules, including a proposed requirement for a photo ID in order to vote. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss whether such measures are solutions in search of a problem. Mia Lewis from Common Cause Ohio joins the show.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is pushing to update the rules for changing Ohio’s consitution, moving the threshold from 50% to 60% to pass an amendment. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown look to Florida to see what that kind of change might look like. Prof. Susan MacManus of the University of South Florida joins th...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year... the lame-duck session at the Ohio General Assembly. So many bills. So many important issues. So little time to consider them before they become law. It’s anything but lame. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the bills quickly moving through the capitol. Ohio Public Radio'...

Republicans captured every statewide office: Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and three seats on the Ohio Supreme Court. The races were not even that close. Every statewide Republican won by double digits, except J.D. Vance in the U.S. Senate race. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discu...

Issue 2 would make Ohio the 7th state to explicitly ban non-citizens from voting in elections. Ohio’s constitution already says you have to be a citizen to vote, but Yellow Springs tried to let non-citizens vote in local contests. On this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the proposed state constitutional amendment on vot...

Just over a week before the official election day, more than a million Ohioans have voted or requested a mail-in ballot. If you compare this year’s early voting to early voting in the last mid-term election, 40,000 more ballots have been cast.

The race for U.S. Senate remains neck and neck, but there are signs that J.D. Vance is pulling ahead just a bit—at least in one poll.

Democrat Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance stood shoulder to shoulder on a Cleveland TV station this week and argued who was the best person to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate.

It's now just five short weeks until election day and just a week or so before Ohioans can start casting early ballots. The ads are all over TV. Our mailboxes are filling with direct mail. Our inboxes are getting swamped with fundraising e-mails.

In the latest Cost of Voting Study, which evaluates all 50 states based on what it calls "the overall investment a resident must make in time and resources to vote," Ohio was ranked 41st.