Intel is investing at least $20 billion in Ohio, the boundary lines for the state House and Senate districts are going back to the Supreme Court and a tentative timeline has been set for the trial of former Speaker Larry Householder.
We break down what it all means on this week’s episode of Ohio Politics Explained.
It’s a podcast from the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau where we catch you up on the state’s political news in 15 minutes or less. This week, host Anna Staver was joined by reporter Jessie Balmert.
1) The cost of business
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced a major coup last week: Intel was building a massive semiconductor chip manufacturing campus just outside Columbus.
The company is investing billions of dollars and plans to create thousands of high-paying jobs. But what we still don’t know is how much Ohio offered in tax credits and cash grants.
The DeWine administration has been tight-lipped about what the deal cost Ohio.
2) Redistricting redo
The legislative maps are going back to the Ohio Supreme Court.
The high court struck down the first set of maps for the House and Senate districts earlier this month, saying they weren’t constitutional.
Republicans passed the second set of maps over the weekend, but a coalition of redistricting groups say the new versions still don’t the statewide voting preferences of Ohioans.
And while we’re waiting on a decision about the state maps, lawmakers have until mid-February to redraw the congressional map.
3) Householder headed to court
The trial of former Republican Speaker Larry Householder is likely to last six weeks and could get underway this fall, according to a conference call this week between the federal judge and the attorneys.
Householder was arrested in July 2020, and federal prosecutors say he and a group of men were part of a more than $60 million bribery scheme fueled by Akron-based First Energy in exchange for the passage of a $1 billion bailout package for two nuclear power plants.
The Glenford Republican maintains his innocence, which means he could be on trial for public corruption during the final weeks of the 2022 election.
4) Republican retirements
State Sen. Jay Hottinger and Rep. Rick Carfagna both announced their departures from the Ohio Legislature this week.
The two men are the latest in a line of more moderate Republicans who have announced their resignations from politics. U.S. Reps. Steve Stivers and Anthony Gonzales and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman all announced retirements in 2021.
