COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio Statehouse hosted a historic gathering of legislative leaders from across the country Monday, discussing concerns about the increasing power of the federal government. Senate presidents and House speakers from about 40 states met in the chambers of the Ohio House of Representatives, unanimously adopting a nonbinding declaration for the [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Synthetic kratom is now illegal everywhere in Ohio after Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order today adopting the unanimous recommendation of the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. DeWine requested the Board hold an emergency meeting today to decide action on the popular drug that purports to treat pain and other ailments, [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Gov. Mike DeWine said on Thursday that he plans to sign the new cannabis bill that would make adjustments to Ohio’s recreational cannabis use laws, including new legal charges for things like improper transportation. Voters legalized the adult use of marijuana in 2023, and that will not change under the new law— [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio lawmakers are exploring the possibility of using a psychedelic drug to treat patients with severe addictions or post-traumatic stress disorders. A committee met for the first time on Wednesday to study whether the next General Assembly should allow ibogaine, a psychedelic compound derived from a West African root vegetable, to [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio will need to find ways to meet the enormous energy demands of new data centers and manufacturing facilities, as well as the average energy needs of everyday Ohioans. That task is made all the more difficult by the typically lengthy process of getting a new energy project approved.  A new study [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Gov. Mike DeWine was at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Thursday afternoon to announce a new $5 million state investment into childhood cancer research at five different medical institutes across Ohio. During his remarks, DeWine repeatedly said that children’s medical research is “grossly underfunded” in the United States. “We are making a statement [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Nationwide Children's Hospital will get part of a $5 million grant aimed at improving the detection and treatment of childhood cancers. The hospital will test a new blood-based biopsy, meant to detect pediatric cancers earlier and monitor high-risk children without frequent and invasive procedures. Governor DeWine said children's medical research is [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Governor Mike DeWine has vetoed a bill that would have allowed teenagers to work longer hours. Current child labor laws dictate that kids cannot work past 7 p.m. on school nights, but Senate Bill 50, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), would have allowed 14-and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m.  [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Environmental groups are taking the state to court over changes to how the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency regulates air pollution. For 50 years, Ohioans have been able to hold polluting industries accountable in federal court under the Air Nuisance Rule (ANR). Earlier this year, the Ohio General Assembly ordered the EPA [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Immigration and civil rights advocates are raising concerns about a bill that would put new restrictions on certain foreign citizens buying land in Ohio. If passed, House Bill 1—also called the Ohio Property Protection Act—would prohibit the citizens of nations the federal government has designated as “foreign adversaries” from buying land [...]