Matt Huffman

Gov. Mike DeWine said a new law allowing the legislature to overturn a health order has tied his hands.

The commission will likely make changes to the House and Senate district maps after holding three public hearings.

Republican state lawmakers will unveil their proposal for new state House and Senate district maps at tomorrow's meeting.

Some Democrats and voting advocates worry maps will be drawn behind closed doors and rushed through the process.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday convenes the state redistricting commission, a seven- member board, charged with drafting new maps for state lawmakers’ districts. They’ve got a lot on their plate and not a lot of time to handle it all.

There are several points of contention to iron out as the Ohio House, Ohio Senate, and the governor's office work on a final budget proposal to spend more than $74 billion over the next two fiscal years.

In their version of the state budget, Ohio Senate Republicans erased money that had been earmarked for broadband programs. But they also added a provision that would ban local communities from doing their own broadband programs.

Republicans in the Senate have added to their budget a provision that could directly affect the upcoming process to draw new maps for a 15-member Congressional delegation as well as the Ohio House and Senate.

Advocates for low-income Ohioans are urging lawmakers to take what they call a harmful provision out of the state budget bill. An amendment added by the Senate would impose asset limits for people using federal assistance for groceries, often referred to as food stamps.

The Ohio Senate passed the state budget bill Wednesday which sets up a likely conference committee where the House and Senate must agree on a final spending measure to send to the governor.