From legalizing marijuana to redistricting, to how President Joe Biden won't end up on the Ohio ballot, the issues in Ohio are smoking hot leading up to the November presidential election.

On the May 22 edition of Ohio Has Issues, Stephanie Haney and Mike Polk Jr. take a deep dive into what's happening with the effort to reform gerrymandering through a citizen-led redistricting amendment. Their guests on this topic are former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown, 98-year-old activist Elinor Polster, and Brennan Center for Justice's Dr. Kareem Crayton, with reporting from NBC Cleveland investigator Lynna Lai.

Plus, in an update on the US Senate race in Ohio, they share what the candidates are saying about federal legalization of marijuana. In the roundup of other Ohio news, Ohio Capital Journal reporter Megan Henry has the latest comments from state legislators on whether they'll act to make sure President Joe Biden is on the ballot in our state, and NBC Cleveland reporter Matt Rascon gives the details on a big win for Ohio cities who want to be able to control tobacco sales at the local level.

Watch Ohio Has Issues here:
https://youtube.com/live/SnKAPgIztRs

Read Megan Henry's reporting here:
https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/05/21/ohio-legislative-leaders-say-biden-ballot-fix-wont-happen-through-lawmakers/

Read Matt Rascon's reporting here:
https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/ohio/judge-rules-ohio-law-banning-cities-tobacco-regulation-unconstitutional-cleveland-health-director/95-121537e3-efa9-4b46-b909-83dc8b2129c1

Read the Brennan Center for Justice's study results here:
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/ohios-gerrymandered-state-house-districts-lack-electoral-competition

"Ohio Has Issues" is recorded in Cleveland, out of WKYC Studios. New episodes typically stream live every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on the WKYC YouTube page and the WKYC+ streaming app. "Ohio Has Issues" is also available wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes dropping after the livestreamed recording sessions end.

Stephanie is the digital anchor and legal analyst at WKYC. She produces and hosts VERIFY fact check segments and is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California.

Mike is an anchor, commentator and editorialist at WKYC. Mike co-hosts "Front Row Friday" with Laura Caso, which airs every Friday at 7 PM on 3News and on WKYC+.

There's always a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Cleveland Browns, and right now, that includes a question about where the team will play its home games in the near future.

Cleveland.com's Jeremy Pelzer joins Stephanie Haney and Mike Polk Jr. on the May 15 edition of Ohio Has Issues to explain how the $600 million ask for a new stadium in Brook Park compares to other projects, including their proposal to renovate the current stadium in downtown Cleveland.

Read Jeremy's story here:
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/05/proposed-600m-in-state-funding-for-new-browns-stadium-would-dwarf-ohios-past-pro-stadium-subsidies.html

Plus, we fill you in on Ohio's US Senate race with the breakdown of what the New York Times is reporting about candidate Bernie Moreno, along with bringing you the latest news on Ohio getting rid of the "spousal rape exemption," and when former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder's state arraignment has been pushed to.

"Ohio Has Issues" is recorded in Cleveland, out of WKYC Studios. New episodes typically stream live every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on the WKYC YouTube page and the WKYC+ streaming app.

"Ohio Has Issues" is also available wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes dropping after the livestreamed recording sessions end.

Stephanie is the digital anchor and legal analyst at WKYC. She is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California.

Mike is an anchor, commentator and editorialist at WKYC. Mike co-hosts "Front Row Friday" with Laura Caso, which airs every Friday at 7 PM on 3News and on WKYC+.

As new documents have become available related to FirstEnergy's bribery scandal, we're learning about payments the company made that benefited the current holders of the highest political offices in the state.

On the May 1 episode of Ohio Has Issues, Mike Polk Jr. and Stephanie Haney dig into the details of FirstEnergy payments to dark money organizations supporting Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman.

To explain what we've learned thanks to a shareholder lawsuit against FirstEnergy, Stephanie and Mike talk with Cleveland.com political reporter Jake Zuckerman. University of Cincinnati political reporter David Niven shares his perspective on why these campaign contributions are concerning, and how it seems unlikely to him that our state's leaders didn't know they were being made for their benefits. Plus, they talk with government watchdog Common Cause Ohio Executive Director Catherine Turcer about what she'd like to see when it comes to campaign finance transparency in the state.

We also get the latest update on what's happening in the Ohio General Assembly related to two anti-LGBTQ+ bills and the long overdue closure of Ohio's marital rape prosecution exemption.

Watch Ohio Has Issues here:
https://youtube.com/live/L7xAX1G0NH4

"Ohio Has Issues" is recorded in Cleveland, out of WKYC Studios. New episodes typically stream live every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on the WKYC YouTube page and the WKYC+ streaming app. "Ohio Has Issues" is also available wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes dropping after the livestreamed recording sessions end.

Stephanie is the digital anchor and legal analyst at WKYC. She is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California.

Mike is an anchor, commentator and editorialist at WKYC. Mike co-hosts "Front Row Friday" with Laura Caso, which airs every Friday at 7 PM on 3News and on WKYC+.

Voters are wondering whether President Joe Biden will be on the Ohio ballot in November, thanks to a law passed in 2009.

This week on Ohio Has Issues with Mike Polk Jr. and Stephanie Haney, we look at why it's become a question whether the sitting President of the United States will appear on the general election ballot. Cleveland.com political reporter Jeremy Pelzer is back on the show to break down what legislators are saying, as they could fix the issue with legislation if they wanted to.

Read Jeremy Pelzer's reporting here:
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/04/ohio-lawmakers-say-they-need-to-permanently-change-the-state-law-threatening-joe-bidens-ballot-access.html

Then, we talk with Republican strategist and Ohio elections expert Terry Casey to understand why this has become a problem, in the first place.

Plus, 3News investigative reporter Lynna Lai and Cleveland.com's Jake Zuckerman give us an overview of how groups supporting Governor Mike DeWine and current Lt. Governor Jon Husted ended up with big checks from FirstEnergy, around the time the corporation was paying $60 million in bribes in order to get House Bill 6 passed, and bail out its failing nuclear powerplants.

Read Jake Zuckerman's reporting here:
https://www.cleveland.com/open/2024/04/firstenergy-paid-25-million-secret-payment-to-nonprofit-backing-dewine-in-2018-new-records-show.html

We also roundup what Ohio's candidates for US Senate are saying on key issues, while we look at what's happening with House Bill 68, as Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost seeks to lift most of a temporary block on the law that would ban gender-affirming care for Transgender youth.

Watch Ohio Has Issues here:
https://youtu.be/2HsySxu9oF4

"Ohio Has Issues" is recorded in Cleveland, out of WKYC Studios. New episodes typically stream live every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on the WKYC YouTube page and the WKYC+ streaming app. "Ohio Has Issues" is also available wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes dropping after the livestreamed recording sessions end.

Stephanie is the digital anchor and legal analyst at WKYC. She is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California.

Mike is an anchor, commentator and editorialist at WKYC. Mike co-hosts "Front Row Friday" with Laura Caso, which airs every Friday at 7 PM on 3News and on WKYC+.

A senator, 2 growers and a dispensary owner talk with Mike Polk Jr. and Stephanie Haney about when you'll be able to buy recreational marijuana in Ohio, on Ohio Has Issues.

Mike and Stephanie dig into Issue 2, the citizen-initiated statute that legalized adult use recreational marijuana in Ohio, and took effect on Dec. 7, 2023. Since then, Ohioans have wondered when they’ll be able to buy it in our state, and tonight, we have answers. Those answers from Ohio’s Division of Cannabis Control, with insight from Ohio Capital Journal reporter Nick Evans, and Ohio state Senator Kent Smith.

Leading medical marijuana industry experts also share what’s happening behind the scenes to get recreational marijuana to Ohioans. Mike talks with Buckeye Relief owner and Ohio Cannabis Coalition president Andy Rayburn, and Stephanie chats with Ascension BioMedical owner and CEO Fadi Boumitri.

Plus, we give you the latest update on whether President Joe Biden will be on the Ohio ballot in November, what we’ve learned about money that FirstEnergy sent to a group backing current Lt. Governor Jon Husted for governor in 2017, and why a court has temporarily blocked Ohio’s ban on Transgender care for minors.

Watch Ohio Has Issues here:
https://youtu.be/HrDhbtxQ1pg

"Ohio Has Issues" is recorded in Cleveland, out of WKYC Studios. New episodes typically stream live every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on the WKYC YouTube page and the WKYC+ streaming app. "Ohio Has Issues" is also available wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes dropping after the livestreamed recording sessions end.

Stephanie is the digital anchor and legal analyst at WKYC. She is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California.

Mike is an anchor, commentator and editorialist at WKYC. Mike co-hosts "Front Row Friday" with Laura Caso, which airs every Friday at 7 PM on 3News and on WKYC+.

There’s been another shocking update in the ongoing FirstEnergy bribery scandal, and a Cleveland publication has gotten national attention for calling out its difficulties when it comes to reporting on former President Donald Trump.

On this week’s edition of Ohio Has Issues with Mike Polk Jr. and Stephanie Haney, we start things off with news of the death of former Ohio Public Utility Commission Chair Sam Randazzo. Randazzo was found dead in a building owned by own of his businesses on Tuesday morning, while under both federal and state indictment for allegedly accepting $4.3 million in bribes from FirstEnergy officials.

Then, we share Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer editor Chris Quinn’s Letter from the Editor that has gotten national attention for his take on what it’s like reporting on Trump. Mike and Stephanie are joined by two Republicans, former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Lee Weingart and Swing State Strategies Vice President Jordan Ohler, to get their reaction to the letter.

Read Quinn’s letter here:
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/03/our-trump-reporting-upsets-some-readers-but-there-arent-two-sides-to-facts-letter-from-the-editor.html

Watch Ohio Has Issues here:
https://youtube.com/live/51YNrSx864s

"Ohio Has Issues" is recorded in Cleveland, out of WKYC Studios. New episodes typically stream live every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on the WKYC YouTube page and the WKYC+ streaming app. "Ohio Has Issues" is also available wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes dropping after the livestreamed recording sessions end.

Stephanie is the digital anchor and legal analyst at WKYC. She is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California.

Mike is an anchor, commentator and editorialist at WKYC. Mike co-hosts "Front Row Friday" with Laura Caso, which airs every Friday at 7 PM on 3News and on WKYC+.

On this week’s episode of Ohio Has Issues, we check in on what's happened this week in Ohio's US Senate race, plus break down what we've seen since Ohio opened up private school vouchers to everyone.

You can watch the video version of the podcast here:
https://youtube.com/live/z-5bXg4r_cs

Mike Polk Jr. and Stephanie Haney start the show with a rundown of the latest from US Senator Sherrod Brown, and US Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, including what their campaigns have been up to. We also bring you a fact check of a tweet posted by Moreno that includes false claims that have been debunked related to Easter, religious symbols and International Transgender Day of Visibility.

Then, Mike and Stephanie talk with Cleveland.com reporter Laura Hancock, who has dug into the data to give us a full breakdown of who is using EdChoice vouchers, now that income won’t disqualify even the richest Ohioans from getting the scholarships.

Read Laura Hancock's reporting that inspired this episode here:
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/03/fleeing-troubled-public-schools-new-voucher-data-signals-many-newly-eligible-families-already-enrolled-in-private-schools.html

School Choice Ohio CEO and president Eric “Yitz” Frank talks also joins the show to share why he supports the program, and his hopes for the future. That’s followed up by Vouchers Hurt Ohio Coalition Executive Director Bill Phillis, who explains what the courts will have to decide, when his group’s lawsuit against the EdChoice voucher program goes to trial in November.

Plus, Case Western Reserve School of Law professor and education law expert Daniel Jaffe further explains the state constitutional questions brought up by the EdChoice voucher program.

"Ohio Has Issues" is recorded in Cleveland, out of WKYC Studios. New episodes typically stream live every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on the WKYC YouTube page and the WKYC+ streaming app. "Ohio Has Issues" is also available wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes dropping after the livestreamed recording sessions end.

Stephanie is the digital anchor and legal analyst at WKYC. She is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California.

Mike is an anchor, commentator and editorialist at WKYC. Mike co-hosts "Front Row Friday" with Laura Caso, which airs every Friday at 7 PM on 3News and on WKYC+.

Ohio’s primary election is behind us, and now we look ahead to what’s to come on Ohio Has Issues, on March 27, 2024.

This week, we learned of new state charges against former Ohio Speaker of the House Larry Householder, who is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence. With that in mind, Prison School LLC founder Bobby Ina shares his perspective on what Householder should do about these new charges, when it comes to minimizing any potential time behind bars.

Plus, NBC senior political reporter Henry Gomez returns to the show to break down how the two people who lost Ohio’s Senate primary race – Matt Dolan and Frank LaRose – have changed their messaging since Bernie Moreno was tapped to run against Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown in the November general election. We also check in with Case Western Reserve University School of Law Professor Atiba Ellis, who shares what he thinks about the voter turnout for the primary election, possible proposed constitutional amendments, and more.

Watch this week's episode of Ohio Has Issues here:
https://youtube.com/live/aUISHw-gZII

"Ohio Has Issues" is recorded in Cleveland, out of WKYC Studios. New episodes typically stream live every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on the WKYC YouTube page and the WKYC+ streaming app. "Ohio Has Issues" is also available wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes dropping after the livestreamed recording sessions end.

Stephanie is the digital anchor and legal analyst at WKYC. She is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California.

Mike is an anchor, commentator and editorialist at WKYC. Mike co-hosts "Front Row Friday" with Laura Caso, which airs every Friday at 7 PM on 3News and on WKYC+.

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