New laws, ordinances and policy decisions affecting Columbus residents
A German Village restaurant is asking residents of its Columbus precinct to approve Sunday wine and mixed beverage sales on the May 5 primary ballot — a process rooted in Ohio liquor law that traces back to Prohibition and continues to require neighborhood-level voter approval for something as routine as a Sunday glass of wine. … Read more
Key Highlights: Ohio House Bill 20, sponsored by state Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) and Phil Plummer (R-Butler Township), cleared the Ohio House last June and now sits in the Ohio Senate, where its fate remains unresolved. The bill would increase the penalty for obstructing police officers, firefighters, and EMTs as they perform their lawful … Read more
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Mike DeWine on Wednesday announced the launch of a new statewide school attendance dashboard designed to track student absenteeism across Ohio, including in Columbus City Schools and districts throughout Franklin County. State officials said the dashboard provides publicly accessible data on attendance rates, with a focus on chronic absenteeism — typically defined as … Read more
The Columbus City Council ICE vote made history on Monday with a unanimous 9–0 decision. Every council member agreed to pass five new laws that limit how federal immigration officers (ICE) work in Columbus. These rules change how federal agents use city-owned buildings and interact with local police. These changes will start as soon as … Read more