Ohio Has Issues

On this week’s episode of Ohio Has Issues with Stephanie Haney and Mike Polk Jr., we try to hit the highlights on a mix of national news affection the Buckeye state, and hyper local changes to hiring rules.

First, we look at a major change coming to leadership in the US Senate. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine reacts to Mitch McConnell’s progressive retirement.

Then, we look at a new wage rule in Columbus where employers could get fined if they don’t play by the rules. Plus, we get a history lesson on the minimum wage and sub-minimum wage from One Fair Wage and Raise the Wage Ohio’s Mariah Ross, as she explains why she’s managing the campaign for Ohio’s proposed constitutional amendment to increase our state’s minimum wage to $15 across the board. We also hear from all four of Ohio’s Senate candidates on their takes on a minimum wage, and Mike talks with Cleveland.com political reporter Jeremy Pelzer about what he’s noticed from the candidates in that regard.

Jeremy also fills us in on his latest House Bill 6 FirstEnergy bribery scandal coverage, as former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder appeals his 20-year prison sentence for accepting $60 million in bribes from FirstEnergy in order to help pass legislation that would bail out two of its subsidiary’s failing nuclear power plants.

And before we go, we dive into what the Republican Senate primary candidates and current US Senator Sherrod Brown say about the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that declared embryos children even when created during IVF.

It’s a wild one, but we get through it together, leading up to Ohio’s primary election on March 19!

Check out the MIT living wage calculator that Mariah references in her conversation with Stephanie here: https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/39

Watch Ohio Has Issues on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/live/63ZAZnmqmWA?si=kmm38Z4kgqfhuy6Z

Ohio Has Issues recorded a live special episode before, during and after the Republican Senate primary candidate forum hosted by Spectrum News.

Stephanie and Mike kicked things kicked off on Monday, Feb. 19 with an interview with Spectrum News' Mike Kallmeyer who hosted the forum and gave us a preview of what to expect.

During the forum, Ohio Has Issues will stayed live so you could hear more from Stephanie's previous conversations with Matt Dolan and Frank LaRose, and Stephanie and Mike checked in with updates on what was happening in the forum.

After the forum, Stephanie and Mike were joined by Republican strategist Mehek Cooke, former Cuyahoga County commissioner Lee Weingart, Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation President and CEO Shayla Davis, and Democratic strategist Jeff Rusnak to break down what the candidates said during the forum.

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.

What could be more romantic than spending your Valentine's Day with Ohio Has Issues?!

This week, Stephanie Haney and Mike Polk Jr. talk new criminal charges tied to House Bill 6 and the FirstEnergy bribery scandal, question 2 of the 3 Republican Ohio US Senate candidates on transgender issues, and play a game involving presidential romance. 

Stephanie and Mike are joined by Ohio state Senator Matt Dolan, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, 3News investigative reporter Lynna Lia, Plain Dealer political reporter Andrew Tobias, and Signal Cleveland Managing Editor of News Mark Naymik.

Note: Mr. Bernie Moreno was invited to be a part of this conversation, and while his campaign initially agreed to a conversation, the campaign stopped responding and could not be reached once it came time to schedule the interview.

Watch Ohio Has Issues every Wednesday at 7:30 PM streaming live on the WKYC YouTube page:
https://youtube.com/live/TIpZ0Etftx0

Watch the House Bill 6 Bribery scandal special here:
https://youtu.be/XiG5kRNyyLs?si=jBtuf0GYkd8P2p1l

Next week, we'll have a special edition of Ohio Has Issues before and after the Senate candidate forum hosted by Spectrum News. The show will start at 7:30 PM on Monday, Feb. 19, with an interview with Spectrum News' Mike Kallmeyer who is hosting the forum and will give us a preview of what to expect.

During the forum, Ohio Has Issues will stay live so you can hear more from Stephanie's previous conversations with Dolan and LaRose, and Stephanie and Mike will check in live to get updates on what's happening in the forum.

After the forum ends at 9 PM, Stephanie and Mike will be joined by Republican strategist Mehek Cooke, Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation President and CEO Shayla Davis, and others to break down what the candidates said during the forum.

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, Stephanie Haney and Mike Polk Jr. are joined by two of the three candidates who are hoping to run against Ohio’s US Senator Sherrod Brown in the upcoming November election, along with a season political reporter who is very tapped into what’s going on with this particular race. Current Ohio state Senator Matt Dolan and current Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose clarify their stances on abortion and comment on the Bernie Moreno overtime wage lawsuit. NBC senior political reporter Henry J. Gomez fills us on in the money that’s being sent in Ohio’s US Senate race, and more.  Plus, enjoy the moment at 36 minutes in when Mike jumps up from his seat, and his microphone never quite recovers!

You can watch today's episode here:
https://youtu.be/yztEyv8Luro

Note: Mr. Bernie Moreno was invited to be a part of this conversation, and while his campaign initially agreed to a conversation, the campaign stopped responding and could not be reached once it came time to schedule the interview.

On Ohio Has Issues with Stephanie Haney and Mike Polk Jr., we talk through the things Ohioans need to know leading up to the November 2024 election, with the people who have the answers to your questions.

You'll hear directly from the organizers behind the initiatives you'll see on the ballot in November, your elected officials on both sides of the aisle, and the candidates who hope to represent you in public office.

To help you decide how to cast your ballot this fall, we also check in with the reporters on the ground covering politics in our state.

In the first episode of Ohio Has Issues, Stephanie talks with former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, focusing on the messy reality of Ohio's voting districts which O'Connor's court ruled were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. O'Connor, a Republican who retired from the bench in 2022 due to the state constitution's age limit, will talk about the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment initiative, which seeks to give citizens as opposed to politicians the power to draw our voting districts.

Plain Dealer political reporter Andrew Tobias also joins Mike with a recap of the stories he's been working on from Ohio's state capital in Columbus.

Watch Ohio Has Issues  streamed live every Wednesday at 7:30 PM on the WKYC YouTube page and the WKYC+ streaming app, and listen back on your favorite podcast platform later that night.