News In Focus with Chris Long

Talking Ohio State Budget and Issues of the Economy Here in Ohio with Greg Lawson of the Buckeye Institute

Greg Lawson, Research Fellow at the Buckeye Institute, Ohio's conservative think tank, discusses the state two-year budget that was passed in late June. What's in it, what's not in it, and some of the specifics on reining in Medicaid expenditures, expanding school choice funding, and what impact it will have on Ohio's bottom line. Greg always has a wealth of knowledge on everything brewing at the Statehouse . Tune in and tell a friend. 

Alcohol and Drug Recovery Efforts with Pastor Greg Delaney of Woodhaven Recovery

Drug overdoses are down, according to Woodhaven Recovery director Greg Delaney, in his home county. One factor is the increased enforcement at our southern border, stopping the flow of human trafficking and drug trafficking. The work of addiction recovery continues throughout Ohio's communities, as many are still suffering with drug and alcohol addiction. Fentanyl that is cheap and readily available, along with crystal meth, is the problem among our youth. The help line for those suffering from addiction is 988.  

 

Summer Read LifeRead Program

Listen to this third grader read Genesis 1

LifeRead Volunteer Reading Tutors worked with K-5 students at an inner city school in Akron that had a summer reading program. LifeRead Volunteer Reading Tutors worked with 60 students over a 6-week period, using school curriculum, classic literature, historical documents, and reading in the Scriptures. These are students who are in between grades. It was a delight to work with the children. If you would like to be a volunteer reading tutor, visit www.liferead.org to sign up and learn more. - LifeRead Directors Chris and Silvia Long

Legislators Are Calling for a Special Session on Monday July 21st to Override Governor DeWine’s Vetoes of Real Estate Tax Reform

State Rep. Dave Thomas of District 65 explains what the four provisions of real estate tax reform are and why they are an important first step to restructure Ohio's real estate tax.  Rep. Thomas discusses in detail these four provisions and emphasizes there is still much work to do to fix the problem. He also sounds an alarm that next year's assessments will be even higher. That's why there is no time to waste. We are urging the General Assembly to override Governor DeWine's vetoes on all four provisions, and when they come back in the fall, to get busy on more legislation that will restructure the current real estate tax to finally bring Ohioans relief.

Ohio has higher median real estate taxes than the border states of Michigan ($1,670), Indiana ($995), Kentucky ($1,551), and West Virginia ($728). Ohio’s median real estate tax is $2,823. Only New York and Pennsylvania are higher. Even Virginia, with its high priced northern Virginia properties, has lower real estate tax than Ohio. It is time to stop the talking and get to work on lowering real estate taxes for Ohio working men and women and their families.

State Rep Josh Williams Shares His Amazing Story - From Homelessness to the Statehouse

State Rep. Josh Williams from Ohio's 44th District shares his amazing story of being a homeless high school dropout raised in severe poverty in Greater Toledo to becoming an attorney, overcoming a severe injury, and running for public office serving Ohio's 44th State District. Rep. Williams this spring received a framed copy of the Ten Commandments for hanging in his office from the Ohio Christian Alliance. He is now a candidate for the 9th Congressional District for the 2026 mid-term. Tune in and tell a friend. Share the podcast. 

Ohio's New Flat Tax with Senator George Lang

Ohio has a new flat tax. State Senator George Lang of Ohio's 4th District explains how this new flat tax will help grow Ohio's economy by encouraging businesses to move to Ohio and hire new workers. Ohio's new flat income tax will go into effect in 2026.  Ohio has new energy policy and is poised for growth. Senator Lang explains Ohio's history with the income tax and how it has been a detriment to Ohio. His desire is to eliminate the income tax, but the flat tax is a move in the right direction. 

The Miracle of the American Founding with Historian Bill Federer

Author and historian Bill Federer from the American Minute walks us through the historical record of the Revolutionary War and God's providential hand on George Washington and the Colonists fighting for their independence from Great Britain. Their reliance upon God is reflected in the statement by Patrick Henry:

 “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists. But by Christians, not on religion but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.”    

In celebration of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of our nation, John Adams wrote the following to his wife, Abigail:

"I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

 

LifeRead Volunteer Reading Tutoring - The Mission- The Need- The Solution

The Project: Mobilizing a network of volunteers helping Ohio read, tackling Ohio’s literacy challenge for students and adults.

The Need is to help Ohio school children who have fallen behind in reading comprehension due to the COVID shutdown. Overall, national scores are below pre-pandemic 2019 levels in all grades and subjects. According to the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, the lockdown produced long-term consequences for K-12 education.

The Solution - The key to tutoring success is to give the student small successes along the way that they can build upon that will encourage them in their progress. Our volunteers are encouraging people and look forward to the challenge.

Each LifeRead volunteer tutor brings with them their own experience, knowledge, ingenuity, and desire to help others. They incorporate practices such as echo reading, paired reading, and duet reading, which have been proven to improve reading comprehension for both children and adults.

Students respond well to the prospect of being able to read books and materials of interest to them. In the first, second, and third grades, children learn to read. In the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades and beyond, they read to learn. To learn more visit www.liferead.org 

Education Crisis Nationally and in Ohio - Results of the COVID Shutdown Linger

Discussion with State Senator Andy Brenner, Chairman of the Education Committee

The National Report Card which came out in February has stirred discussion about the graveness of the national education crisis. Only 30 percent of fourth graders and 29 percent of eight grade students are reading-proficient nationally.  In Ohio, only 32 percent of both fourth and eighth graders are reading- proficient. Assessments conducted earlier this year also indicate that some students are two and three years behind in their grade reading levels. 

The Need is to help Ohio school children who have fallen behind in reading comprehension due to the COVID shutdown. Overall, national scores are below pre-pandemic 2019 levels in all grades and subjects. According to the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, the lockdown produced long-term consequences for K-12 education.

The COVID school closures began in March of 2020, resulting in remote learning for students over the course of the next year.  We have discovered after conversing with teachers, school administrators, and parents, that children who were in kindergarten or first grade during that time were stymied in their development in reading learning. Other students regressed from what they had learned in the classroom. Students affected by the COVID shutdown are in the greatest need of reading tutoring services. www.LifeRead.org 

Here is some of the legislation that is moving in the Ohio General Assembly to bring Ohio homeowners real estate tax relief.

• Expanded homestead exemption for the elderly, disabled, and veterans
• Tax deferment for the elderly to stay in their homes
• Elimination of replacement levies H.B. 28 Has passed the Ohio House
• HB 186 was introduced by Rep. Hoops and Rep. Thomas this week. The bill attacks the spikes in unvoted Property Tax Increases we have seen due to the 20 Mill Floor School Funding policy. This bill lowers those spikes to inflation and flattens out unbudgeted increases in revenue.
• Legislation that will make simple (make plain) levy ballot language