Rail bill faces political obstacles

June 9, 2023

The rail safety bill, sponsored by U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance in response to the East Palestine train derailment disaster, is having some issues in the Senate and likely faces a roadblock in the House of Representatives. Regarding the lack of movement, Brown, D-Cleveland, told me: “I never promised you, David, or promised anybody in East Palestine that this was going to be easy. That’s certain. But I’m optimistic because so far, we’ve done it right.” The legislation was introduced March 1 by Brown and Vance, R-Cincinnati, and was approved 16-11 May 10 by the ...

Don’t expect big August turnout

June 2, 2023

Turnout for nonpresidential elections is usually poor, but those who come out for August special elections take that percentage to a new level of bad. Last year’s August special primary election for state legislative seats became necessary after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled the Ohio Redistricting Commission violated the state constitution by drawing gerrymandered General Assembly maps. Statewide turnout was 8 percent. The Republican-controlled Legislature voted in December to eliminate all August elections except if a local government or school district in fiscal emergency wanted ...

Vance backing Moreno won’t scare others

May 26, 2023

As a U.S. senator for less than five months, Republican J.D. Vance is hardly in a position to be a kingmaker. But he's giving it a try, endorsing Westlake businessman Bernie Moreno in next year's Republican primary for Ohio's other Senate seat held by Democrat Sherrod Brown. In his Moreno endorsement, Vance said: "It's time to turn the tides on the establishment insiders who sell out our country to special interests and elect more political outsiders like Bernie, who will always put America first in Washington, D.C." Like Vance, Moreno made his fortune in the private sector before ...

Dutton was a driving force in Valley

May 19, 2023

Paul Dutton was one of the first people who helped me better understand the Mahoning Valley when I moved here in 1995. Sadly, Dutton died May 7 at the age of 76. It was hard to not be impressed by Dutton, though he was a humble and modest person who never bragged about his many ...

Vance stands up to Cruz on rail bill

May 12, 2023

When it comes to his bill to increase rail safety after the East Palestine train derailment disaster, criticizing fellow Republicans who oppose it doesn’t concern U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance. The freshman Republican senator from Cincinnati responded to criticism from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to the bill during a Wednesday session of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Cruz said he is open to rail reforms, but that the bill co-sponsored by Vance and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, goes too far. Cruz said the bill would “empower” Transportation ...

Mahoning County election turnout was abysmal

May 5, 2023

Turnout in odd-year primaries is typically bad, and this was no exception. It was 9.76 percent in Mahoning County and 15.32 percent in Trumbull County. Those aren’t percentages of county residents or even all registered voters. That’s just those who were eligible to vote. In Mahoning County, there were 48,825 people who were eligible to vote in the primary. Of that number, 4,763 voted. It was a little better in Trumbull County. Of the 85,454 registered voters eligible to vote in Trumbull, 13,090 voted. Stephanie Penrose, Trumbull County Board of Elections director, had ...