OPN Dec. 11 send: On DeWine’s endorsement

• The story: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine held firm Thursday that he will eventually endorse the GOP’s official nominee to replace him as governor, but the term-limited Republican was still cagey about his overall thoughts on party-endorsed candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

• Talk about it: He said he’s held discussions with Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur originally from the Cincinnati area who, despite never holding political office, amassed clout starting with a long-shot 2024 presidential bid where he built a reputation as an outspoken outsider.

• Quote: “I’ve enjoyed those discussions; I hope he has enjoyed them as well,” said DeWine, who is entering the final year of his second and final term as governor. “I hope to have some more discussions about policy with him. I fully expect to endorse the Republican nominee for governor sometime in the future.”

• Yes, but: He was asked why he — unlike the Ohio GOP or President Donald Trump — has so far held back on his endorsement in the race. “Look, we’re still having discussions,” he responded. “I want to get a better understanding of his positions, what his vision is, and I would say the discussions have been good. Obviously, I want to talk to him about some of the things that I see, as well.”

• Two sides: DeWine was also asked about Democrats’ presumptive nominee Amy Acton, the state’s former health director whose political star rose during her time advising DeWine on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He deflected on whether she’d be a good governor, and told us reporters we still have a year to badger him about his thoughts on Acton.

• Here’s my full story.

• The story: Several hundred inmates in Ohio’s high security prisons would lose access to Sinclair Community College’s educational offerings if a GOP prison reform bill makes it way into law, and many more of the college’s 2,600 incarcerated students could be unenrolled.

• State stats: The Ohio House overwhelmingly passed a bill just before Thanksgiving that would require the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections to implement a slate of reforms, one of which calls for "the elimination of all higher education programs at high security state correctional institutions." This leaves it up to ODRC to define specific policy.

• Distinctions: Drafters of the bill told me that it was aimed at Ohio prisons designated as a Level 3 or higher on the ODRC scale, which lists facilities from lower-security Level 1 through higher-security Level 4, with the addition of specialized Level E and death row distinctions.

• So?: The catch is that nearly every prison in Ohio holds more than one distinction, which means a facility like Dayton Correctional Institution, which is considered a Level 1, 2, 3, 4, E and death row facility, could theoretically outright lose all education opportunities depending on how the ODRC defines a “high security” facility in its policy.

• Numbers: Sinclair Community College currently has 2,611 students in Ohio’s prison system; 262 of those students are in facilities that would automatically lose access to education programs; another 1,302 students are in facilities that aren’t clearly defined under the bill and may lose access; and 1,047 students are in facilities that wouldn’t see any change.

• Here’s my full story.

• Foley plea: Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Mike Foley pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges Monday as part of a plea agreement with the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office that dropped felony charges of theft in office related to the misuse of county property and time. Sydney Dawes has the details.

• Spending season: Montgomery County commissioners approved a nearly $1.1 billion budget for next year, building flexibility into their spending plan as they eye uncertainty around changes at the state and federal levels. Here’s Sydney Dawes again.

• Window closed?: The president of the Dayton police union says the city has missed the deadline to administratively discipline or file formal civil service charges against multiple officers who are under state investigation for potential criminal conduct. Cornelius Frolik has the story.

• Trepidation: Fears of sweeping immigration raids were evident in Springfield Thursday, as more than 100 residents attended a town hall aimed at preparing for potential “mass deportations” once long-term Haitian immigrants lose their status in February. Here’s Jessica Orozco.

• Money well spent?: Ohio’s Motion Picture Tax Credits awarded nearly half a million dollars to bring Buddy the Elf to the stage for one night in Springfield and two in Akron in November — one of many examples that have led Democrats and Republicans alike to question the value of a program that has cost Ohio hundreds-of-millions of dollars over the years. Here’s Bryn Dippold.

• Time well spent?: An effort to allow 14- and 15-year-old employees in Ohio to work later during the school year was stymied Wednesday after Republican Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill passed with overwhelming GOP support. Here’s my story.

• Hemp ban: The Ohio Senate came back from its holiday break Tuesday to rubber-stamp a House-passed bill that tweaks the state’s voter-approved recreational marijuana laws and bans intoxicating hemp products from retailers. DeWine told reporters today that he’ll sign it. Here’s my story.

• ‘Solve the issue’: As Congress wrestles over what to do about expiring subsidies for Americans who buy insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno has pushed his party to embrace a middle ground deal — and find a way to prevent millions of people from seeing dramatic increases in the cost of health insurance. Here’s Jamie Dupree.

• Farm package: The Trump administration’s announcement of $12 billion in one-time aid payments to the nation’s farmers is being viewed by Ohio farm leaders as a stop-gap measure in an industry that has been hit hard by rising input costs and stagnant commodity prices. Michael Kurtz has the story.

• Forever chemicals, still: The latest compromise version of the new defense policy bill would allow the Department of Defense to continue using firefighting foam laced with “forever chemicals,” a group of environmental activists says. Here’s Thomas Gnau