Max Miller

Rotunda Rumblings

Poindexter gets backup: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is putting some muscle behind Brian Poindexter’s bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Max Miller, adding the Brook Park council member to its “Red to Blue” program after Miller refused to drop out of the race amid domestic abuse allegations, Sabrina Eaton writes. The move comes as a Republican-leaning poll shows Poindexter’s lead over Miller growing to 14 points, while independent race handicappers have shifted the Ohio 7th District contest to toss-up territory.

Mapleside mystery: A rally involving U.S. Rep. Max Miller was cancelled last week after organizers cited unspecified security concerns — but local law enforcement said they were not made aware of any threats surrounding the event, Mary Frances McGowan reports. Miller was slated to appear with fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick to promote the federal SAVE America Act on Monday. Shannon Burns, chairman of the Strongsville GOP, said in a statement Friday that after consulting with law enforcement and the venue, “the number and nature of the threats received” made the gathering “untenable.” In emailed statements, both Brunswick Division of Police Chief Robert Safran and Medina County Sheriff Terry Grice told cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer that their departments had no knowledge of any threats.

Fighting city hall: A golf course fight in Findlay could change how all Ohioans challenge decisions by their local governments, Anna Staver reports. Rep. Ty Mathews, a Republican from Findlay, has introduced a bill that would make it easier to force a public vote, known as a referendum, on local ordinances. House Bill 985 would lower the number of signatures needed to trigger one of these votes, known as a referendum, from 35% of an area’s voters to 20%.

Flock yeah: While the use of Flock cameras in Cleveland and other Ohio cities is facing criticism by civil-liberties activists, Gov. Mike DeWine and Attorney General Andy Wilson say the risk of misuse is outweighed by the benefits of the AI-powered license plate readers. As Jeremy Pelzer reports, the two state officials noted that Flock cameras have helped law enforcement solve crimes, recover stolen vehicles and locate missing people. “When there are abuses, we have to take action,” DeWine said, though he added, “Just because a tool is abused, does not mean the tool is not an effective tool.”

Time to hunker down: Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday he is deploying the Ohio National Guard to parts of Central Ohio as waves of deadly storms pass through the heart of the state, Pelzer reports. DeWine, speaking at the Ohio Emergency Operations Center in Columbus, warned that residents should prepare for additional severe storms and flooding overnight Tuesday and in the coming days.

Patriot games: President Donald Trump ambled through bursts of pyrotechnics Tuesday as eight teenage athletes in matching red, white and blue uniforms followed him into the finale of the inaugural Patriot Games in Northeast Ohio, Molly Walsh reports. The president had come to SPIRE Academy near Geneva to watch the final rounds of a three-day national athletic competition he proposed as part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Crime crackdown: Ohio authorities have filed criminal charges against 46 people following a statewide crackdown on organized retail crime, Attorney General Andy Wilson announced Tuesday, Cleveland.com reports. The coordinated operation conducted last week targeted organized theft rings that steal merchandise from stores and resell it through illicit networks and online marketplaces. Organized retail theft costs Ohio businesses $2 billion to $3 billion annually, according to Wilson’s office.

Lobbying Lineup

Five organizations that were registered to lobby on Senate Bill 16 through April, which would prohibit failing to change lanes or proceed with caution around a stationary vehicle in distress.

Ohio Trucking Association

Cuyahoga County Mayors and City Managers Association

Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission

Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association

Department of Public Safety

Birthdays

Ex-state Rep. Anne Gonzales

Chloe Green, former senior legislative aide to state Sen. Michele Reynolds

Jake Neff, Ohio Senate Republicans’ deputy finance director

Kim Zianno, Ohio House chief administrative officer and director of human resources

Straight from the Source

“We all do stupid things. We all make mistakes. This is not the time to do it.”

-Gov. Mike DeWine speaking at the Ohio Emergency Operations Center in Columbus regarding a wave of deadly storms that are passing through the state. The governor said he has deployed the Ohio National Guard’s High Water Rescue Unit to parts of Central Ohio, including Roseville and the village of Crooksville.

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