Jo Ingles (Ohio Public Radio)

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled the state cannot continue to a certain kind of tax money for non highway projects.

The state is spending about 140 million dollars each year that it gets from the commercial activities tax on fuel purchases for things that don’t involve highway maintenance and construction.  A couple of county engineers and some businesses thought that was a violation of the state constitution because, under it, tax money collected on fuel is to go for highway purposes. 

Earlier this week, backers of what's known as the heartbeat abortion bill threatened to use a unusual tactic known as a discharge petition to bring the bill for a vote by the state senate - despite the wishes of it's president. Now the senate president is taking an unusual step of his own to make sure the bill does not come up for a vote by his members during the lame duck session.

Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus has used an unusual procedure to keep the heartbeat abortion bill tied up in a senate committee for the next 30 days so it can’t come onto the floor for a vote.

Governor Kasich has told the federal government Ohio will not set up its own health insurance exchange and will instead leave that to the feds. That decision is being praised by Maurice Thompson with the conservative 1851 Center.

"We’re very happy with the administration’s decision not to enter a state based exchange because we were either going to have to file a lawsuit against the state if it entered one or against the federal government if they didn’t," says Thompson.

The Ohio House and Senate has awarded the Ohio Military Medal of Distinction to the families of 28 Ohio soldiers who lost their lives while serving our country during the past year. Republican House Speaker Bill Batchelder, at a Statehouse ceremony, said each has made a sacrifice to this state that will never be forgotten.

An Ohio house committee has recommended a bill that would re-prioritize funding for family planning services so that Planned Parenthood would be last on the list.