Five things to know for Tuesday, Jan. 27

Proposed legislation would expand computer science

Proposed legislation, House Bill 594, introduced by State Representatives Mike Odioso, R-Green Township, and Thomas Hall, R-Madison Township, would expand computer science education in every public high school and ensure all Ohio students graduate prepared for an AI-driven economy. The lawmakers said the measure responds to workforce needs that industry leaders throughout the Buckeye State identified.

“The need for providing Ohio students with a background in computer science has never been greater. New computer science A.I. applications are utilized in Ohio professions, occupations, and research,” Odioso said in a release. “This is what drives the logic and urgency of this proposed legislation.”

U.S. Supreme Court denies Miami Township’s request for settlement reconsideration. The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request from Montgomery County’s Miami Township to order a lower court to review its decision awarding millions to a wrongfully convicted Ohioan who spent more than two decades in prison, The Dayton Daily News reported. Dean Gillispie won $45 million from Miami Township, but the township, which has an annual budget of $20 million, says the award could force it into bankruptcy.

Dublin removes data centers from proposed district plans. Dublin has removed data centers from the proposed land uses in plans for an “innovation district” in the western part of the city, The Columbus Dispatch reported. After blowback from residents of an affluent subdivision bordering a portion of the district, the city’s latest proposal would not include data centers, according to the report, which cited proposed language shared with the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

Liberty Township blasts Columbus Zoo for not paying taxes. The Liberty Township Fire Department was called to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium nearly 100 times in 2025, costing Liberty Township and Powell taxpayers more than $360,000, according to a Liberty Township Facebook post. The municipality said the zoo pays nothing in taxes to Liberty Township or Powell and also refused to pay a “Protect and Serve” fee.

Powell takes a Big Brother approach to understanding the city’s economy. Powell officials plan to use artificial intelligence software to track cellphone data to determine which businesses people are visiting, in what they said is an effort to understand the city’s economy, WCMH-TV reported. Last week, Powell’s city council unanimously approved a two-year contract with California-based Placer Labs. The contract’s first year will cost $15,000, while the second will cost $16,000; the city can opt out for the second year with 10 days’ notice, according to the report.