Five things to know for Tuesday, Oct. 21

Bill would eliminate prevailing wage

Proposed legislation would give local jurisdictions the power to decide whether to use prevailing wage mandates for public projects in their communities.

Under current Ohio law, public projects must pay the state-set prevailing wage rates. However, House Bill 513, introduced by state Reps. Beth Lear, R-Galena, and Meredith Craig, R-Smithville, removes the mandate, though the measure doesn’t eliminate prevailing wage.

Dems: Ohioans deserve ‘fair’ congressional map

As the bipartisan Ohio Redistricting Commission is set to convene its work, Ohio Democrats are crying foul — again. The commission has until the end of the month to sign off on a map; otherwise, the responsibility returns to the state legislation to pass one by the end of November.

“We are halfway through the month of October, and while the Ohio Redistricting Commission has finally been called, we have just over two weeks to fulfill our constitutional obligation to deliver a fair, bipartisan congressional map,” Ohio House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn, D-Cincinnati, said in a statement.

Bibb: Administration ‘fought like hell’ for Browns’ deal

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said that his administration “fought like hell” to secure the $100 million deal with the Cleveland Browns, which paves the way for the team to build a new stadium in Brook Park, a Cleveland television station reported. “Of course I want more,” he added, per the report.

Under the city’s deal, the Haslam Sports Group, the team’s owners, would give Cleveland $50 million for the Downtown lakefront, put $20 million toward to-be-determined “community benefits projects” and cover the $30 million cost of the current stadium’s demolition, News 5 Cleveland reported. The team could also extend its lease by up to two years if it needs additional time to finish the new stadium, according to the report.

DeWine signs Keith’s Law

Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 144, or Keith’s Law, legislation aimed at helping first responders who encounter people with special needs during emergencies. It creates a voluntary statewide database where people with special needs can provide relevant and vital information to first responders in advance of a crisis.

“Equipping first responders with this critical information can help deescalate potentially confrontational situations and save lives,” state Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, said in a statement. “This statewide database will be accessible to all Ohioans and will help first responders respond quickly—no longer restricted by local boundaries or patchwork systems.”

Governor signs overdose reversal drugs bill

DeWine signed House Bill 57 into law, which mandates that schools that maintain overdose reversal drugs implement a policy regarding the supply’s maintenance and the use of the drug. It also allows school districts’ released time religious instruction policies to set higher maximum time limits on student attendance in these courses than otherwise specified in law.