Snollygoster | Ohio's Politics Podcast - Mike Thompson

Latest Episodes:

Ohio's 2023 political highlights: Abortion rights, legal marijuana and the Householder scandal Dec 28, 2023

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We take a deep dive into the politics of Ohio, reflecting on the eventful year of 2023 and looking ahead to the upcoming 2024.

Examining the impact of term limits on Ohio politics Dec 21, 2023

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Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens floated the idea of eliminating term limits for the state's lawmakers last week. We take a closer look at term limits with Democratic strategist and lobbyist Derrick Clay.

The Power Grab: The Aftermath Dec 11, 2023

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On the finale of The Power Grab we take a look at the cost of corruption cost and if it has led to any meaningful changes in the state.

Lawmakers won't leave cannabis alone Dec 07, 2023

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Recreational cannabis is legal in the state of Ohio, but legislators are determined to make changes to the law that was overwhelmingly approved by voters. Republican State Rep. Jaime Callender joins the show.

The Power Grab: Market Manipulation Dec 04, 2023

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FirstEnergy figured they could get their customers to subsidize their poorly performing nuclear power plants. To do so, they paid a $4 million bribe to Sam Randazzo just before Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him as the chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

Marijuana legalization and abortion rights take effect next week Nov 30, 2023

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Thursday, Dec. 7, is the date when Ohio's new abortion rights amendment takes effect and when recreational marijuana becomes legal in Ohio. We'll discuss what conservative lawmakers have planned for with Ohio Public Radio’s Karen Kasler.

The Power Grab: Dark Money Nov 27, 2023

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Dark money for political campaigns helped make the Ohio nuclear bailout bribery scandal possible. But that $60 million FirstEnergy doled out to elect Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and his allies, to pass HB 6 and stop it from being rolled back, wasn’t the only cash that traded hands.

The Power Grab: It’s A Setup Nov 20, 2023

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Lobbyist Neil Clark was paranoid that he was on the FBI’s radar and he was right for the nuclear bailout bribery scheme.The Columbus lobbyist from humble beginnings had made it far in Ohio politics. He was a fierce competitor and prided himself on going scorched earth for a cause. He left nothing on the table and hated to lose. He didn’t care if he believed in the cause or not.

Lawmakers continue to focus on abortion rights after passage of Issue 1 Nov 16, 2023

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Ohio Democrats and Republican lawmakers are weighing their next steps after Issue 1 passes. Dan Kobil, a law professor of Capital University in Columbus discusses proposed strategies.

The Power Grab: An Unholy Alliance Nov 13, 2023

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In this episode, we’ll explore how Larry Householder rounded up votes to become Ohio House Speaker. And, how he strong-armed opponents of the bill he promised to FirstEnergy, known as HB 6. We’ll see how FirstEnergy’s team reacted to a campaign to fight the bill and how the conspirators scrambled to keep it all together as federal investigators honed in.