CLEVELAND — More text message from 2018 between then-gubernatorial candidates Mike DeWine and Jon Husted and now-indicted First Energy executive have come to light.
On the June 26, 2024 episode of Ohio Has Issues with Stephanie Haney and Mike Polk Jr., we dive into messages which suggest a level of knowledge regarding FirstEnergy’s support for the DeWine-Husted ticket, that had previously been denied by the sitting governor. Cleveland.com reporter Jake Zuckerman goes into detail breaking down his reporting on the story that just won’t go away. Plus, Case Western Reserve University School of Law Professor Michael Benza discusses relationships between DeWine’s closest political circle and FirstEnergy, along with the role dark money plays in Ohio politics.
We also look at the 2nd anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that returned the issue of abortion rights to the states. We hear from a doctor who performs abortions, and look into the Ohio US Senate race, sharing current Sen. Sherrod Brown’s and candidate Bernie Moreno’s take on abortion rights.
And as Pride month comes to a close, we get the landscape on LGBTQ+ political issues from The Buckeye Flame editor Dr. Ken Schneck, who gives us a primer on House Bill 8.
Watch Ohio Has Issues here:
"Ohio Has Issues" is recorded in Cleveland, out of WKYC Studios. New episodes typically stream live every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on the WKYC YouTube page and the WKYC+ streaming app. "Ohio Has Issues" is also available wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes dropping after the livestreamed recording sessions end.
Stephanie is the digital anchor and legal analyst at WKYC. She produces and hosts VERIFY fact check segments and is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California.
Mike is an anchor, commentator and editorialist at WKYC. Mike hosts "Front Row Friday" which airs every Friday at 7 PM on 3News and on WKYC+.