State Rep. Jay Edwards and U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson’s wife, LeeAnn Johnson, addressed local members of the Athens County Republican Party and many members of the Ohio University College Republicans at the party’s annual fall dinner held Thursday evening in at the local headquarters of The American Legion, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that supports veterans. Edwards mingled with party members …

Candidates for Athens mayor and city council discussed and debated issues ranging from income inequality, to police brutality, to unlit pathways on the west side. Here’s the highlights of the three hour debate. Both mayoral candidates — incumbent Democratic Mayor Steve Patterson and Independent, self-described socialist and community organizer Damon Krane — participated in the debate. Afterward, City Council candidates …

Ohio University students may have recently received text messages from Athens mayoral Independent candidate Damon Krane or City Council Independent candidate Ellie Hamrick — even if they did not previously express interest in either candidates’ campaigns. The candidates, who are both running on socialist platforms, spent the past several weeks focused on promoting their platforms and encouraging voter registration through …

Opinion writer Maddie Kramer, a junior studying political science, says that Beth Clodfelter has the experience needed to be an ideal member of Athens City Council. While many are focused on national politics with the impending 2020 primaries and the presidential election, local Athens politicians are gearing up for an election this November. One of these important local elections is …

Ohio University College Democrats held an event over the weekend where 40 students from six universities across the state came to mingle with other college democrats. The day consisted of speakers mostly from Athens who spoke to attendees about the relationship between College Democrats and their work. Among the speakers were Athens Mayor Steve Patterson and Chris Scott, a member …

Athens Happens is a weekly news podcast brought to you by TNP reporters who are dedicated to explaining the nuances of Athens and state politics. You can find new episodes every Friday right here on thenewpolitical.com. The show is also available on Spotify and SoundCloud, as well as on YouTube in a video format. This week we discussed a forum that featured Athens’ incumbent Mayor …

Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) took to social media in recent weeks to criticize JobsOhio, the state’s non-profit economic development agency, for not providing enough economic aid to Southeast Ohio, particularly Athens and Meigs counties. The criticism came through a series of tweets that claimed JobsOhio,  a private, non-profit corporation with ties to the state government, and the Appalachian Partnership for …

The race for Athens City Council continues as six candidates participated in the first forum Thursday at the Athens Community Center where they discussed topics such as housing reform and city policing. The event, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Athens County, featured Independent Chris Monday, incumbent Democrat Peter Kotses, Socialist Ellie Hamrick, Democrat Beth Clodfelter, incumbent Independent …

President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee trained Ohio University students Wednesday evening to organize and register voters prior to the 2020 presidential election. The event — coordinated by the Ohio College Republican Federation and the Ohio University College Republicans — attracted nearly 50 students to Copeland Hall. Students learned about how they can help Trump win …

Graduate Student Senate voted Tuesday evening to reaffirm its position as an autonomous and independent legislative body from Student Senate. The resolution arrived after a similar bill passed last year, which stated that Graduate Senate (GSS) no longer recognizes Student Senate as representatives for graduate students and declared GSS as the “sole voice of graduate students within the shared governance …

The Athens County Democratic Party held a campaign kick off celebration at Armory Park on Monday afternoon in support of Democratic Mayor Steve Patterson and a number of other candidates. The event, which was open to the public, gave candidates the ability to share their platforms with voters. Patterson was joined by incumbent Athens City Council President Chris Knisely, incumbent …

Athens Happens is a weekly news podcast brought to you by TNP reporters who are dedicated to explaining the nuances of Athens’ and state politics.  You can find new episodes every Friday right here on thenewpolitical.com. The show is also available on Spotify and SoundCloud, as well as on YouTube in a video format. Stories included in this episode: Uptown business, student …

Welcome to Athens Happens, a weekly news podcast brought to you by the The New Political featuring our reporters who explain the nuances of the weeks coverage. Included in this episode: Host: Ben Peters, News Editor, @BenPeters2 Cole Behrens, Managing Editor, @Colebehr_report – When the Hocking River Turned William Meyer, News Editor, @Azensoup – Battle of the Ohio University Senates Charlotte …

Socialist candidates running for local government positions claim City Council is negligent in punishing delinquent landlords. An Athens socialist candidate running for office took to the podium at City Council on Tuesday, charging that members of the body hijacked his progressive housing reform proposal for political gain. City Council heard a proposed ordinance during the meeting that would amend the …

A 68-year-old Central Ohio resident shares horror stories of physical torment he endured at the hands of the U.S. Government during the Vietnam War The U.S. military revealed last fall that human research experiments were performed on 70,000 troops from 1922 to 1975 after the living victims sought health care for related ailments in a successful lawsuit. As active members …

Arian Smedley returned to her hometown and intends to represent the city’s west side in council  Athens native, Ohio University graduate student and public servant Arian Smedley will soon be taking on a new role when she starts her tenure as the First Ward Representative for the Athens City Council. Smedley, the assistant superintendent of the Athens County Board of …

Editor’s Note: This is an abridgment and republishing of a longer Athens NEWS article that initially appeared in the 6/27 print edition and appears online HERE. The New Political has express permission from The Athens News to republish this article. Left-leaning candidates running for local offices engaged in a discussion forum at the Athens public library Thursday, June 20 where they …

When former Ohio Governor John Kasich took office in 2011, he went on to become the most pro-life governor in state history. Nearly one decade later, Ohio — and the entire country — faces a crossroads on what the future of abortion will look like. An enormous, heart-shaped balloon sat outside the Ohio statehouse in the summer of 2012, urging passersby …

City Council committee members discussed the Baileys bike trail, an ODOT grant, and various appropriations at its meeting Monday. Athens City Council committee members discussed the planned Baileys bike trail and its proposed council of governments at its meeting Monday night. The Baileys Mountain Bike Trail System would be around 88 miles long and cost around $10 million to build. …

Student Senate tickets have their budgets regulated every step of the way, from flyers to tabling snacks. This is how Forward Ohio collected and used their budget this year. As the race for Student Senate draws to a close, so does the financial record for this year’s race. But records of campaign donations and expenditures show more than a bottom …

Here’s how the Judicial Panel will run the Student Senate elections next week. Student Senate will hold its annual election for the student body to select who will represent them next year on April 2. This will be a single ticket election, with every candidate except one being part of the Forward ticket. One independent candidate is contesting the election …

Suspected Car Attacker James Alex Fields Jr. plead guilty to 29 counts of hate crimes. James Alex Fields Jr., suspected of killing one and injuring many, plead guilty to 29 federal hate crimes, including the death of Heather Heyer, and the injuring of dozens of others. Fields allegedly drove his car through a crowd of counter-protestors in Charlottesville on Aug. …

Planned Parenthood will lose their state funding and some federal funding before the end of April, after an appeals court ruled an Ohio law could be enforced. Planned Parenthood will no longer receive state funding after an appeals court upheld an Ohio law that restricts state and federal funding for abortion providers. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of …

Despite an uncontested ticket for president, vice president and treasurer, Forward Ohio U hopes to raise campus awareness of Student Senate. When Student Senate voting opens this year, students will only have one option for who they want to lead the highest offices: Forward Ohio U, the ticket led by Lydia Ramlo, Alicia Lundy-Morse, and Jayden McAdams. All of Forward’s …

Student Senate discussed their relationship with Graduate Student Senate and passed multiple resolutions at their meeting Wednesday. Student Senate failed to enact a resolution that, if passed, would have officially separated Student Senate from Graduate Student Senate. Resolution 1819-103, subtitled “a resolution to change the constituency of Student Senate,” would change Student Senate’s constituency to represent only undergraduate students. Currently, …

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine released the proposed executive budget for the fiscal year of 2020-2021. The proposed budget is described as structurally balanced and void of any tax increases according to a news release from the governor’s office. Some of the priorities the governor mentioned in his State of the State address are highlighted in the budget. Increase in education …

Five governing bodies represent Ohio University. Here’s what they do and how they do it. Ohio University has five governing bodies, each representing a different portion of the student body: Student Senate, Graduate Student Senate, Faculty Senate, Administrative Senate, and Classified Senate. Each Senate acts on its own accord with its own constitution and constituents, but how do they interact …

Mike DeWine talked infrastructure, education, childcare and water quality at the annual State of the State Address. Changes in higher education Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said that “we are going to embark on the most aggressive worker development and worker retraining in the history of the state of Ohio.” His plan involves bolstering support for tech schools and community colleges, …

Arian Smedley served on the Athens city council in 2017 by appointment, but she lost her campaign to keep her seat later that year. Now, she is running for a different position within the council. Arian Smedley hopes to get back on the Athens City Council by running in the only contested city council race of the May primary election. …

While Ohio continues to work towards statewide awareness of human trafficking, reporting rates remain high. Thursday marks the 10th annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day at the Ohio statehouse. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Ohio has had the fourth-highest rate of human trafficking since 2016, when the trafficking rates in Ohio increased sharply and passed New York. However, while …

Opinion writer Maddie Kramer argues that while Bernie Sanders has some great ideas, his divisiveness endangers Democrat’s hopes of winning the presidency, and he should step aside in favor of a young, fresh challenger. Sen. Bernie Sanders made waves in 2016, shaking up the Democrat party with ideas of socialism and a very progressive platform. The independent from Vermont announced …

The president of the Culinary Services Union held a presentation with Student Senate to highlight student workers’ concerns as employees of Culinary Services. The president of the Culinary Services Union met with Student Senate on Wednesday to discuss student workers’ concerns that they are being exploited by Culinary Services. Dillon Barnhouse, president of the Culinary Services Union, said it is …

The Counter is a weekly column featuring multiple writers who are presented with a set of questions to respond with their personal opinion. All writers are Ohio University students whose views do not necessarily reflect those of The New Political. This week, theopinion team is looking at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal to combat climate change, dubbed the “Green New Deal.” …

John Carey just started his new position as director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, and he is already diving into new projects. John Carey, the former mayor of Wellston and chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, was appointed on Feb. 1 as the new director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia (GOA). In the last five days, he …

Opinion writer Charlotte Caldwell argues the 2019 State of the Union Address, delivered by President Donald Trump, did more harm than good for the President and his party. President Trump’s State of the Union speech this past week had a goal of achieving bipartisan support and unity ahead of the next government shutdown, but many thought the third-longest State of the …

Ohio University graduate and 23-year-old Sam Miller has announced her plans to replace Kent Butler’s seat for the Athens City Council. Recent Ohio University graduate Sam Miller is running to represent the First Ward, which is comprised of the western side of the city, on the Athens City Council. Miller’s campaign logo features a modified version Rosie the Riveter, with Miller’s …

The LGBT Center had to temporarily move locations Wednesday after an outbreak of bedbugs. The office space of the LGBT Center in the Baker University Center is currently closed due to bedbugs. Ohio University Environmental Health and Safety received reports of bedbugs in the center on Wednesday. EHS later confirmed the bedbugs’ presence. University Spokesperson Daniel Pittman said the bedbugs …

Welcome to The New Political’s new opinion series, The Counter. Here, two opinion writers are presented with a set of question prompts and asked to give their personal take. All writers are Ohio University students whose views do not reflect those of The New Political and are independent from its editorial team. Freshman Charlotte Caldwell, a journalism major, and sophomore …

The Board of Trustees approved a Student Senate constitutional amendment, giving them more authority. Here’s how Graduate Student Senate responded. Graduate Student Senate (GSS) enacted a resolution Tuesday to reassert their independence from Student Senate. The Board of Trustees approved a Student Senate resolution allowing the senate to change its constitution without approval from the Ohio University Board of Trustees …

The two student trustees spoke before Student Senate. But what do the student trustees do? Student trustees, whose job is to attend board of trustees meetings and speak on behalf of students, spoke before Student Senate on Wednesday to ask for suggestions for their upcoming meeting with the Ohio University Board of Trustees. Student Trustees Faith Voinovich and Austin McClain …

Following his inauguration, newly elected Ohio Governor Mike DeWine addressed the state with a speech from the Ohio Capitol Building which promised hope and unity for the state. Mike DeWine took office on Monday as the 70th governor of Ohio, after beating his Democratic opponent, Richard Cordray, in the 2018 election. DeWine’s inauguration speech at the Ohio Statehouse stressed the …

Opinion writer Stephen Sponhour analyzed the mid-term results and came to the conclusion: Trump’s endorsement may not be the key to victory he thinks it is.  He certainly seems to want them to think so, but midterm results tell a different story. With election results varying across the country, at least one thing is certain — it takes more than …

This midterm season was a roller-coaster for all involved. From the dramatic primaries, to the mail bombs, all the way through the surprises and twists of election night and the tense recounts, 2018’s election season is certainly no less exciting than 2016 was. While everyone’s eyes are to the 2020 presidential race, where a massive field of Democrat hopefuls are …

Results of the 2018 General Election follow as of Tuesday, Nov. 6 after 11:30 p.m.: State Results Republican Mike DeWine defeated Democrat Richard Cordray in the governor’s race, with 50.7 percent voting for DeWine and 46.4 percent for Cordray. Libertarian Travis Irvine earned 1.8 percent of the vote and Green Party candidate Constance Gadell-Newton earned 1.1 percent.  Incumbent Democratic Sen. …

Issue 1 is a contentious Ohio ballot initiative that has big-name proponents and opponents, from elected officials to college political groups  Ohio voters will have the opportunity in the November midterm election to vote on Issue 1, an initiative that has caused controversy at both the local and state levels. The ballot initiative, also known as the Neighborhood Safety, Drug …

In the midst of a contentious midterm election with many tossups, Sen. Sherrod Brown has dominated every poll. Why is this? Sen. Sherrod Brown is leading the race against opponent Rep. Jim Renacci, despite Ohio hosting one of the most contested gubernatorial races in the country. FiveThirtyEight, a website that creates models based on poll aggregation data, gives Brown a …

Opinion writer Maddie Kramer argues Taylor Sappington is the state representative candidate women can trust.  Incumbent State Representative Jay Edwards, a Republican, debated Democrat Taylor Sappington, current Nelsonville City Council member, at Ohio University on Oct. 29. The candidates for Ohio House District 94 debated several hot button topics, including women’s rights regarding abortion and sexual assault on college campuses. …

Everything you should and shouldn’t do when casting your ballot today. Following several months of conversation and debate about the potential outcomes and impacts of the midterm elections, Election Day is here, and more than one hundred million eligible voters are expected to be casting their ballots. While it’s important to go into the voting both educated on the candidates …

Less than a week remains until the 2018 midterm elections, and the question of whether first time voters and young people will head to the polls is uncertain. If history has any say in the matter, they won’t. She felt “powerless” two years ago as she watched now President Donald Trump ascend from businessman and television host to the nation’s …

The Massachusetts senator spoke to students and community members Thursday, encouraging people to vote. She was joined by Richard Cordray, Betty Sutton, and Rick Neal. Five more days,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in the Walter Rotunda on Thursday as a part of her campaign in support of Democratic politicians throughout the country. Warren endorsed gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray, who …