Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the Great Lakes Region, and is the 7th most populous state with over 11.6 million residents.  The largest city is the capital city of Columbus. The state is partitioned from the Northwest Territory, and was admitted as the 17th state into the Union on March 1, 1803. It was the first US state admitted under the Northwest Ordinance. The state is referred to by its nickname of the “Buckeye State,” named after Ohio Buckeye-trees, and the state takes it’s name from the Ohio river.

The government of Ohio is composed of the executive branch, led by the Governor; the legislative branch, which comprises the Ohio General Assembly; and the judicial branch, which is led by the state Supreme Court. The state’s government is structured by the Constitution and the law of the state. 

The Executive Branch consists of the Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor and State Treasurer are elected every four years, with the Governor and Lt. Governor sharing a ticket.  There are 21 state agencies that comprise the state government.

The Legislative Branch is a bicameral legislature, the Ohio General Assembly, made up of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The House consists of single-member districts of equal population, totaling 99 members who serve two year terms.  For the Senate, three house districts are combined to create 33 Senate seats, and Senators serve four-year, staggered terms.  The General Assembly draws the US Congressional districts, creating 16 seats in the US House of Representatives to form the Ohio delegation.  The Governor must approve the district map.

The Judicial Branch is headed by the Ohio Supreme Court, which has one chief justice and six associate justices, each elected to staggered six-year terms.  The Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court has the responsibility for filling in temporary vacancies in any elected judgeships, as well as appointing justices to the Court of Claims. 

Other levels of the court system in Ohio include the State Court of Claims covers civil actions against the state, and cases where Ohio has waived its sovereign immunity. The 12 district appeals courts are intermediate appellate courts.  There are 88 county common pleas courts, the principal courts that take the first look at civil and criminal matters, and in areas with high populations, these courts are broken into various divisions.  Then the state has Municipal and County Courts that handle misdemeanors, and other small matters like traffic court and small claims. 

In 2010, Ohio’s GDP was $478 billion, which made it the 7th largest economy at the time. Manufacturing and financial services are the largest economic-sectors in the state. The state also has the largest bioscience center in the Midwest, and is a leader in the US- “green” economy. The state is the largest producer of plastics, rubber, appliances, electrical equipment, and fabricated metals in the US. Utilities, trade, and transport, is the state’s largest sector (employment). Healthcare and education also ranks highly in the employment of Ohioans. Wendy’s, Abercrombie & Fitch, Fifth Third Bank, Goodyear, and Procter & Gamble, are a few of the leading industries which hail from the state of Ohio.

The state has many major metropolitan cities, local landmarks, and major universities. Cleveland is home to NBA and NFL teams (Cavaliers and Browns), and is also home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cincinnati is home to the University of Cincinnati and NFL team Cincinnati Bengals. Xavier University is also located in the city, and it is home to major corporations including Procter & Gamble, Kroger Supermarket Chains, and Fifth Third Bank. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, OH. The state is also known for popular universities, and has 5 of the top 115 universities in the US, including the University of Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State, and Toledo University. Ohio is also known as the roller coaster capital of the world because of the Cedar Point Theme Park.

News coverage ranging from labor and employment law, intellectual property rights and litigation, budget planning, federal agency news, telemedicine and the opioid epidemic in the US, and the education-system, are covered by the National Law Review. Visitors can find details on minimum wage increases, workers compensation laws, LGBTQ rights, and other state legislation. The National Law Review covers state news, regional news, and news from the state of Ohio which impacts residents and the entire country.