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Ohio Republicans back off effort to kill a beefy tax credit for data centers
Lawmakers around 10 p.m. Wednesday nixed a vote on a data center package, aborting efforts to eliminate or lower a tax break that saved Big Tech $2 billion last year.
Articles by Jake Zuckerman
Local
Ohio has committed at least $2.3 billion in sales tax breaks for data centers
Google, Meta and Amazon each get sales tax exemptions worth $600 million apiece over 40 years, according to new data obtained by Signal Statewide. The long-term total could be “significantly higher,” officials say.
Local
Ohio sheriff to deploy helicopters for illegal marijuana grows with fresh $70,000 grant
The Ohio Controlling Board released money for the Ohio Attorney General’s office to contract with the Butler County Sheriff Office’s aviation unit to look for illegal marijuana grows.
Local
Ohio Republican senator called cops seeking charges against blogger
Sen. Jerry Cirino, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, asked police to charge blogger D.J. Byrnes, known as The Rooster, over text messages and a Shrek image.
Local
As political pressure mounts, Ohio’s data centers buy $10,000 in ads and lobby up
Google, Meta, and Amazon have deployed 51 lobbyists and spent $10,000 on ads as Gov. DeWine pauses tax breaks after discovering the exemption cost the state $1.6 billion in 2025.
Local
Progressive blogger arrested outside statehouse, charged with harassment
Byrnes was arrested on a warrant from Kirtland police, allegedly over text messages to state Sen. Jerry Cirino, a frequent target of his online criticism.
Local
6,000-acre solar project permit nixed by Ohio Supreme Court, for now at least
The state's Republican-led high court sided with Madison County officials who opposed the Shell subsidiary's project, citing missing visual renderings of substations.
Local
Ohio data center tax break cost $1.4 billion more than expected in 2025
New data from the Ohio Department of Taxation indicate a sales tax break for the technology companies behind Ohio’s data center boom is far more lucrative that previous forecasts have estimated.
Local
A $620 property tax debt cost him his house. Ohio’s Supreme Court will decide if the county owes him.
Plaintiffs say their homes were worth more than their tax debts. But Cuyahoga County isn’t passing on the surplus.
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Ohio counties can’t divest from Israel on political grounds, AG says
Treasurers can only consider risk and returns when investing county money, not any “non-economic factors,” Yost said in an advisory opinion to county officials.
Local
MAGA-friendly Richland county voters preserve ban on wind and solar
In a Republican-dominated district, voters narrowly upheld a ban on utility scale renewables in most of the county in a 53% to 47% vote. A referendum backer called the result disappointing, yet ‘telling.’
No payout for fracking waste company that caused earthquakes, Ohio court says
Regulators’ suspension of two fracking waste wells that caused two earthquakes was not a government “taking,” justices rule, nixing a requested $20.5 million payout.
