And maybe a settlement? Prosecutors told a Summit County judge they could enter a plea deal as early as this week with companies owned by a former top state regulator accused of taking $4.3 million in bribes in 2019. As Zuckerman reports, a prosecutor told Judge Susan Ross that all parties had reached an agreement ‘in principle’.

Want to be behind the blue? Legislation to require Ohio cities and towns to contribute more to police officer pensions advanced to the Ohio House floor Tuesday. As Jeremy Pelzer reports, backers of House Bill 296 say the legislation — which would require public employers to pay a total of an estimated $70 million more per year to the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund — is needed to shore up the agency’s finances fund in the long term and attract more applicants to law enforcement. Opponents, including the city of Cleveland, call it an unfunded mandate that will force local officials to either cut spending or raise taxes.

We buy land: A bill pending before an Ohio House committee aims to prevent foreign adversaries from owning Ohio property within 25 miles of a military base or near critical infrastructure. Robert Higgs writes that Sen. Terry Johnson, a Republican from McDermott, testified to the House Economic and Workforce Development Committee that the change was necessary to protect national security. The bill has already been adopted by the Senate and is being discussed in the House of Representatives. It would prevent entities identified by the U.S. Department of State and companies headquartered in those countries from purchasing real estate in Ohio.

I know you are, but what am I? JD Vance called Grace Chong, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Steve Bannon’s company, a “mouth-breathing imbecile” for tagging the vice president-elect in a social media post about appearing in the Senate to review the judicial nominations of President Biden. Chong deleted her post and Vance appeared in the Senate to vote against a nominee for a federal court in Oregon, Politico’s Mia McCarthy reports.

Fall into: U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican who won with the support of Donald Trump, said Tuesday he supports some of the president-elect’s most controversial nominations for key government posts. Moreno said in a prepared statement that he would vote to confirm former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, the subject of a House ethics investigation, as attorney general; former U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence; Fox News commentator Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense; and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Confidential: U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan says the House Ethics Committee report investigating allegations made by U.S. Rep. and U.S. Attorney General Matt Gaetz should not be made public. Gaetz is under investigation for illegal drugs, sexual misconduct and other allegations. The committee will vote on Friday on whether it will be released, reports Filip Timotija van Hill.

Lobbying setup

Five organizations are lobbying for House Bill 22, which would require the Ohio Department of Health to collect data related to stroke care at hospitals recognized by the state as comprehensive stroke centers, thrombectomy-capable stroke centers or primary stroke centers. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives in March and is now in a Senate committee.

1. Grace health

2. Ohio State Medical Association

3. Summa Health System

4. UC Health

5. American Heart Association

In motion

Mariah Field has joined the CJR Group, a Columbus-based lobbying firm, to help manage state government affairs. Field previously worked as an associate in Ice Miller LLP’s public affairs group and as a legislative lobbyist in Governor Mike DeWine’s office.

Katelyn Bowling, a seasoned government affairs professional, has been named the new senior director of government relations at the Ohio Association of Community Colleges. She will lead OACC’s government relations efforts and advocate for policies that support Ohio’s 22 community colleges and meet the state’s development needs.

Birthdays

Hayley Carducci, press secretary for Lt. Gov. Jon Husted

State Senator Jerry Cirino

State Rep. Roy Klopfenstein

Ben Weber, Legislative Liaison for Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities and Legal Extern to Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Dan Hawkins

Straight from the source

“What’s fascinating to me is that people don’t realize that they can go online and actually look up how much money a man running for president from a Senate seat has donated to a candidate. In other words: buying a vote. People just assume that things happen behind closed doors.”

-State Rep. Sara Carruthers, a Cincinnati-area Republican who was defeated in her Republican Party primary by Diane Mullins. Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman gave Mullins $5,000 in October. On Wednesday, he will ask Ohio House Republicans to elect him speaker of that chamber.

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