The Ohio Senate is expected to take up a vote in the coming days on a resolution that could produce one of the strongest voter ID laws in the country. “If this is passed by the voters, this will be the most stringent voter ID law in the country,” state Sen. Jane Timken, the sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 10, told the Daily Signal. The resolution is currently in the Senate General Government Committee and is expecting a vote this week. Although Ohio currently has voter ID, a state amendment would further solidify the law. Timken referenced Virginia as an example where voter ID was required until a later legislature “completely gutted that law and overturned it.” Another reason for the proposed amendment, Timken argued, is to help voter participation. “The more voters trust the election, the more they participate,” she said. Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for governor, has called for a ballot initiative that would enshrine voter ID in the state constitution. State lawmakers acted quickly to introduce such an effort. Polling from Heritage Action shows that Ohioans overwhelmingly support voter ID. On requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, 71% of Ohio voters approve. Further, 69% say those who are not citizens of the United States should not vote in U.S. elections. As the voter ID measure makes its way through the Legislature, there are concerns that voter ID for absentee mail-in ballots needs to be addressed as well. However, Timken expressed reservations about how it could be executed effectively. “I understand the concern and the push to actually have a photo ID for absentee voting. My pushback on that is, in the day of AI, how do we actually ensure that if someone’s mailing in a photocopy of an alleged ID that it’s actually legitimate?” Timken said. “In this constitutional amendment, we have alternative means of actual verification, which is the driver’s license number or the last four of the Social Security number, which are, again, verified by the boards of elections. So, they can look that up,” she added. HB 577, the Secure Vote Act, would require photo ID for absentee ballots cast by mail. The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, told the Daily Signal he does not support the constitutional amendment “as it’s written currently” because “it would codify the mail-in ballot loophole.” “I believe that the amendment should be written in such a way that whatever laws the General Assembly prescribes, we have a consistent photo ID requirement,” Ferguson said. Ferguson added that “voters strongly support photo ID for every voter.” “That’s very simply what the constitutional amendment should achieve … that photo ID is required to vote in the state of Ohio.” Marcell Strbich, who ran in the Republican primary for secretary of state but lost to Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, has been vocal about his views on the need for voter ID. He framed the current initiative as one that would involve only “partial photo ID enshrined in the Ohio constitution,” and he issued a call for lawmakers to “amend their voter ID resolution and pass a 100% photo ID law.” Critical Voter Update The Ohio Senate will propose a voter ID constitutional amendment update. Due to our vocal campaign, it improved but STILL contains language which excludes mail and absentee voters from presenting photo ID to vote. Take action in the comments section. pic.twitter.com/O5fSECdKx1— Marcell Strbich (@marcellstrbich) June 1, 2026 Strbich spoke with The Windsor Report’s Jack Windsor on Monday and expressed his concerns about not including voter ID provisions for mail-in ballots. “This is about making sure that what goes into the constitution of Ohio is equal and fair treatment of voters going forward,” he said. Ohio Republicans want HJR9 and SJR10 on the November ballot to put photo voter ID in the constitution. Marcell Strbich says it only locks it in for in-person voting and leaves mail ballots under different rules.He laid it out in these two segments: Pt 1: https://t.co/dz1AOFxa7G…— jackwindsor (@jackwindsor) June 2, 2026

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday asking some artificial intelligence companies to give the federal government 30 days to review their frontier models before release. Trump had been scheduled to sign a broader version of the order on May 21, but he delayed the signing, saying he did not like “certain aspects” of the order. The change of heart reportedly followed calls to the president from former AI czar David Sacks and other tech industry leaders. The order signed Tuesday does not impose mandatory licensing, pre-clearance, or permitting requirements for new AI models. It calls for a voluntary framework through which AI developers can “engage the Federal Government to determine whether model(s) under development meet the designation of ‘covered frontier model.’” The framework will also “provide the Federal Government with access to covered frontier models, subject to appropriate confidentiality, cybersecurity, insider-risk, and intellectual-property protection, use, and nondisclosure requirements, for a period of up to 30 days before developers plan to release the models to other trusted partners.” “Advanced AI capabilities make our Nation stronger, but also introduce new national security considerations that require coordinated action across executive departments and agencies (agencies), and components,” the order says. The order directs various agencies, including the Committee on National Security Systems, the Department of War, the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Management and Budget, and the National Cyber Director, to prioritize cybersecurity initiatives. “As these capabilities evolve, my Administration will continue to work closely with industry to ensure that the best and most secure technology is deployed rapidly to confront any and all threats to our country,” the order continues. White House officials were motivated to draft the order due to increased awareness of national security risks posed by new models such as Anthropic’s Mythos, which has demonstrated the ability to identify major software vulnerabilities.

Pointing to rising crime rates and a crash that killed an 11-year-old boy last December, leaders of the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday asked law enforcement leaders in two major California cities to provide information on sanctuary policies they say shield criminal illegal aliens. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and two subcommittee chairmen—Republican Reps. Tom McClintock and Darrell Issa of California—signed letters to the police chiefs and sheriffs of San Diego and San Francisco. “California’s pro-illegal alien policies shield criminals from accountability. In late November 2025, an illegal alien from Mexico hit and killed 11-year-old Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz as the child ‘was playing with another child and chasing his soccer ball at the end of a residential street outside his home,’” says the letter to San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez, quoting a news account. In December, Hector Amador Balderas, 44, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, reportedly pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run leading to De Paz’s death in Escondido, Calif., outside San Diego. Balderas was previously removed from the United States four times, according to the Department of Homeland Security. NEW: Chairmen @Jim_Jordan, @RepMcClintock, and @RepDarrellIssa sent letters to officials in sanctuary state California demanding information on their dangerous polices. Protect Americans. Arrest and deport criminal aliens. It should be simple, but Democrat-run California… pic.twitter.com/TjqSAvXw9h— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) June 2, 2026 Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer, which under federal law required the sheriff to hold him for 48 hours, lawmakers said. However, that detainer clashes with California’s sanctuary law. “After the illegal alien’s arrest, ICE lodged a detainer against him, which your office, citing California law, rejected,” the letter says. In 2025, California’s sanctuary policies led San Diego law enforcement to reject an ICE detainer for an illegal alien arrested for willful cruelty to a child, assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and battery on an ex-spouse, ICE noted in a February press release. Last year, California’s refusal to honor detainers allowed the release of 4,561 criminal illegal aliens with charges that included homicide, robbery, and assault, according to ICE. The letter to Martinez notes a 2024 ordinance passed by the San Diego Board of Supervisors that prohibits county law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement and gives illegal immigrants additional protections. Jordan, Issa, and McClintock signed letters to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, and San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew, in addition to Sheriff Martinez, all requesting records related to noncooperation with immigration enforcement. The letter to Wahl notes that the San Diego Police Department isn’t permitted under city law to ask about immigration status or participate in immigration enforcement. In April, the San Diego City Council passed an ordinance requiring a judicial warrant for federal immigration officials to access “non-public city property.” San Francisco prohibits the use of any resources to assist in the enforcement of federal immigration law and restricts information sharing about a criminal alien’s release date. The sheriff said his office honored one detainer out of thousands. “The only time that I, as a constitutional officer in California, work with ICE is if there is a need to notify them of somebody who has serious violent felonies, convictions, and a history of criminal behavior which qualifies them to be notified,” Miyamoto told local media last June. “Out of thousands of requests for detention, I think we have only honored one.” “In fact, the city’s sanctuary policies even prevented immigration officials from interviewing an illegal alien from Canada who attacked then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband at the couple’s home in October 2022,” the letter says. The letter continues, “In practice, San Francisco’s pro-illegal alien policies ensure dangerous criminals are released from SFPD’s custody—or never apprehended by SFPD at all—and are free to reoffend.” The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, San Francisco Police Department, San Diego Police Department, and San Diego County Sheriff’s Office all did not respond to inquiries for this story by publication time.

(The Center Square)—A nonprofit Ohio-based think tank is demanding Cleveland end what the organization calls its race-based contracting programs, saying they are “unconstitutional and discriminatory.” “It has now been more than a year since the city of Cleveland publicly recognized that it must abandon its unconstitutional race-based programs,” David C. Tryon, director of litigation at the Buckeye Institute, wrote in a recent letter to Cleveland. “Failure to end these discriminatory programs leaves the city open to legal action, and The Buckeye Institute stands ready to assist any individual or business denied access to any contracting opportunities based on race.” Cleveland has several programs that include race requirements for contractors who want to do business with the city, according to the Buckeye Institute. One of those is the Minority Business Enterprise program, the institute said. The program certifies companies based on the race of the owners, the institute said. “Cleveland awards race-certified MBEs a 5% race-based bid discount when evaluating contract bids,” the institute said in a news release. Buckeye called on Cleveland to cancel those programs that use race, and for the city council to repeal ordinances that “require the city to discriminate on the basis of race.” U.S. Supreme Court decisions “reaffirm that if individuals of different races are not accorded the same protection, then [a program] is not equal,” the institute said. Cleveland “has been following the law for more than 60 years dating back to the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s,” and has made adjustments as necessary when laws change and as court rulings are made, city chief communication officer Sara Johnson told The Center Square. “That being said, we received their letter and are reviewing it.” Cleveland “has also brought on a firm and we are continuing to work with them to explore our options and evaluate next steps as part of our due diligence process,” Johnson said. “More broadly speaking, we are always looking at additional ways to streamline the Community Benefits Agreement process—in its entirety—so that it’s more efficient and easier for everyone to do business with the city.”

With the expiration of an important federal spy power approaching, the House Freedom Caucus—the House of Representatives’ hardline conservative faction—is preparing for battle in what its members view as a fight over Americans’ privacy rights. “Don’t spy on me,” Freedom Caucus members declare in a new video campaign inspired by the American revolutionary phrase, “Don’t Tread on Me,” which appears on the Gadsden flag. On June 12, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which grants the federal government the authority to surveil foreigners without a warrant, will expire. For years, critics have demanded changes to the surveillance program, arguing it has led to the warrantless surveillance of Americans whose data is intermingled with that of foreign actors. “If you’re an American you shouldn’t be spied on as a foreigner, but they did it anyhow,” Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., says in the video. FISA EXPIRES IN 11 DAYS!Americans are sick of Big Brother spying on them without a warrant.House Freedom Caucus members are fighting back — demanding real reforms to protect our constitutional rights.Protect the 4th Amendment. Reform FISA. Don’t Spy On Me. pic.twitter.com/9pHMKk410W— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) June 1, 2026 In April, Congress voted twice for short-term extensions of the power after failing to agree on a compromise framework for reforms. House Republican leadership and Rep. Rick Crawford, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, argued the program has already been substantially reformed and that President Donald Trump’s administration has cracked down on its abuse. Meanwhile, Democrats, following the lead of Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, rejected a clean extension, denying Republican leadership the ability to easily overcome defections in their own party. Most recently, the House passed a compromise bill that acceded to certain Freedom Caucus requests for stricter warrant requirements and a ban on a government-issued central bank digital currency, but the Senate rejected it, sending the House back a short-term extension of the status quo which it in turn passed. Now, as Congress faces yet another deadline, the Freedom Caucus is staking its territory on FISA, while also demanding a ban on a central bank digital currency, as well as the reversal of federal legislation requiring “kill switch” technology in cars. “I don’t know any Americans that want Big Brother controlling our cars, tracking our money, or really just surveilling us from every corner that we turn,” says Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., in the caucus’ video. Harris adds, “it’s important that as we come to this June 12 end of FISA, that we understand the importance of getting a warrant.” It appears the caucus is not without friends in the upper chamber, as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, reacted favorably to the video release. “Congress must reform FISA 702. Or let it expire,” wrote Lee n X. “Tell your senators and representatives: There can be no reauthorization of FISA 702 without major reforms to protect your Fourth Amendment rights.” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., called for a reformed extension as well on Monday. “We need to get to work this week to FIX FISA and PROTECT the Fourth Amendment,” wrote Scott on X. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has similarly stated his desire for FISA reform. “It’s time to fix FISA and require the government to get a warrant,” Paul wrote on X. Related PostsReps. Clyde and Boebert: No Warrants, No FISAWhen there’s a real chance of protecting Americans’ privacy, the deep state always runs the same playbook. Slow walk votes on reforms. Allow the clock to run out. Highlight a potential national security scare. And reiterate the status quo while calling it reform. That’s why we must deliver real reforms before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance…Sen. Rick Scott Pushes Bill to Ban Chinese Digital Currency in US TransactionsFIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., on Thursday reintroduced legislation that would prohibit U.S.-based money services businesses from using central bank digital currencies issued by the Communist Party of China, including the digital yuan. If enacted, the Chinese CBDC Prohibition Act would prohibit money services businesses from engaging in any transaction that involves…Spy Reform Bill Would Crack Down on ‘Arctic Frost’ PracticeAfter revelations about former special counsel Jack Smith’s use of nondisclosure orders to monitor lawmakers’ data without notifying them in his Arctic Frost investigation, some on Capitol Hill are calling for surveillance reform. As part of his Arctic Frost investigation of President Donald Trump and Republicans’ actions after the 2020 election, Smith sought the records…