COLUMBUS, Ohio – The end of the line is nearing for Ohio's electronic voting machines, which a new report indicates could cause trouble during the 2016 election.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law, 90 percent of Ohio counties are using machines that are 10 years old.

Report co-author Christopher Famighetti says that's much longer than the machines are designed to last.

"Most of us don't keep our laptops, desktops, over a decade, and that's the type of technology that most of the machines in use today are using," he explains.

Joshua Eck, press secretary for Secretary of State Jon Husted, agrees the equipment is old, but he says it's not failing.

"It's not in a dire strait yet, but it's something that needs to be on everybody's thoughts, and we need to begin preparing to upgrade the equipment in the next couple of years," he acknowledges.

Famighetti points out that after time, machine parts including memory cards and motherboards are prone to failure, which he says can result in long lines at the polls.

The report notes that as computers age their parts can become obsolete, making repairs nearly impossible. More than 40 states will use electronic voting machines in 2016 that are at least a decade old.

The report found that only five of the 25 Ohio counties that said they would need voting machines before 2020 would have the funding to purchase them.

Eck says it's too much for local governments.

"Voting equipment is not cheap, so it needs to be a partnership between all levels of government,” he stresses. “The federal government is certainly going to need to be involved. The state government needs to be involved because it's an expense that's too much for just our counties to handle on their own."

The estimated cost to replace aging machines nationally could top $1 billion, Famighetti says. But because it's too late to replace machines for 2016, he recommends boards of election implement precautionary plans.

"We note in the report that it will be important to take the preventive measures necessary to make sure that machines are working on Election Day like pre-election testing and good maintenance procedures," he explains.





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The Indiana Chamber of Commerce outlined six key priorities for lawmakers ahead of the legislative session in January.

Rather than releasing detailed policy positions, the Chamber emphasized broad focus areas, including workforce, education, economic growth, infrastructure, quality of place and community health.

Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, House Minority Leader, responded to the Chamber's priorities, highlighting the need to address child care as a factor in economic development.

"We talk about economic development with things that impact economic development here in the state. Child care is really one of those," GiaQuinta contended.

The organization stressed the critical role of affordable child care in workforce development, citing a report estimating Indiana loses $4.2 billion annually, including $1.7 billion in tax revenue due to child care challenges. High costs force some parents out of the workforce, straining the state's economy.

Statehouse leaders acknowledged the issue but differ on solutions. Democrats argued child care deserves more state investment, while Republican leaders believe the private sector should play a larger role.

Todd Huston, R-Fishers, Speaker of the House, said businesses should not expect the state to solve their child care problems entirely.

"They've done a lot of different things to try to support families and young families. We will continue to do that," Huston stated. "But I think we also have to set a level of expectations that we're not going to; the state's not going to be funding all universal pre-K."

The Chamber plans to release detailed policy proposals in January, aiming to guide lawmakers toward strategies to strengthen Indiana's economy and workforce.


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North Dakota is no stranger to public pension debates. States face pressure to keep retirement systems well-funded and new data show most Americans place great value on such benefits for both government and private-sector workers.

According to the National Institute on Retirement Security, 86% of Americans believe all workers, not just those employed by state and local governments, should have a pension. There are similar approval levels when asked how important public pensions are in recruiting teachers and public safety workers.

Dan Doonan, executive director of the institute, suggested it is not too surprising to see the results.

"Pensions, along with other benefits, are part of creating that culture of careers and not jobs," Doonan explained.

Starting in January, North Dakota will close its main public pension plan for new hires, who will instead be offered a 401(k)-style benefit. The move followed debate over whether it was the right way to address a $1.9 billion unfunded liability. Backers argued it protects benefits for existing workers and taxpayers but skeptics contended it makes it harder to attract workers to the public sector.

Doonan noted the survey results overlap with the idea maintaining an experienced public-sector workforce is a good thing for community members and not just the employee and employer.

"In general, when public services are done well, they're often invisible, right?" Doonan emphasized. "We want good roads, we want safe communities, and I think Americans understand the role of having career public servants in terms of delivering those outcomes."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said state and local governments employ about 20 million workers, which represents about 13% of the U.S. workforce.

As Nebraskans anticipate the upcoming holiday season, some might also be looking ahead to the 2025 tax season, which will include a new tax credit for family caregivers, including those looking after military veterans.

Starting in 2025, a new state law provides eligible family caregivers up to $2,000 in tax credits for out-of-pocket expenses. The cap increases to $3,000 if the family member receiving care has dementia or is a veteran.

Jina Ragland, associate state director of advocacy and outreach for AARP Nebraska, said those who served have access to care benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs but added it sometimes is not enough.

"Because some of their service-related illnesses or injuries, they extend beyond what they're able to afford, or maybe what the coverage is through the VA," Ragland explained.

She pointed out it puts more pressure on loved ones assisting them on a daily basis. During National Veterans and Military Families Month, supporters of the new law hope more families will see if they are eligible. Ragland noted while it helps reduce the financial strain, greater awareness of resources is also needed, to help all family caregivers avoid burnout.

Ragland emphasized one example is providing caregivers information about where to turn for guidance when a loved one is first discharged from a hospital. She argued entities at all levels need to maintain progress, because their outreach shows a demand for solutions.

"Over 90% of Nebraskans say that they want to age in place with the lowest level of care," Ragland reported. "In order to do that, oftentimes we have to rely on family caregivers."

There are no age restrictions to qualify for the tax credit. As for eligibility factors, the law includes an income limit of $50,000 dollars for individuals and $100,000 for married couples.