Revenue

Ohio has cut its state gasoline and diesel taxes to a nominal amount for 90 days under House Bill 519, running from Oct. 4 through Jan. 2. The normal rates—38.5 cents per gallon for gasoline and 47 cents for diesel—will return afterward unless lawmakers act again. Other fuels, such as compressed natural gas, are not included in the holiday.

To offset the lost revenue, the legislation appropriates $725 million from Ohio's General Revenue Fund, plus $250,000 for the Department of Taxation to administer the change. State officials say this is meant to "fully offset" the reduction and preserve funding for road and bridge maintenance normally paid for through motor-fuel taxes, which also flow to counties, municipalities and townships. Republican lawmakers described the funding as drawn from surplus General Revenue Fund money, not the state's rainy-day fund. Retailers must pass the tax savings to consumers, though pump prices can still vary due to crude oil and wholesale cost changes, as local price checks have shown.

Inglewood is projecting a $30.8 million general fund deficit next year, its largest in at least two decades, after spending roughly doubled following SoFi Stadium's 2020 opening while revenue growth has since leveled off. City officials say more than $150 million in reserves can cover the shortfall in the near term, and Mayor James Butts has downplayed public concern, framing the reserves as enabling ambitious infrastructure investment. The City Council approved the budget 4-0.

The deficit's trajectory now hinges on two competing Nov. 3 ballot measures tied to a dispute between the city and its stadiums over billboard advertising. Measure AT, backed by billboard company WOW Media, would remove the cap on SoFi Stadium's ticket tax and add a new levy on Intuit Dome tickets, potentially generating $45–50 million annually and erasing the deficit. Measure BB would instead ban most commercial billboard advertising, cutting a revenue stream worth several million dollars a year and pushing the deficit toward $39 million. Officials caution the revenue estimates remain uncertain.

A collection of Idaho Statesman letters to the editor spans several live political issues ahead of upcoming elections. One writer urges Senators Crapo and Risch and Rep. Fulcher to back the Public Lands Integrity Act, arguing it protects access, biodiversity and local stewardship while supporting farmers, ranchers and hunters. Another questions the state legislature's use of an advisory ballot question to designate an official "state gun," arguing lawmakers should instead focus on affordability issues like groceries, housing and health care.

On Idaho's Proposition 1, an embryologist writes in support, framing the measure as protecting patient autonomy in pregnancy decisions. Separate letters address U.S. Senate politics: one criticizes Senator Risch's Ukraine funding record and calls for a clearer strategy from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, while another accuses Risch of avoiding a debate with independent challenger Todd Achilles. A final letter endorses independent gubernatorial candidate John Stegner over incumbent Brad Little, explaining Idaho's plurality voting system ahead of the Nov. 3 election.