Politics

Howard Wilkinson: Politics and More

0000017a-3b40-d913-abfe-bf44a4f90000Howard Wilkinson joined the WVXU news team as the politics reporter and columnist in April 2012 , after 30 years of covering local, state and national politics for The Cincinnati Enquirer. On this page, you will find his weekly column, Politically Speaking; the Monday morning political chats with News Director Maryanne Zeleznik and other news coverage by Wilkinson. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Wilkinson has covered every Ohio gubernatorial race since 1974, as well as 16 presidential nominating conventions. Along with politics, Wilkinson also covered the 2001 Cincinnati race riots, the Lucasville prison riot in 1993, the Air Canada plane crash at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 1983, and the 1997 Ohio River flooding. And, given his passion for baseball, you might even find some stories about the Cincinnati Reds here from time to time.

Issue 2: Breaking Down Ohio's Prescription Drug Initiative

91.7 WVXU

Published October 18, 2017 at 4:00 AM EDT

Groups for and against Ohio Issue 2 have competing advertisements on the air arguing a "yes" vote would lower or raise drug costs.

This November Ohioans will vote on Issue 2, which would require state agencies to pay no more than the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for prescription drugs.

Proponents of Issue 2 say it's a pushback against high drug company prices and claim the law will save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Issue 2 opponents point out that, if passed, the law would not reduce drug prices for the 7 million Ohioans who have private health insurance, and could possibly increase pricing for many state residents.

Joining us to analyze Issue 2 are Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau Chief Karen Kasler and WVXU politics reporter Howard Wilkinson.