Karen Kasler
Bureau ChiefContact Karen at 614-578-6375 or at kkasler@statehousenews.org.
Karen Kasler grew up in Lancaster, attended Otterbein College in Westerville, and found her professional break at WCBE-FM in Columbus. Karen was selected as a Fellow in the Kiplinger Master's Degree Program for Mid-Career Journalists at Ohio State University in 1994. She worked at WTVN-AM and WBNS-TV, both in Columbus, then for eight years was the afternoon drive anchor and assignment editor for WTAM-AM, Cleveland.
Since returning to Columbus in 2004, Karen has covered major elections and the controversies surrounding them. She served as moderator for the Ohio Debate Commission's Republican US Senate debate in 2022, its Supreme Court debate in 2020 and its gubernatorial debate in 2018. In addition to other election-related debates, she's led forums on statewide issues including redistricting, tax policy, drug sentencing, marijuana legalization and the collective bargaining law known as Senate Bill 5.
She's produced features for NPR and "Marketplace", and has been interviewed by NPR, the BBC, CBS, NBC, Radio New Zealand and stations around the country. She's a regular panelist on ideastream's "The Sound of Ideas" and a frequent guest on WOSU-TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, WOSU-FM's "All Sides with Anna Staver" and WVXU's "Cincinnati Edition".
Karen has been honored by the Cleveland Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Association of Capitol Editors and Reporters, and holds a National Headliner Award. She's won several awards from the Ohio AP, and is a four-time winner of the AP's Best Broadcast Writing award. She's a three-time Emmy nominee for "The State of Ohio". She's a past president of the Ohio Associated Press and has served on the Board of Directors for the Central Ohio Society of Professional Journalists. Karen is also a former adjunct professor at Capital University in Columbus.
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Ohio is no longer in extreme drought, but that doesn’t mean the damage from the historic drought is repaired.
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Gov. Mike DeWine signed a law to require Ohio prosecutors report medical professionals convicted of sexual abuse to the state medical board, but said he's concerned about another bill on “medical free speech”.
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This year's Christmas tree bill started as a measure on Ohio township zoning laws. But it ended up with dozens of other bills attached.
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Amazon Web Services said it plans to spend more than $23 billion in Ohio by the end of 2030.
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The pay hike Ohio lawmakers are considering would cover county and township officials and judges – as well as lawmakers who will be in office next year.
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The bill’s Republican sponsor says it’s not just sour grapes from Ohio State’s loss to Michigan, which led to a midfield fight and police using pepper spray to disperse it.
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The state panel that grants permits to drill for oil and gas approved opening up more Ohio park land for fracking.
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A bill that’s been a priority of Ohio's Republican lawmakers seems to be one of the hundreds of measures that may get to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk this lame duck session – the “Parents’ Bill of Rights”.
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State lawmakers agree they want a public works program renewal before Ohio voters in May, but haven’t passed it yet.