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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An appeals court has ordered Gov. Mike DeWine to take $900 million in federal funds meant to help unemployed Ohioans during the COVID pandemic and send that money to them. -
Gov. Mike DeWine signed his last budget right at the deadline, vetoing 67 items, but allowing a flat income tax and $600 million for the Cleveland Browns' stadium in Brook Park to go forward. -
Gov. Mike DeWine said there will “certainly be something” he’ll veto in the two-year Ohio budget, but he wouldn’t give too many hints on Saturday morning. -
The two-year budget Republican lawmakers have approved and sent on to Gov. Mike DeWine includes changes for the state’s 251 public library systems. -
Two Democratic former state lawmakers are threatening to sue the state if the budget gives money to the Cleveland Browns domed stadium development in Brook Park from unclaimed funds. -
The conference committee has approved a two-year state budget, which makes changes to the income tax and provides funding for a domed stadium for the Cleveland Browns in Brook Park. -
The group of around 200 public school districts suing the state over private school vouchers got a win in a Columbus court today, as a judge ruled Ohio's EdChoice private school voucher program is unconstitutional. -
The first step is over in the campaign by Ohio educators to overturn the bill that seeks to stop diversity efforts and faculty strikes at public universities. -
Advocates for kids and low-income Ohioans are urging state lawmakers to consider reinstating something from Gov. Mike DeWine’s original budget – a $1,000 tax credit for kids under seven. -
Ohio has a similar law to the one upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, and supporters and opponents have been watching for this ruling.
