Why Ohio cares about a bill to fund chips (not the potato kind)

Things are looking good for the CHIPS Act.

The federal legislation that would provide billions of dollars for semiconductor manufacturers cleared a procedural hurdle in the U.S. Senate yesterday, and senators were scheduled to begin the final vote this morning. The House will take it up after the Senate OKs it.

Why does this matter to Ohio? One word: Intel.

The company announced earlier this year that it will invest $20 billion to build two semiconductor factories in Licking County that will employ 3,000 workers. CEO Pat Gelsinger said the investment in Ohio could reach $100 billion, but only if Congress approves this legislation.

Needless to say, Gelsinger has been lobbying lawmakers hard and even delayed a groundbreaking on the Ohio development to send them a message. It's unclear exactly how much Intel will gain, but the company stands to benefit from multiple provisions of the bill.

Beyond Intel, proponents say the CHIPS Act is necessary to help businesses fill supply chain gaps and make the U.S. more competitive. Both Ohio Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown support it.

"A big reason for the inflation we see today is decades of offshoring our supply chains," Brown said earlier this week. "We need to bring that production back home. That's what this bill is all about – investing more in America, making more in America."

We'll have coverage of the Senate vote when it happens, so keep an eye on dispatch.com for updates.

Abortion in the governor's race

Gov. Mike DeWine and former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley couldn't be further apart on the issue of abortion.

DeWine signed the six-week ban currently in law and will support the near-total ban that lawmakers produce later this year. Whaley, who hopes to unseat the governor, said she'll back a constitutional amendment to protect abortion access.

How does this play in the November election? Red Wine & Blue founder Katie Paris told Jessie Balmert that women are furious about the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and won't forget about it. That could be a game-changer for Whaley, Paris argued.

But GOP strategist Mark Weaver isn't so sure. DeWine has a lot of advantages, and voters who are frustrated with the economy may snub Democrats on the ballot.

Check out Jessie's full story here.

Where's Waldo J.D. Vance?

Some Ohio Republicans are starting to get frustrated with their U.S. Senate candidate.

J.D. Vance walked in Fourth of July parades. He toured the state talking to law enforcement officials. But in general, he's been pretty quiet this summer after clawing his way to victory in the May primary. He was spotted in Israel last week for a conference, which raised eyebrows among some observers who noted Israel is decidedly not Ohio.

If candidates go quiet, that usually means they're raising money. Vance has done some of that, but he's using the funds in part to pay off debt from the primary. That's left some Republicans questioning the strength of his fundraising operation.

Read more on the state of Vance's campaign here.

A quick reminder

Ohio's second primary election is coming up Tuesday. State House and Senate races are on the ballot, using district maps that were deemed unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.

You can use our voter's guide to see what's on your ballot. To check your registration status and find your polling place, visit vote.ohio.gov.

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That's all from me this week.

Haley BeMiller, political reporter

Questions or story ideas? Email me at hbemiller@dispatch.com. You can find me on Twitter @haleybemiller.

Check out the latest episode of Ohio Politics Explained and tune in for a new episode on Friday. You can subscribe through Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why Ohio cares about a bill to fund chips (not the potato kind)