How to spend millions to help people addicted to opioids, and a novel approach by Gov. Mike DeWine for reducing gun violence - This Week in the CLE - a podcast by cleveland.com

Cuyahoga County suddenly finds itself with millions of dollars because of its lawsuits against companies that created the opioid crisis, and County Executive Armond Budish has some ideas on how best to use that money.

That’s where we begin the latest episode of. This Week in the CLE. Budish and County Council President Dan Brady visited with us Thursday to talk about the plans. They want to focus the money on helping people who are addicted to the drugs.

Cuyahoga County reporter Courtney Astolfi joins me and cohost Laura Johnston to dig into the proposal. Courtney also discusses the success of bail reform in Cleveland Municipal Court, Budish’s proposal to pay for bail reform in the county courts and the creation of a special docket in the county court system for men at highest risk of beating their spouses or partners.

We discuss whether Budish will ask voters for a social services tax increase in 2020, and Courtney explains the need for huge contract to feed inmates at the county jail.

Gov. Mike DeWine also visited with us this week, and Politics Editor Jane Kahoun joins the podcast to talk about DeWine’s proposals for keeping guns out of the hands of people barred from having them. DeWine altered his original proposals in hopes of winning passage in the Legislature, and Kahoun analyzes what DeWine had to say about that strategy. We also talk about what DeWine said during his visit about the status on executions in Ohio.

Jane also discusses a threat to the health insurance of nearly 2 million people in Ohio and how a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a Louisiana case, expected next year, could make abortions all but illegal in Ohio.

Cleveland City Hall reporter Bob Higgs joins us to talk about the unusual prosecution of the Cleveland fire chief on a city charter violation. He also talks about why a City Council member is comparing people who adhere to a no-snitching rule to those who commit murders. And he offers an update on many dozens of abused chihuahuas that were discovered in the house of a hoarder.

We wrap up the podcast with a visit from Troy Smith, who discusses what we might see int he latest crop of rock hall nominees when they are announced in the next week or so.

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