This report reflects the latest happenings in government relations, in and around the Ohio statehouse. You’ll notice that it’s broad in nature and on an array of topics, from A-Z. This will be updated on a weekly basis.
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AGING
Ahead of the release of the executive budget proposal of the DeWine administration, the Ohio Aging Advocacy Coalition – comprised of Coalition of Age-Friendly Communities of Ohio, Ohio Adult Day Healthcare Association, LeadingAge Ohio, Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Pro Seniors, Ohio Health Care Association, Ohio Coalition of Adult Protective Services, Ohio Council for Home Care and Hospice, Ohio Assisted Living Association, Alzheimer's Association and Ohio Association of Senior Centers -- released a blueprint of policy proposals it hopes will guide work on the budget. The blueprint is based on several key principles:
Ensure sustainability of the home and community-based services (HCBS) system
Ensure older adults have choices in their care with proper support for HCBS options
Invest in innovative care models and care coordination
Support providers in building an HCBS workforce that is paid a livable, family-sustaining wage
Protect older adults from abuse, neglect and a lack of services, and support greater health outcomes through nutrition
Increase housing security for older adults
AGRICULTURE
Bryn Bird was elected as the new president of the Ohio Farmers Union (OFU) at its 91st annual state convention. She succeeds Joe Logan, who served in that role for the past 10 years. As OFU president, Bird will serve on the NFU Board of Directors and have an active role in guiding the state and national Farmers Union public policy and government lobbying efforts. During the convention, OFU also set its policy agenda for 2025 which includes fair and adequate public school funding, fair legislative districts, protecting Ohio's natural resources while supporting American manufacturing, public option for health insurance, and continued concern over injection well contamination.
ARTS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
The 2030 Special Olympics USA Games should be held in Cleveland, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday when he joined leaders of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Special Olympics Ohio at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to urge the games be brought to Northeast Ohio. Cleveland is one of two finalist cities vying to land the national event. This week, members of the Special Olympics Bid Evaluation Committee have been in Cleveland to tour potential venues. "Cleveland is the perfect home for the 2030 Special Olympics USA Games, its athletes, families and fans across the country," DeWine said. "We are fully committed to bringing a national sporting event with so much heart right here to Ohio, the 'Heart of it All.' This is a great opportunity to showcase the best of our state, in a city that is known for the welcoming spirit of its people and its world-class venues."
FY24-25 BUDGET
According to preliminary data released Thursday by the Office of Budget and Management (OBM), total General Revenue Fund (GRF) tax receipts came in $172.5 million, or 6.6 percent, above estimates in January. Non-auto sales tax collections came in $79.3 million, or 7.1 percent, above the monthly estimate, while auto sales tax collections were $11.4 million, or 7.7 percent, above the monthly estimate. Personal income tax collections were $37.9 million, or 3.3 percent below the estimate for the month. The Commercial Activity Tax (CAT) came in $76.8 million, or 150 percent above the estimate for the month. So far for this fiscal year, total tax revenues are nearly $525.3 million or 3.2 percent over estimates. A total of $16.9 billion has been collected thus far.
FY26-27 OPERATING BUDGET
Higher taxes on tobacco, sports gambling and adult use cannabis would pay for several new programs in the FY26-27 executive budget proposal, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday. The tobacco tax hike would pay for a new refundable child tax credit, while the sports gambling tax increase would help pay for professional sports stadiums and youth sports. The adult use cannabis tax increase would pay for a new marijuana possession expungement program, as well as existing programs such as the law enforcement training program, 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, local drug task force grants and driver training programs. Under the proposed budget, the $1.60 per pack cigarette tax would increase to $3.10 per pack. Other tobacco products would be taxed at 42 percent of the wholesale price, up from the current rate of 17 percent. The tax on vapor products would double to 20 cents per milliliter. Additionally, non-combustible non-tobacco products containing nicotine would be taxed at 20 cents per milliliter. The tobacco tax proposal is estimated to increase revenue from $703.5 million in FY25 to $1.11 billion in FY26 and $1.12 billion in FY27.
Overall, the General Revenue Fund (GRF) is currently projected to be just over $30 billion in FY26, which is 2.4 percent higher than FY25. The GRF is projected to be $30.9 billion in FY27, a 2.8 percent increase over FY26. The All Funds budget is projected to be $108.6 billion in FY26, a 2.9 percent increase from FY25. The All Funds budget in FY27 is projected to be $110.7 billion, a 1.9 percent increase from FY26.
The budget expects total tax revenue to reach $28.44 billion in FY25, increasing by 1.8 percent over the previous year. "The forecast reflects current law (or 'baseline') revenue amounting to $29.62 billion in FY26, growing by 4.1 percent from FY25, and amounting to $30.58 billion in FY27 with a 3.2 percent growth rate from FY26," the Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) FY26-27 Blue Book says. On Medicaid, the caseload is projected to increase from an estimated average monthly enrollment of 2.91 million individuals in FY25 to 2.92 million in FY26 and 2.93 million in FY27.
DeWine's executive budget proposal for FY26-27 follows suit with the prior biennium and would complete the phase in of the new K-12 funding formula, but also proposes to curtail funding guarantees for "phantom students" and does not update cost input data, which formula designers have identified as a top priority. In higher education, the proposal would continue the move toward performance-based funding by starting to have the formula incorporate employment among graduates as a factor, along with other proposals. During a press conference on the budget proposal Monday, Budget Director Kim Murnieks said under the executive proposal the guarantee for districts that have lost students would be cut from 100 percent to 95 percent in FY26 and then to 90 percent in FY27.
The Ohio Attorney General's Office will proceed with the marijuana conviction expungement program supported by Democrats should the General Assembly approve executive budget funding proposed by Gov. DeWine Monday -- $27 million over two years for a policy priority included in stalled marijuana omnibus 135-HB86 (LaRe) but absent from newly introduced SB56 (S. Huffman). The governor's $727.5 million budget recommendation for the attorney general's office includes $12.5 million in FY26 and $14.3 million in FY27 to purge past convictions for recreational pot from Ohioans' records.
Overall, DeWine's budget proposal recommends a four percent decrease in ODNR's budget from FY25 to FY26, from $725,701,522 to $696,321,656. The department's budget is then recommended to rebound in FY27 to $733,631,989. Among the largest decreases in ODNR's recommended budget from FY25 to FY26 is the amount appropriated for Watercraft Operations, decreasing 11.8 percent from over $32 million to over $28 million. ODNR is also anticipating a drop in federal funding to plug orphan wells, from an estimate of $25 million in FY25 to just over $22 million in DeWine's budget for FY26. However, the Oil and Gas-Federal line item in DeWine's budget is expected to increase from $154,350 in FY25 to over $20 million in FY26 then remain at that level for FY27.
The DeWine administration's proposed FY26-27 budget was met with skepticism on Tuesday, as members of the House Finance Committee questioned the proposal's reliance on vice tax increases to fund key initiatives. Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) Director Kimberly Murnieks provided a budget overview to the committee, explaining the proposal in more detail following Gov. DeWine's press conference on Monday.
House Finance Committee Chair Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) said transportation budget amendments will be due on Thursday, Feb. 13, with a plan to adopt the transportation budget sub bill on Tuesday, Feb. 18. The transportation budget was introduced Tuesday as HB54 (Stewart). Operating budget amendments are due on Friday, March 14, Stewart said, noting his goal is for the budget to pass on the House floor on Wednesday, April 9. The operating budget has not yet been formally introduced.
Gov. DeWine's executive budget proposal would address a shortfall in State Board of Education (SBOE) funding by appropriating General Revenue Fund (GRF) money to support teacher criminal records monitoring and cutting out a contract expense for evaluation of beginning teachers. The board faced a budget crunch last year following its split from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) as part of K-12 governance reforms included in the prior budget, 135-HB33 (Edwards). The Controlling Board, however, provided bridge funding for the board to close out the current biennium. In its formal request to the administration for the FY26-27 biennium, the board made three main requests to add funding or cut expenses, and the proposal released Monday appears to address the two with the biggest price tags. The Blue Book proposes to fund the board at $16.3 million in FY26, a 1.7 percent decrease from FY25, and $16.8 million in FY27, a 3.1 percent increase.
Ohio would end Medicaid expansion coverage automatically if the federal match falls below 90 percent under Gov. DeWine's latest budget proposal, Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) Director Maureen Corcoran told lawmakers Wednesday. Corcoran, who testified to the House Finance Committee on the executive budget proposal, said she'd directed her prepared remarks more to the financial side of Medicaid for the day, since other committees would be reviewing the "clinical" elements in future hearings. Members questioned her on federal uncertainty, spending trends, the wisdom of work requirements, proposed changes to the 340B drug discount program and other topics as she presented the outline of the proposal.
According to House Workforce and Higher Education Committee Chair Rep. Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.), Ohio under former Gov. Jim Rhodes took a "build, build, build" attitude toward higher education, as the state at the time was expecting population growth upwards of 20 million. Ohio's current population stands just shy of 12 million, and higher education enrollment has been declining in the state for at least a decade. However, Young urged the committee on Tuesday that, while tough decisions are going to have to be made in upcoming recommendations to the state's operating budget, he does see an upswing in Ohio's higher education enrollment coming in the next five to six years. The committee heard presentations on the state of higher education in Ohio from representatives of the Legislative Service Commission (LSC). LSC Senior Budget Analyst Ed Millane said ODHE oversees approximately 60 public universities and community colleges throughout the state. Millane said the state share of instruction (SSI) appropriated to universities has moved to an outcome-based model based on degree attainment, as opposed to a previous model that calculated SSI based on inputs like student enrollment.
The House Finance Committee Wednesday heard details of budget proposals from Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) Director Kara Wente and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director Matt Damschroder. Wente went into detail about the agency's major goals for the upcoming biennium and its requests for additional dollars, while Damschroder reviewed his department's requests for largely administrative changes.
Ahead of a fuller discussion about her agency's budget needs, Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz presented to the House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday about ODNR's operations, successes and challenges. Mertz gave the committee a "60,000-foot level view" of each of ODNR's 11 divisions, including the most visible and most staffed divisions -- the Division of State Parks and Watercraft and the Division of Wildlife, which oversees hunting and fishing -- to more operational and administrative divisions, including the Division of Geological Survey and both divisions of mineral resources management and water resources management. Mertz said the department's statutory duty is to maintain a balance between the wise use and the protection of the state's natural resources. Mertz noted that in 2024, ODNR hosted over one million overnight stays on its properties. She said Ohio ranks third in the country among states for overnight cabins at state parks, fourth for the number of state park lodges, and fifth for the number of registered boats, all of which fall under the ODNR's purview.
While the DeWine administration bills its partial reduction of school funding guarantees as ensuring the state doesn't pay for empty desks, multiple House Finance Committee members said Thursday some local superintendents tell them they'd lose money despite seeing enrollment growth. Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Director Steve Dackin testified to the committee on Gov. DeWine's budget proposal, fielding questions on guarantees, the overall funding formula, federal uncertainty and other topics. Speaker Pro Tem Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) estimated there are 30-some districts set to lose money even though they're gaining rather than losing kids. Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) said some of those school systems are in his district. Committee Vice Chair Mike Dovilla (R-Berea) said in his district, Strongsville City Schools has seen enrollment growth the past two years but is facing reduced funding, adding that many suburban areas face a similar situation.
Gov. DeWine's executive budget proposal puts an emphasis on preparing Ohio's higher education system to be more accessible to a wider range of Ohio students, then tracking the relevance of those students' education as they move into the workforce. Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) Chancellor Mike Duffey told the House Finance Committee on Thursday the plan is designed to help young people in Ohio prepare for citizenship and position themselves better for what comes after high school. A major part of that plan is continuing efforts to shift Ohio's higher education system to a performance- or outcome-based model. In his testimony, Duffey described using advancements in wage outcome data and employment outcomes for Ohio's graduates in the state's performance-based funding system to more closely align financial incentives for colleges and universities with the goals of students and families. Duffey described the approach as "results-based budgeting."
Director Annette Chambers-Smith of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) told House members Thursday she has implemented a long list of prison safeguards to address the Christmas Day murder of Officer Andy Lansing at Ross Correctional Institution (RCI), but Reps. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland), chair of the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee (CIIC), and Mark Johnson (R-Chillicothe), who represents RCI, questioned the adequacy of DRC policies to prevent such incidents.
Chambers-Smith appeared before the House Finance Committee on behalf of the governor's $2.6 billion DRC budget in FY26 and $2.8 billion in FY27, of which $2.5 billion and $2.6 billion are General Revenue Funds (GRF). The director said her administration has taken many steps to increase safety -- body-worn cameras, K9 units, short-barreled rifles, upgraded body armor, 300 new prison staff and more -- and to decrease drug contraband, including drone detection, tip lines, improved fencing, digital forensic investigators, partnerships with the Ohio Department of Public Safety (DPS) and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), screening of "adulterated," i.e. drug-saturated letter stationary, and other measures. Chambers-Smith said the FY26-27 executive budget supports equipping officers with Taser 10s as well as hiring another 400 correction officers.
State Auditor Keith Faber told the House Finance Committee Thursday Ohio's smallest government jurisdictions and school districts will face a major increase in audit costs if the Legislature fails to restore agency dollars which Gov. DeWine shifted to the Local Government Fund (LGF). Faber addressed the Auditor of State's (AOS) executive budget of $118 million for FY26 and $120.3 million for FY27, including $76.5 million/$77.7 million in dedicated purpose dollars and $41.6 million/$42.6 million in General Revenue Funds (GRF) -- an average 10 percent increase in GRF over FY25. The auditor said his submitted budget proposes an increase from $41 to $42 per audit hour for local jurisdictions, schools and other government subdivisions in FY26 and $42 to $43 in FY27. State agencies and post-secondary institutions come in much higher at $90 per hour, said Faber. Without $6 million in the first year and $10.7 million in the second from Local Government Audit Support Funds (LGASF) and GRF transferred by the executive budget to LGF, he said, local costs per audit hour will jump to $50 in FY26 and $56 in FY27.
FY26-27 TRANSPORTATION BUDGET
If gas tax revenues continue to come in at the current rate, recommended transportation projects for later this decade will cost more than projected revenues, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Pamela Boratyn told the House Transportation Committee Tuesday. Boratyn appeared before the committee for a first hearing on the transportation budget, introduced officially Tuesday as HB54 (Stewart), outlining a proposed $10 billion spending plan. That is a drop from the $13 billion requested in the last transportation budget, passed as 135-HB23 (Edwards), which she noted included initial appropriation authority for the Brent Spence Corridor project, as well as increased federal money under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. She said that for FY26 and FY27 ODOT expects to receive approximately $1.6 billion per year in State Motor Vehicle Fuel revenue. In addition, ODOT receives miscellaneous income like petroleum activity tax (PAT), interest income, oversize/overweight permit fees, prior year savings, and revenue from highway blue signs. That income is around $300 million per year and includes just over $20 million each year for electric vehicle registrations.
The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission and the Ohio Rail Development Commission testified Thursday before the House Transportation Committee on their portions of HB54 (Stewart), speaking to the implementation of a new toll collection system for the former, and various safety initiatives and passenger rail for the latter.
Ohio Department of Development (DOD) Director Lydia Mihalik appeared before the House Transportation Committee Thursday to discuss the department's items in the transportation budget, HB54 (Stewart). She described how economic development requires collaboration by DOD, local officials and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). Regarding the Roadwork Development Grant program, Mihalik explained how that helps communities widen roads, pave streets and enhance right-of-way infrastructure such as water and sewer to support new business projects that create jobs and attract investment.
CIVIL RIGHTS
The pinnacle of the first civil rights movement in the U.S. in the 1950 and 1960s was the achievement legislatively of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But whereas the achievements of that movement were about recognizing and codifying rights for minority -- especially Black -- Americans, the U.S. is currently within a second civil rights movement less centered on legislative rights of any particular race, and more about the tensions and frustrations of an American population changing demographically and technologically and manifesting in several unprecedented ways. The second civil rights movement is the focus of the new book, New Prize for These Eyes, by journalist and historian Juan Williams. The book follows Williams' bestselling 1988 book, Eyes on the Prize, which chronicled the first American civil rights movement in the mid-20th century and the tensions among Black leadership that followed. What makes the second civil rights movement different, according to Williams, is the rapidly changing demographic makeup of the U.S. two decades into the 21st century. Williams told the City Club of Cleveland on Friday that Barack Obama's ascent to the U.S. presidency beginning before 2008 originally signaled to many Black Americans that America could have a Black man at the apex of political power acting in their interest.
EAST PALESTINE DERAILMENT
Vice President JD Vance joined Gov. Mike DeWine, U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Jon Husted (R-OH), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin Monday to mark the two-year anniversary of the train derailment in East Palestine. The derailment led to a leak and later a controlled burn of vinyl chloride, and residents were evacuated for a short period. The previous week, rail operator Norfolk Southern reached a settlement with the village to pay $22 million, on top of the $13.5 million in prior payments made by the company since the derailment. In his remarks, Vance said that under the Trump administration, East Palestine "will not be forgotten, will not be left behind, and we're in it for the long haul." He said the environmental cleanup "has to get done."
ELECTIONS
Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced that daily voter registration data can be accessed through a new online portal as part of his office's implementation of the DATA Act. The portal provides daily updates of voter registration changes across Ohio's 88 counties, including new registrations, updates, and removals from voter rolls, according to the secretary of state's office. Under Ohio law, each board of elections is required to create a prescribed daily record or "daily snapshot" of its voter registration database as of 4 p.m. each day.
ELECTIONS 2026
Just more than a week after officially launching his campaign for governor, Attorney General Dave Yost reported that he raised more than $1 million in the last half of 2024 and has the most funds of any active gubernatorial candidate. Friday was the deadline for candidates who were not on the 2024 ballot to file an annual campaign finance report. The report covers activity in the last six months of 2024. According to the secretary of state's office, Yost raised $1.04 million, spent $109,171, and has nearly $2.5 million on hand.
Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague Wednesday announced he was running for secretary of state in 2026, dropping his bid for governor and endorsing Vivek Ramaswamy instead. Sprague announced his support for Ramaswamy in a video he posted on social media. Saying "Ohio is built for more," Sprague said Ohio is not broken, but there are areas that need to be fixed in Columbus. He said the income tax needs to be eliminated "once and for all," people need to be lifted out of poverty, and Ohio's energy policy needs to be reformed. "There is one man that shares this vision of turning our state around and creating a renaissance in the state of Ohio, and that man is Vivek Ramaswamy," Sprague said. Ramaswamy, however, has not yet formally announced a campaign for governor.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose continued the carousel of statewide officeholders making moves towards 2026, declaring Thursday that he will seek the Republican nomination for state auditor, becoming the first candidate in that race. LaRose's announcement follows AG Yost's gubernatorial campaign launch, Auditor Keith Faber's attorney general campaign, and Sprague's secretary of state campaign. He said in a video announcement that as auditor he plans to bring the same kind of transparency, efficiency and accountability to every government office that he did to the secretary of state's office.
The following endorsement was made over the week:
The gubernatorial campaign of Dave Yost announced the endorsement of former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.
ENERGY/UTILITIES
"Heavy lift" in the Ohio Legislature generally refers to a watershed policy objective requiring the compromise of numerous and disparate stakeholders to succeed. It well describes Sen. Mark Romanchuk's (R-Ontario) attempts in both chambers to repeal legacy "electric security plans" (ESP) in energy omnibus 127-SB221 (Schuler) and coal plant subsidies in 133-HB6 (Callender-Wilkin) and may finally pay off in House and Senate legislation to replace ESPs with competitive market-rate offers (MRO) and end ratepayer guarantees to the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC). With Sen. Bill Reineke's (R-Tiffin) SB2 still in its infancy as a two-page placeholder, Rep. Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) delivered sponsor testimony Wednesday on legislation that had drawn little Republican support in the last decade but is now poised in HB15 -- if the sponsor and Chairman Adam Holmes (R-Nashport) of the House Energy Committee are right -- to radically alter the utility landscape in Ohio with "ratepayer-focused" energy policy, as the chair stated earlier. "The purpose of this legislation is clear and aligns with Chairman Holmes' mission for this committee to ensure reliable, affordable and available energy for all Ohioans," Klopfenstein told members. "This will be achieved by repealing the ESP statute, requiring all [utility] standard service offers (SSO) to be market-based. ... Furthermore, this bill seeks to foster competition across the energy sector by permitting competitive intrastate transmission, eliminating the OVEC subsidies that have already cost Ohioans $670 million since 2017, and repealing the Ohio Solar Generation Fund." In addition to consolidated billing and new bonding and transparency requirements on competitive retail electric (CRES) and natural gas services (CRNGS), he said HB15 would bar utilities from owning generation facilities and at the same time attract new power producers to the state by eliminating the tangible personal property (TPP) tax on electric plants.
Citing the need to prevent electricity shortages or outages that could start in the state as soon as 2027, the Ohio Business Roundtable (OBRT) released Wednesday a list of recommendations for state policymakers to shore up the state's energy grid for the near-term and to allow room for Ohio's further economic growth. OBRT President and CEO and former Ohio and federal legislator Pat Tiberi said that Ohio's leaders have put the state on good footing for its current energy needs, specifically crediting the administrations of Gov. Mike DeWine and his predecessor, John Kasich. But Tiberi added that Ohio may not have enough energy for the future given the influx of companies setting up energy-intensive operations in advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI), including Intel, AWS, Anduril, Microsoft, Meta, Google and several automotive manufacturers. OBRT reports that Ohio currently has 1.2 GW of operational data center capacity, with the potential for demand to grow to 15 GW by 2034. That compares to the U.S. in total with 17 GW of the same capacity, with an additional 25 GW in development. Ohio is also on the same interstate electrical grid, PJM, as Virginia, which includes the energy-intensive data center operations in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C.
GAMING/GAMBLING
Sportsbook apps should be more honest about gamblers' chances of winning parlay bets, according to Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) Executive Director Matt Schuler. "Here's the problem, and this isn't all of them, OK? This is some of them -- they make the default settings on these apps so that the default is always the choice that's the most risky, and puts you in a position to lose," Schuler said during the 2025 Ohio Problem Gambling Conference.
Ohio's sportsbooks, casinos and racino video lottery terminals (VLTs) brought in less money in December 2024 than they did in December 2023, according to data provided by the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) and Ohio Lottery Commission (OLC). Sports betting operators reported $57.1 million in revenue in December 2024, down from $87.3 million in December 2023. However, sportsbooks reported a higher handle in December 2024 than they did in December 2023, with bettors winning more of their wagers. Sportsbooks accepted $963.2 million in bets in December 2024, paying out $902.2 million in winnings. Sportsbooks accepted $829.9 million in bets in December 2023, paying out $737.8 million in winnings. Operating transfers to the Lottery Profits Education Fund (LPEF) totaled $135.4 million in December 2024, down from $137.4 million in December 2023.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE
Legislation conforming Ohio's tax law to the federal tax law unanimously passed the House on Wednesday. Lawmakers voted 93-0 to approve HB14 (Roemer-Workman), which incorporates into Ohio law recent changes to the Internal Revenue Code. The House also unanimously voted to add an emergency clause to the bill. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Bill Roemer (R-Richfield) said the most significant change in HB14 is language excluding qualified disaster relief payments resulting from the East Palestine train derailment from a taxpayer's gross income. The House Ways and Means Committee had reported the bill earlier in the day after hearing from two proponent witnesses -- Greg Saul of the Ohio Society of CPAs and Tim Lynch, the policy director at the Ohio Department of Taxation.
In other action on the House floor Wednesday, the chamber voted 93-0 to adopt SCR4 (Reineke), the legislative code of ethics of the General Assembly. The Senate adopted the resolution on Jan. 29.
After session, House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) told reporters that Reps. Roemer, Jim Hoops (R-Napoleon), David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and a "couple others" are working on bills to address property taxes. Huffman said he would prefer that lawmakers address property taxes outside the operating budget. "Often, when everything gets shoved in a budget, we figure out later how it's interacting with each other. This problem with property taxes has been created over decades, much like other problems that we have," Huffman said. "The concept of, we're going to peel the onion apart a little bit at a time ... that's the preferred method."
Speaking with reporters earlier after the House Rules and Reference Committee, the speaker discussed various elements of the next operating budget while telling Hannah News he hoped that will pass the House before their Easter break over the weeks of April 14 and April 21. "Our goal is to have [the budget] out before that," Huffman said. He also discussed how around a dozen House committees will be taking budget testimony and making reports, rather than the subcommittee method used in the past, saying that should "help move the timeline along." Huffman's office said they hope the budget will be introduced as a bill this week or early next week.
Regarding budget funding for public schools and its proposal for changes to the guarantees, Huffman detailed the complexity of the current system and said it "needs to be taken apart" with elements that are successful being retained. He also said Rules and Reference Committee meetings will move from Hearing Room 119 to the House Chamber to better enable public attendance and because they will now be livestreamed and recorded on the Ohio Channel. Presentations of congratulatory resolutions on the House floor will be limited to five a day at session and they can be held at the end of rules committee meetings, Huffman continued.
House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Columbus) told reporters Wednesday her caucus is still reviewing what Gov. Mike DeWine's budget proposal would mean as far as public school guarantees being phased out. She added the proposal doesn't include updates to the cost inputs for the school funding formula, something Democrats hope will happen and which could "mitigate" concerns on the loss of guarantees. Regarding vice tax increases in the budget proposal, she said it would mean "making a lot of money off of people's vices" and questioned how sustainable that was, as well as "is that something as a government we want to continue to encourage? I think it speaks to the larger point of, we have a very unbalanced, unfair tax system here in the state of Ohio," Russo said. She continued that rolling back income taxes would also be part of "a very regressive tax structure that tends to make people who don't make as much money pay more of their income in taxes."
The chair of the House Education Committee said Tuesday at the panel's first meeting of the 136th General Assembly that she's hoping to find ways to provide flexibility to Ohio schools. Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) said in recent decades the state's education system has become "weighed down with bureaucracy and red tape," sometimes as a result of laws and rules that stemmed from good intentions. "But we have the opportunity to change this," she said, noting the potential for a new direction in federal policy under the Trump administration and its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. Fowler Arthur called out the educational expertise present on the committee, including multiple former teachers and three past chairs of the committee - Reps. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond), Don Jones (R-Freeport) and Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville).
The name of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) may change to the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, Director LeeAnne Cornyn told the House Children and Human Services Committee Tuesday. The name change is proposed in Gov. DeWine's FY26-27 budget, Cornyn said. A department survey found stigmas attached to words like "addiction" and "mental illness" that could limit people's willingness to pursue treatment, she said, adding that more than half of states have updated their terminology to focus on "behavioral health." As budget discussions begin, Cornyn and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director Matt Damschroder appeared before the committee to provide an overview of their agencies' budgets.
GOVERNOR
Gov. Mike DeWine Tuesday issued Executive Order 2025-01D, which orders all state employees to return to their offices no later than Monday, March 17. The order notes that it is "in the best interest of the citizens of Ohio for state of Ohio employees to complete a return to a physical office or facility to best serve the public and maximize the use of state-owned assets and facilities." In actuality, this order affects approximately 35 percent of the state's 50,000 employees, according to Department of Administrative Services (DAS) spokesman J.C. Benton. He told Hannah News in a Tuesday email that "65 percent of state employees are currently fully in-office and were never remote due to the nature of the duties they perform ..." - a fact noted by the governor in the executive order: "... the majority of state of Ohio employees never worked remotely due to the nature of their positions, including state hospital and direct care employees, correctional and law enforcement officers and others ...."
GREAT LAKES
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) on Friday released the "Life on Lake Erie" license plate to raise awareness and support for the protection and preservation of the lake. This is OLEC's fourth specialty license plate, according to the agency. "Sales from the license plate directly fund vital conservation efforts across the Lake Erie watershed through the Lake Erie Protection Fund (LEPF)," OLEC said.
HANNAH NEWS’ MEET THE FRESHMEN
Having returned to the House after an eight-year absence, Rep. Mike Dovilla (R-Berea) told Hannah News he plans to focus on areas of economic competitiveness, high-quality education and government reform. He made similar comments in an interview during the campaign. Dovilla had previously served in the House from 2011 to 2016, rising to majority whip in his third term. He said he plans to introduce legislation in those areas soon, adding that was "in development" and that he sees a "comprehensive energy policy" and additional tax reform as important parts of improving Ohio's economic competitiveness. Dovilla further noted the focus on property tax changes and said he wants to take a closer look at how the Common Sense Initiative is doing and the work of JobsOhio. Given his new position as vice chair of the House Finance Committee, Dovilla also discussed the budget at length and how he expects that to be "leaner" than in recent years.
HIGHER EDUCATION
The Ohio State University (OSU) Department of Athletics was $37.8 million in the red during the last fiscal year, according to the university's FY24 financial report filed with the NCAA. The department reported $254.9 million in revenue and $292.7 million in expenses in FY24, the report says. OSU said the Department of Athletics made $279.5 million in revenue in FY23.
The University of Toledo (UToledo) announced it has recruited its first executive vice president for health affairs to lead the institution's clinical enterprise. Dr. Charles "Chuck" Callahan, a clinical psychologist and experienced health care CEO, joined UToledo Feb. 3. Callahan spent much of his career in administrative roles at Memorial Health in Springfield, IL, including serving as president of the five hospital Memorial Hospital Group and president and CEO of the 500-bed Springfield Memorial Hospital, as well as chief operating officer and chief quality officer.
OSU head football coach Ryan Day has agreed to a new seven-year contract, the OSU Department of Athletics announced Thursday. The contract, which would keep Day as coach of the Buckeye football team through the 2031 football season, reportedly makes Day the second-highest-paid college football coach behind only University of Georgia coach Kirby Smart. "Terms of the contract, which add three years onto his current agreement, must be approved by the OSU Board of Trustees once the entire contract is completed," the university said. "Valued at $12.5 million in total annual compensation, with a base salary of $2 million per year, the contract comes just over two weeks after Ohio State celebrated winning the 2025 College Football Playoff national championship after a spectacular and never-before achieved run of four playoff wins in 31 days." Day is one of only three current college football head coaches with a national championship win, along with Smart and University of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.
JUDICIAL
"But if it is hard to ascribe a purpose to a General Assembly comprised of 99 representatives and 33 senators in Ohio, consider how much more difficult is to ascribe a common objective to a million plus Ohioans who voted for a constitutional amendment." With that statement, Ohio Supreme Court Justice R. Patrick DeWine rejects a "purposivist" approach to interpreting the Ohio Constitution as one of two primary methods contrasted by a plain-language or textual approach. He writes in a 31-page treatise to be published later this year that attempting to divine the individual or cumulative intentions of a large body of people is inferior to understanding the common meaning of the 1851 state constitution and its subsequent amendments to electors who enacted them. "Because every provision in the Ohio Constitution was voted on directly by the people through a formalized process, the document has an unquestionable democratic legitimacy," the Republican says in "Ohio Constitutional Interpretation," a labor, according to DeWine, in otherwise scant legal scholarship on the state's founding charter. "Ohio Constitutional Interpretation" is scheduled to be published in the Ohio State Law Journal later this year. It is available HERE.
LIQUOR/ALCOHOL
As Ohioans finalize their plans to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday with friends and family this weekend, the Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Division of Liquor Control (DOLC) and Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) are urging adults to prioritize safety, social responsibility and responsible consumption. "As excitement builds for Super Bowl Sunday, we encourage all Ohioans to celebrate responsibly," DOLC Superintendent Jackie DeGenova said. "Our goal is to foster safe and enjoyable celebrations, whether by promoting responsible alcohol consumption, providing creative non-alcoholic options, or emphasizing safe transportation planning. As game day approaches, we urge Ohioans to always keep safety and responsibility at the forefront of their minds."
LOBBYISTS
Brittney Colvin, who was chief of staff under former House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill), is joining lobbying firm Hicks Partners as senior director of government affairs, the firm announced Monday. Prior to her time as chief of staff, Colvin worked in a variety of roles at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Senate. Colvin has a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University, management essentials certification from Harvard Business School and is a graduate of the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute.
MARIJUANA/HEMP
"Intoxicating hemp" products would only be available to individuals age 21 and older in licensed adult-use cannabis dispensaries under legislation introduced by Sens. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) and Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro). The legislation, SB86, would also regulate "drinkable cannabinoid products" similarly to alcohol. Gov. Mike DeWine has been calling for the prohibition of intoxicating hemp, such as Delta-8 THC, for more than a year. A previous version of the bill, 135-SB326 (S. Huffman), would have completely banned the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Ohio. The cannabis industry and children's hospitals were among those urging lawmakers to pass 135-SB326, while small business owners opposed the bill.
MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM
The House Medicaid Committee heard a presentation Tuesday on the state's Medicaid program from Trevor Carlsen and Kaitlyn Finley, visiting fellows with the Opportunity Solutions Project (OSP), with Carlsen saying Ohio faces a "Medicaid crisis" and offering recommendations. In introducing them, Chair Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) identified OSP as a lobbying arm of the Florida-based Foundation for Government Accountability. Finley explained the history of Medicaid nationally, including how it expanded in the 1980s to apply to parents and caretakers of those with disabilities as well as pregnant women. She also detailed how the 2010 Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," subsequently allowed anyone under a certain economic threshold to qualify regardless of whether they had a medical condition. Finley added Medicaid didn't change to operate like other "welfare programs as short-term assistance."
MENTAL HEALTH
The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) and members of the House Community Revitalization Committee Tuesday explored the inherent contradiction in a statute requiring a local continuum of care to include certain "essential" inpatient and outpatient services "to the extent resources are available," and discussed how the General Assembly and the DeWine administration might address that gap in the new budget cycle. OACBHA CEO Liz Heinrich provided an overview of county Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health (ADAMH) boards at the committee's first meeting of the 136th General Assembly. She said Ohio Revised Code Chapter 340 empowers Ohio's 50 single- and multi-county boards to "plan, develop, fund, manage and evaluate community-based mental health and addiction services" contracted to area agencies through state General Revenue Funds (GRF), federal grants and local levies.
NATURAL RESOURCES
More than 400 acres of forested land near the Ohio River in Adams County will now be granted protection following its acquisition by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry in January. The division used grant funding from the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Legacy Program to expand Shawnee State Forest by 263 acres of forested land following purchase of the land. The grant also funded a conservation easement of 141 acres on the separate Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve System.
NONPROFIT/OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
For every $1 dollar that lawmakers invest in Ohio Boys and Girls Clubs organizations, $35.16 is generated in lifetime benefits for Ohio communities, a report released by the Ohio Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs Wednesday states. The group held a press conference at the Statehouse to highlight the report on the social return of investment by the clubs as lawmakers begin deliberating the biennial budget. Conducted by Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Services, the report states that the return on investment comes due to participants' later avoiding risky youth behaviors that could have consequences well into adulthood. With the state investing $12.5 million in boys and girls clubs in 2023, the authors of the report argue that the total benefits to the state were $439.5 million. Adam Shank, the executive director of the Ohio Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, said the clubs need to be in the conversation if they want to have an impact on youth mental health, academic recovery, workforce development, and the myriad of other issues that affect Ohio.
The Chamber of Commerce Executives of Ohio (CCEO) recently announced it changed its name to the Chamber Professionals of Ohio (CPO), saying that is part of an ongoing commitment to serving chamber professionals across the state and "embracing inclusivity and growth within the industry." The CPO has also updated its logo and digital platforms, along with enhancing membership benefits. A new website will be released, featuring an online library of resources for members.
PEOPLE
Former state Sen. Matt Dolan has been named as the next CEO of Team NEO, a private economic development organization serving 14 counties in Northeast Ohio. He succeeds Bill Koehler, who has led the organization since 2015 and who announced his departure last year. "A lifelong resident of Northeast Ohio, accomplished attorney, successful businessman, a collaborative leader, Matt has spent the last decade advocating for Northeast Ohio's economic interests in both the state House and Senate, while fostering relationships that span both the public and private sectors throughout the region and the state," said Kim Riley, chair of the Team NEO Board of Directors. Dolan served in the Ohio House from 2005-2010, and in the Senate from 2017-2024. He chaired the finance committee of both chambers. He also is a former chief assistant prosecutor for Geauga County and assistant Ohio attorney general.
POLITICS
The Ohio Republican Party announced that Mitch Tulley has been named executive director of the Ohio Republican Party, succeeding Cameron Sagester. Tulley previously served as political director of the state party for two years, and deputy political director before that. He is a graduate of Miami University.
PUBLIC SAFETY
The DeWine administration is asking Ohioans to redouble their efforts to "move over and slow down" when passing Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) cruisers on the side of the road to reduce or eliminate the high number of citizens and troopers injured in the last four years -- medical emergencies resulting in two civilian deaths. The administration says 55 patrol cruisers have been struck by passing motorists who did not move out of the right lane and slow down since 2021, injuring 16 troopers and 29 civilians. OSHP says alcohol and/or other intoxicating substances contributed to more than a fourth of those crashes.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety's (DPS) Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) has certified another agency under law enforcement standards promulgated by the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board, leaving the state just shy of 30,000 officers employed by participating departments. OCJS announced certification of the Corning Police Department (Perry County) and recertification of Marysville police (Union) and sheriffs' offices in Auglaize, Delaware and Medina counties.
STATE GOVERNMENT
Monday's Controlling Board meeting was cancelled, with the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) saying it has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m. in the Senate Finance Hearing Room. A spokesman for OBM told Hannah News that the decision was made to move the meeting as to not conflict with Gov. Mike DeWine's roll out of his proposed executive budget. The board is set to hear 83 items, including an extension of the liquor contract with JobsOhio, an additional appropriation for the Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of Cannabis Control to perform responsibilities under the adult-use recreational marijuana program, and funds for cybersecurity efforts at the secretary of state's office.
VETERANS
The House Veterans and Military Development Committee will strive to establish Ohio as the "strongest military state in the country," Chair Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville) said during the committee's first meeting on Wednesday. "To do this, we will have multiple missions," Richardson said. "First, we will support our current Armed Forces, including our active National Guard and Reserve forces, their families and our veterans. Policies that impact quality of life, recruitment, recognition, care for veterans and more will be as important as they always have been." Secondly, Richardson said, the committee will support Ohio's "defense economy."
[Story originally published in The Hannah Report. Copyright 2025 Hannah News Service, Inc.]
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