Week in Review: Feb. 23, 2025

A summary of Ohio's legislative news for the week ending Feb. 21, 2025.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

The Ohio Attorney General's Office will award nearly $11 million in school safety grants for the current academic year from General Revenue Funds (GRF) appropriated by 135-HB33 (Edwards). School districts, community schools and chartered private schools can use the funding for a range of purposes, including training and education on threat detection and prevention, as well as technologies, tools and equipment designed to save lives and improve crisis response.

Led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, 19 state attorneys general are opposing a Wisconsin Supreme Court decision that lets the government draw the line between religious and nonreligious practices, with Yost and his counterparts saying the ruling intrudes on the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion. "The power to define religion is the power to destroy it," Yost said in a written statement earlier in February. "Our Constitution guards against government interference on religion, and few maneuvers are as intrusive as the government taking it upon itself to define religious practice." In an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, the attorneys general challenge the Wisconsin Supreme Court's 2024 ruling that denied a religious charity's request for an exemption from unemployment taxes. Religious nonprofits are generally exempt from such taxes under Wisconsin law.

FY26-27 BUDGET

The executive budget proposal does not provide enough funding to adequately address the avian influenza outbreak, Ohio Poultry Association (OPA) Executive Vice President Jim Chakeres told the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday. "Bottom line -- no. That is not enough money," Chakeres told Rep. Joe Miller (D-Amherst), referring to the HB96 (Stewart) ODAg line items on animal health and poultry inspection. Chakeres provided a presentation on the bird flu situation ahead of budget testimony from the Ohio Casino Control Commission, Ohio State Racing Commission and Ohio Air Quality Development Authority. Chakeres emphasized the importance of fully funding the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODAg) is doing everything in its power to end the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak that's wreaking havoc on the state's poultry industry, ODAg Director Brian Baldridge told the House Agriculture Committee on Thursday. During his testimony on budget bill HB96 (Stewart), Baldridge said he's aware that OPA is seeking more funding in the budget to address the bird flu problem. "I've had great conversations with Mr. Chakeres through the association. We understand. But as we presented this budget, we had to stay within the guidelines of more of a normal budget, and normal projections," Baldridge said.

BUSINESS/CORPORATE

Lawmakers and industry representatives gathered at the Statehouse on Tuesday to urge Congress to act before the expiration of provisions from the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed at the end of 2017 to preserve the gains since made by Ohio's manufacturers. National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons, an Ohio native, said the state's successes in manufacturing since the passage of TCJA are proof of what happens when manufacturing policies are working. Literature from NAM projects the failure to preserve pro-manufacturing tax policies from TCJA would cost the U.S. economy nearly six million jobs and more than $1 trillion in GDP. Timmons and other NAM executives began a multi-state tour on Tuesday to urge policymakers in several states to reduce their industry regulations and bolster their workforces to help the industry drive global competitiveness. The tour kicked off with three stops in Central Ohio -- including the Statehouse, Armstrong World Industries in Hilliard and Columbus State Community College -- and will continue to other stops this week at businesses and schools in Texas, Alabama and Florida.

EAST PALESTINE DERAILMENT

On Thursday, February 13, Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff announced the award of $750,000 to help East Liverpool City Hospital transition its East Palestine primary care clinic to a new location. According to DeWine, the funding will enable the clinic to apply to become a federally certified Rural Health Clinic (RHC). This would allow operators to access additional revenue streams, helping to ensure the clinic's long-term sustainability. An RHC is a facility located in a rural area which has been identified as having a shortage of personal health services or primary medical manpower.

EDUCATION

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) would get $1.5 million to design and roll out to educators a model curriculum that integrates English language arts, social studies and civics education topics under Gov. Mike DeWine's executive budget proposal. DEW Director Steve Dackin told the House Finance Committee that he'd talked with DeWine about this concept of integrating civics education into English language instruction, telling Finance Vice Chair Mike Dovilla (R-Berea) that civics and science sometimes get "relegated" in the early grades because so much focus is put on literacy and numeracy. The introduced version of HB96 (Stewart) includes about $6 million annually for DEW's work on state academic standards.

Even though the State Board of Education didn't get quite the funding levels it requested from the DeWine administration, approval of executive-proposed funding levels would forestall any teacher licensure fee increase in the upcoming biennium, Superintendent Paul Craft told the House Education Committee in budget testimony Wednesday. The board had asked for $2.25 million to cover increased costs for Rapback, which provides ongoing criminal records monitoring for licensees; the DeWine administration proposed $2 million. Lawmakers in the prior budget expanded the number of school employees who must be enrolled in Rapback to include among others custodian and secretaries -- people who do not pay license fees to the board. The executive proposal also did not include funding the board request to cover the cost of assistant attorneys general who assist the board with official proceedings.

ELECTIONS 2026

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has filed paperwork with the secretary of state's office for a gubernatorial run, taking another step towards a campaign announcement that will reportedly come next week. Ramaswamy filed paperwork on Friday designating a treasurer for his campaign committee, Vivek Ramaswamy for Ohio, that will allow him to begin raising money for the race. He is expected to launch the campaign on Monday, Feb. 24, according to multiple reports. The launch will occur at CTL Aerospace Inc. in Cincinnati, according to an email from Ramaswamy's campaign.

FEDERAL

U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) Tuesday announced Rebecca Card Angelson will serve as his office's chief of staff. Other senior staff named by Husted include long-time Husted aide Joshua Eck, who will now serve as state director; Jess Andrews as deputy chief of staff; Sean Dunn as senior advisor and counsel; Maggie Ward as legislative director; and Katie Tomko as director of operations and administration.

U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Columbus) offered her view on recent Trump administration actions in remarks to the Columbus Metropolitan Club Wednesday, as well as discussing what Democratic leaders are doing and how concerned members of the public can make their voices heard in Washington, D.C. Beatty noted some administration actions have been challenged by state attorneys general with initial success and questioned Elon Musk's role in the Trump administration, saying he wasn't elected. She also pointed to how Republicans only have control of the U.S. House by a 218 to 215 margin, saying some of them may be convinced to support concerns regarding what the administration is doing. Beatty added that the federal government could shut down without passage of a budget by Friday, March 14.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

Megan Wycuff has been selected as executive director of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB). Members of the board voted unanimously to appoint Wycuff to the position during Tuesday's meeting. She will replace former CSRAB Executive Director Laura Battocletti, who retired. Wycuff is currently executive director of Ohio Government Telecommunications (OGT) and the Ohio Channel. Wycuff's start date, salary and benefits have not yet been determined, CSRAB spokesperson Mike Rupert told Hannah News.

In other action, CSRAB approved the following individuals as winners of the Great Ohioan Award:

- Clark Gable

- Dorothy Dandridge

- Paul Newman

Capitol Square Foundation Chair Charles Moses said Gable, Dandridge and Newman stand out among entertainers born in Ohio. The only other entertainer to win the award is Bob Hope, Moses said. The board also heard an update on the Statehouse windows project from Brian Kiggins, project manager with Schooley Caldwell Associates. He said the project is projected to be completed by the end of 2026.

The Senate Wednesday unanimously approved legislation that conforms Ohio's tax code to recent Internal Revenue Code changes, as well as a bill to make the building inspection process more efficient. In introducing HB14 (Roemer-Workman) on the floor, Sen. Lou Blessing (R-Cincinnati) said the bill is exactly the same as Senate companion bill SB9 (Blessing), which passed unanimously in the Senate last week. The bill now heads to the governor for his signature.

Also passing the Senate unanimously was SB6 (Roegner), which Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) said would make building inspections more efficient by introducing an expedited appeals process. She said under the bill, an appeal would have to commence within one day, with a hearing in five days. "We believe this is a workable solution" to issues with inspection appeals, Roegner said, adding that it will keep projects on track.

The Senate also unanimously passed SB14 (Reynolds), designating Sept. 28 as "Speaker Jo Ann Davidson Day," and SB21 (Brenner-Reineke) to designate Oct. 4 as "Rutherford B. Hayes Day."

Senate Finance Committee Chair Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) Tuesday outlined how the Senate will deal with the four budget bills: HB54 (Stewart), the transportation budget which will be heard first by the Senate Transportation Committee, Sen. Tom Patton (R-Strongsville), chair; the Bureau of Workers' Compensation bill, HB81 (Stewart) and the Industrial Commission budget, HB80 (Stewart) which will both be heard by the Senate Financial Institutions, Insurance and Technology Committee, Sen. Steve Wilson (R-Maineville), chair; and the operating budget, HB96 (Stewart) which will go through the finance committee. However, six of the Senate standing committees will hear testimony for the main operating budget. Those include the following:

- Senate Education Committee, Sen. Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware), chair.

- Senate Higher Education Committee, Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson), chair.

- Senate Medicaid Committee, Sen. Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario), chair.

- Senate Health Committee, Sen. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), chair.

- Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), chair.

- Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee, Sen. Susan Manchester (R-Lakeview), chair.

Friday's Senate Journal included news that Senate President Robert McColley (R-Napoleon) named a different one of his predecessors to fill the seat on the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) set aside for former Senate presidents. McColley removed former Senate President Tom Niehaus who served in 2011 and 2012, and appointed former Senate President Larry Obhof, who served from 2017 through 2020.

In other legislative action, the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee reported out SCR1 (Johnson) which urges Congress to designate fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction; and SB17 (Reynolds-Craig) which designates March 9 as “688^th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day”; and the Senate Health Committee reported out SB20 (Antonio-Manning) which designates the first week of May as “Ohio Stroke Awareness Week” and SB27 (Johnson) which designates March 20 as “Ameloblastoma Awareness Day.”

GOVERNOR

Judicial appointment made during the week includes the following:

The governor appointed Christopher Woodworth to the Cleveland Municipal Court, effective Monday, March 10. Woodworth will complete the unfinished term formerly held by Judge Lauren Moore, who won election to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court in November and took office in January. He must prevail in this year's General Election to retain the seat. He began his law career in 2014 as a criminal defense attorney in Cuyahoga County and has served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the county prosecutor's office since 2021.

HANNAH NEWS: Meet the Freshmen

Rep. Johnathan Newman (R-Troy), who succeeded Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum), told Hannah News he sees his office as "an opportunity to influence our culture for good through the Legislature" following on his 26 years as a pastor, which has provided "many occasions where I saw the need for churches, pastors [and] Christians to be engaged in the community." Issues related to abortion were one of those, and Newman was part of efforts to meet with legislators in Columbus and Washington, D.C. on that. He also discussed how he had participated in the campaign of U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Troy) as they were friends before Davidson's run for Congress. Newman said Davidson was a U.S. Army veteran and West Point graduate but an "outsider" in politics, so it was an "eye-opening experience" to be part of his campaign.

Rep. Michelle Teska (R-Centerville), who grew up in Beavercreek and now lives in Warren County, says she has "always loved politics" and led political ad sales for Cox but focused her work life on professional communications before leaving to join her "serial entrepreneur" husband as co-owner and president of Golden Heart Senior Care. "The bureaucracy on small businesses and the red tape is what led me here," she says in her Riffe Center office, noting workforce-minded entrepreneurs already put employees' salary needs ahead of their own without additional regulatory challenges. "It's not easy."

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Jim Tressel is officially the 67th lieutenant governor of Ohio. The former Ohio State University (OSU) football coach and Youngstown State University president took the oath of office during a Statehouse ceremony on Friday morning, filling the vacancy left by now-U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH). Tressel was sworn in by Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine. Tressel was confirmed by both chambers of the General Assembly on Wednesday.

MARIJUANA/HEMP

Marijuana bill SB56 (Huffman) is a slap in the face to the majority of Ohioans who voted to legalize the plant in November 2023, opponents told the Senate General Government Committee on Tuesday. "My overwhelming opinion of SB56 is that it should be torn up and thrown in the trash, due to the complete disregard for the voters of the state. I believe that it is a waste of your time, it is a waste of my time, and it is a punch to the gut of the voters that turned out in this state back in 2023," said Adam Sheff, one of more than 20 opponents who testified against the legislation. During the meeting, committee members unanimously accepted a substitute version of the bill, which removes all provisions on the tax rate and revenue distribution, among other changes. Chair Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) told reporters that the marijuana tax rate will be considered in the operating budget, noting Gov. Mike DeWine proposed an increase in the tax from 10% to 20%. At the end of the meeting, Roegner cancelled the committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 19 when SB56 could have been reported out.

The Ohio Cannabis Coalition (OHCANN) announced Adrienne Robbins as the organization's deputy executive director, effective immediately. In her new role, OHCANN said Robbins will focus on advancing the coalition's mission "to support and advocate for Ohio's growing cannabis industry through government affairs and public relations." Robbins has experience leading successful campaigns and navigating public policy in Ohio as a consultant. A former TV news reporter and anchor, she has experience in media relations, crisis communications, and public affairs.

"Intoxicating hemp" products should be regulated like any other cannabis product in the adult use market, Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) Superintendent Jim Canepa told the House Agriculture Committee on Thursday. "I think that many are whistling past the graveyard on this one," Canepa said, answering questions from lawmakers following DOC Director Sheryl Maxfield's testimony on budget bill HB96 (Stewart). "It's the same plant. The THC in the cannabis plant is what I regulate. The hemp plant is supposed to have inert THC levels, which is why it was exempted from the Farm Bill. Well, good intentions went bad there because people added acid and cooked it, and created derived synthetic THC. It coaxed those levels up higher than the THC levels in what I'm regulating," Canepa said.

MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) will not revisit its award of MyCare Ohio expansion contracts to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Buckeye Health Plan, CareSource and Molina Healthcare of Ohio following protests filed by four rejected bidders. ODM released the bidders' protests and its rejection of their claims to Hannah News in response to a public records request after the "quiet period" laid out in the bidding process rules concluded last week. Some of the protests focused on the institution of that quiet period during the bidding process, with rejected bidders claiming it gave an advantage to incumbent managed care organizations and arguing that some of the winners had violated quiet-period rules and should have been excluded. In November, ODM received protests from four rejected bidders: AmeriHealth Caritas Ohio, Aetna Better Health of Ohio, United Healthcare Community Plan of Ohio and Humana Health Plan of Ohio.

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Jack Hershey has been named the next president and CEO of Philanthropy Ohio, replacing Claudia Herrold, who has served as interim CEO since June 2024 after the departure of Deborah Aubert Thomas, who served as president and CEO from 2019 to 2024. Herrold will retire at the end of the month. Hershey, who will assume his new role on Monday, Feb. 24, previously served as president and CEO of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC). Prior to his tenure at OACC, Hershey served as associate vice president of government affairs at Ohio State University. He also held leadership positions in state government, including deputy director of the Ohio Office of Budget and Management and director of finance and a finance analyst in the Ohio House of Representatives under Speaker Jo Ann Davidson.

The Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA), representing alcohol, drug addiction and mental health boards, recently presented awards at its annual Ohio Statehouse luncheon. Sen. Susan Manchester (R-Lakeview), U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) and Auditor Keith Faber received awards, as did Scott Rotolo, assistant police chief in Wooster.

The Ohio Job and Family Services Directors' Association (OJFSDA) announced Tuesday that Jon Honeck had assumed the role of executive director effective Monday, Feb. 3. He most recently served for seven years as a senior policy analyst for the County Commissioners Association of Ohio. He also formerly served as the director of public policy and advocacy at the Center for Community Solutions, as well as having worked for the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, Greater Ohio Policy Center, and Policy Matters Ohio.

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce announced the selection of Andy Hardy as its new vice president of government relations. "With over two decades of experience in government relations, public affairs, and community engagement, Andy brings an extensive track record of fostering strategic partnerships, driving legislative initiatives, and advocating for impactful community programs," the association said in a prepared statement. The association went on to note, "His appointment underscores the Columbus Chamber's commitment to advancing policies that support economic growth and prosperity for the Columbus Region."

PENSIONS

As they prepare to reshuffle asset allocation targets for pension investments, members of the Investment Committee for the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) debated Thursday the tradeoffs in boosting how much money the system puts into private equity. Consulting firm Meketa has been performing an asset liability study for STRS to help trustees decide how much money to put into U.S. or international stocks, bonds, private equity, real estate and other asset classes in order to get enough investment income to sustain the system while mitigating the risks of a downturn. Meketa's Colin Bebee presented seven potential portfolios for trustees to consider, labeled as options A through G – though he suggested they simply throw out G, as it was markedly worse on a variety of metrics. Trustees generally expressed preferences for either A or C.

REDISTRICTING/REAPPORTIONMENT

While both chambers have made appointments in anticipation of a required redraw of Ohio's congressional district lines this year, House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) told Hannah News that it will likely be the summer months before much of the work begins in earnest. Congressional lines will have to be redrawn this year because under changes to the Ohio Constitution made in 2018, district lines only last four years if there is not enough buy-in from the minority party, thus precluding a 10-year duration for the lines. Under the amendment, the General Assembly gets first crack at drawing congressional maps, unlike state legislative maps which go straight to the Ohio Redistricting Commission. Lawmakers are required to pass a congressional district plan in the form of a bill by at least three-fifths of the members of each chamber by Sept. 30, including approval from at least half of the members of each of the two largest political parties represented in that chamber.

STATE GOVERNMENT

The Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) has opened the violent crime reduction program for a new round of grant applications from state, regional and local law enforcement agencies including the Ohio Attorney General's Office and Ohio Department of Youth Services. OCJS has $4 million available this year from the FY24-25 operating budget to create, implement and/or expand proven or promising initiatives to reduce adult and/or juvenile violent crime, including "place network investigations" (PNI) of criminal hot spots, hot-spot patrolling, focused deterrence, and crime gun intelligence centers, as well as technology, technical assistance, equipment, training, overtime costs, and analytical tools and support. The grant application can be found at the OCJS webpage. There is also a webinar on Monday, Feb. 24. The application deadline is Wednesday, March 19 at 5 p.m.

TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE

Ohio's plans to create a comprehensive framework of electric vehicle charging stations across the state is on hold after the Trump administration put a pause on grants through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which was set to pay for a majority of the costs of constructing the stations. NEVI is a grant program authorized through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by former President Joe Biden, and would provide $7.5 billion to improve electric vehicle charging infrastructure over the next five years, with the goal of having a network of 500,000 charging facilities by 2030. Ohio's plan for stations was to draw down $20.7 million annually in NEVI funds to build 42 charging sites around the state.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Friday released the results of its comprehensive look at Ohio's highway corridors, finding that while most of the major corridors are meeting the needs of today, there are still some areas that need addressing. ODOT was ordered to conduct the Strategic Transportation and Development Analysis by lawmakers in language in last session's transportation budget, 135-HB23 (Edwards). The study examined development trends, including statewide and regional demographics, economic development opportunities, passenger and freight travel needs over the next 10, 20 and 30 years. ODOT was also asked to look at transportation system congestion risks in the state's seven economic regions and along six interregional corridors. Specifically, the bill cited Toledo to Columbus and Sandusky to Columbus as two of the corridors to be examined. ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn said Friday the results, coming in at over 1,100 pages, took longer than expected because ODOT wanted to ensure the product was "understandable, that the data was accurate, and that it answered its intended purpose."

In a short meeting Tuesday, the House Finance Committee adopted a substitute version of transportation budget HB54 (Stewart), restoring funding to the Ohio Workforce Mobility Partnership program among other changes. Public transit agencies testified last week on the program, which was established in the previous transportation budget, 135-HB23 (Edwards), and which allowed regional transit authorities to apply for grant funding for specific purposes related to supporting workforce transit. The transit agencies warned a number of pilot programs that were begun under the previous budget could end without continued funding for the program. The substitute version of HB54 restores $15 million in each fiscal year to administer the program. Additionally, the substitute version also established the Ohio Airport Grant Program Fund to provide money to airports that do not receive federal grants, following testimony by the Ohio Aviation Association that noted the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program often requires a local or state match in order to receive federal funding from the program.

With the House set to finish up its work on the transportation budget, HB54 (Stewart), by the end of the month and with the bill’s needing to pass by the end of March, the Senate began its hearings with an informal meeting that featured invited testimony from Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Pamela Boratyn and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik. Boratyn delivered testimony largely similar to her testimony to the House Transportation Committee earlier this month, hitting on portions of the budget that seek to expand the number of parking spaces for commercial trucks, primarily at rest areas around the state. She also cautioned the Senate committee regarding future revenues from the gas tax which is falling below the cost of state transportation needs.

While the Ohio Turnpike's new toll collection system will save more than $3.2 million annually due to reductions of toll operations personnel, significant increases in back-office support will wipe much of those savings out, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission was told Tuesday. Turnpike Chief Financial Officer Lisa Mejac presented the costs to the commission in response to a commissioner's question from a previous meeting. She said that the back-office operations are expected to increase operating expenses by about $1.1 million. Mejac said more savings are expected to be realized through attrition of staff as more customers convert to using electronic tolling.

UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION

A week after a Franklin County judge ordered Gov. Mike DeWine's administration to obtain Ohio's share of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC), the administration filed an appeal with the 10th District Court of Appeals. DeWine had joined with other Republican governors in announcing an early end to FPUC, which was adopted by Congress in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and which provided enhanced unemployment insurance benefits for workers who were not otherwise eligible for relief. A number of affected recipients filed a lawsuit seeking the final months of the $300 additional benefits the FPUC was set to provide before DeWine ended the program. The lawsuit ultimately resulted in a 10th District decision that sided with the plaintiffs and sent the case back to Franklin County Judge Michael Holbrook, who had earlier rejected a motion to order the administration to reinstate the payments. Holbrook last week ordered the administration to "take all action necessary" for Ohio to obtain its share of the FPUC. Former Attorney General Marc Dann, whose law firm represented the affected recipients, filed his own motion Thursday asking the appeals court to order the state to obtain the FPUC payments and deposit the funds with the Franklin County Common Pleas Court clerk as the appeal proceeds.

Provided by Hannah News Service