Week in review

A summary of Ohio's legislative news for the week ending March 28, 2025.

AGRICULTURE

Farmers in 10 counties of the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) are now eligible to enroll in H2Ohio's agriculture incentive program, Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODAg) Director Brian Baldridge announced this week. Producers in the following Northwest Ohio counties are eligible to enroll or re-enroll acreage into best management practices (BMPs) that contribute toward improving water quality: Crawford, Erie, Huron, Marion, Ottawa, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby and Wyandot.

FY26-27 BUDGET

The General Assembly should provide universal school meals and adequate funding for foodbanks before even considering spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a new stadium for the Cleveland Browns, Hunger Network in Ohio (HNO) Director Nick Bates said Tuesday. "We have the ability to give $600 million to the Haslams, but we can't afford to feed our kids? That doesn't make sense to me if we believe we are a moral society," Bates said during a press conference at the Statehouse, joined by faith and community leaders from across the state.

House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Columbus) told reporters Wednesday she sees fully funding public education, supporting children in poverty and providing more resources to foodbanks as more pressing needs than the proposal to provide $600 million in revenue bonds for a new Cleveland Browns stadium. "I can think of a lot of ways that we should be prioritizing funds or opportunities to get funding over building a new stadium," Russo said. She added she has "huge concerns" and this "is not in the choice of things that I would support."

Weeks of public hearings and behind-the-scenes discussions will culminate next week in the first major changes to Gov. Mike DeWine's FY26-27 budget proposal, as the House Finance Committee is scheduled Tuesday, April 1 to adopt its HB96 (Stewart) substitute bill. Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee will get a head start on its budget hearing schedule next week as well.

The operating budget should include Haslam Sports Group's proposal to help fund a new Cleveland Browns stadium with $600 million in state-backed revenue bonds, according to Ohio Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Steve Stivers. "On behalf of our more than 8,000 member companies statewide, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce writes to express our enthusiastic support for inclusion of the proposal 'transformational sports mixed-use development district' in the state operating budget," Stivers wrote in a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine, Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) and House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) this week. "Sports development projects in Los Angeles, Dallas and elsewhere have proven successful in bolstering economic growth, and this proposal would allow any groups interested in meeting the requirements put forward to pursue this funding mechanism," Stivers said.

As the U.S. Congress deliberates reducing federal spending on Medicaid, Ohioans on Medicaid face the prospect of being removed from the state's Medicaid rolls per a provision in Gov. Mike DeWine's executive budget proposal released earlier in 2025. Specifically, DeWine's budget "shall immediately discontinue all medical assistance for members of the [Medicaid expansion] group" (herein called Group VIII) were the federal share of Medicaid funding to be reduced. The Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) reports in a recent policy brief that 770,000 Ohioans (6% of the population) are enrolled in Medicaid through Group VIII, including adults ages 19 to 64 who have an income less than 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and who also meet other eligibility criteria including citizenship.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

The 135th General Assembly introduced the fewest number of "Statehouse-to-Prison Pipeline" bills since the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio began publishing its biennial report on legislation "designed to pack even more people into our overcrowded and expensive prisons and jails," ACLU of Ohio chief lobbyist Gary Daniels said Thursday. The 135th General Assembly (including the special session) introduced a total of 1,056 bills, with 79 (7.5%) deemed "pipeline" bills. The House introduced 716 total bills and 58 pipeline bills, while the Senate introduced 342 total bills and 22 pipeline bills. Fourteen pipeline bills were ultimately passed during the session.

EDUCATION

Commenting on President Donald Trump’s executive order to move toward shutting down the U.S. Department of Education, Gov. Mike DeWine said, "The most important thing is for some of the bureaucracy and the red tape to be eliminated.”

President Donald Trump cannot order the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) shut down by "executive fiat" because it was created by Congress and would similarly have to be dismantled by the legislative branch, a coalition of education and civic groups plan to argue in a new lawsuit. Groups announcing plans to file the lawsuit Monday are the National Education Association (NEA), NAACP, AFSCME Maryland Council 3, Student Defense and Education Law Center.

Proponents of the Reading Recovery literacy instruction approach can proceed with legal arguments that new science of reading mandates in the prior budget bill violate the Ohio Constitution's single subject rule, but a judge dismissed their other claims for lack of standing.

The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) voted unanimously Tuesday to add the College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness (CCWMR) component as a weighted performance measure on the school report card ratings, though some members voiced concerns about the future after the vote. JCARR heard a presentation on the topic at its last meeting.

More than half of Ohio's public school districts will see a funding cut if the foundation formula funding in Gov. Mike DeWine's executive budget proposal is approved as part of this year's operating budget, HB96 (Stewart). The coalition All in for Ohio Kids (AOK) - representing several groups of teachers, school employees and others - released an online tool Wednesday showing how school funding under the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) compares to current school funding levels and projected funding levels under DeWine's budget proposal.

Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine recently celebrated 20 million books mailed to Ohio children from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Ohio by hosting a book reading at the Greene County Public Library in Beavercreek.

Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen D. Dackin recently announced the inaugural group of Ohio schools to be honored through the new Governor's Science of Reading Recognition Program. A total of 47 schools across the state were recognized for their exemplary work aligning their curriculum with the science of reading, embracing professional development for teachers, and raising literacy achievement among their students. The Governor's Science of Reading Recognition Program will honor a new group of schools each year.

ELECTIONS

Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Friday, March 21 that Ohio's 88 county boards of elections have begun sending ballots to military and overseas voters, officially kicking off the May 6 primary election.

With legislative sessions in full swing in statehouses across the country, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) finds more than 2,000 election administrative bills have been introduced so far. According to NCSL, lawmakers historically tend to introduce more election bills in odd years, though only about 10% are enacted. The hottest topic among the bills introduced is ensuring only citizens vote in state and federal elections, counting for at least 127 bills introduced across 34 states. The bills range from requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, requiring list maintenance procedures to identify potential noncitizens on registration lists, amending state constitutions to be clear, indicating citizenship status on state-issued identifications, and increasing penalties for noncitizen voting.

The General Assembly shouldn't prohibit local governments from implementing ranked choice voting (RCV), former Attorney General Marc Dann (D) and RCV advocates said during opponent testimony on SB63 (Gavarone-DeMora). Dann told the Senate General Government Committee Tuesday that he served as chair of the city of Lakewood Charter Review Commission in 2024, saying the panel thoroughly studied all facets of RCV.

Ohio would have to make changes to some of its election laws in order to meet requirements in a sweeping executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Provisions of the executive order include providing proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections; sharing information with the U.S. Department of Justice on suspected violations of state and federal election laws discovered by state officials; and requiring states to adopt uniform and nondiscriminatory standards on what constitutes a vote and what will be counted as vote. In a statement released after Trump signed the executive order, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Ohio already does many of the provisions in the order. "Where there's an opportunity to do more we can certainly work with our state and federal lawmakers to address it. I'm especially grateful for the clear order to give states better access to citizenship data, something we've been pushing the federal government to do. We'll review the rest of the president's order to see how it specifically applies to Ohio, but it's refreshing to have an administration that's finally setting some clear standards on election administration," he said.

ELECTIONS 2026

House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) told reporters Wednesday he won't be making any endorsement in the 2026 gubernatorial primary until after June 30 at the earliest, saying he doesn't want to risk division in the House Republican Caucus before work on the budget and other items is completed. "The most important thing that I am doing right now is getting the House of Representatives to come together cohesively on passing a budget," Huffman told reporters after the House Rules and Reference Committee met. "So I've told all these folks, if I'm going to endorse, that's not until after June 30. Obviously, members of the House can do whatever they want."

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton's campaign released early fundraising totals for her campaign, saying she has raised more than $600,000 in the first three months of this year. Campaign finance reports for non-judicial statewide candidates are not due until Thursday, July 31, as part of their semiannual reports. Acton's campaign, however, announced numbers this week.

EMILY's List this week announced its list of 46 U.S. House Republicans as its top targets for defeat in 2026, including three members of Ohio's delegation. The group said U.S. Rep. Max Miller (R-Rocky River), Mike Turner (R-Centerville), and Mike Carey (R-Columbus) are among the districts that provide Democrats' best path to take back the U.S. House.

The following endorsements were made over the week:

- The gubernatorial campaign of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy announced the endorsements of Ohio Sens. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin), Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), George Lang (R-West Chester), Michele Reynolds (R-Columbus), Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), Susan Manchester (R-Lakeview), Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro), Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware), Jane Timken (R-Canton), Brian Chavez (R-Marietta), and Sandra O'Brien (R-Rome).

- U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) announced his endorsement of Vivek Ramaswamy for governor.

ENERGY/UTILITIES

Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) Maureen Willis took time away from busy legislative hearings on concurrent energy reset bills SB2 (Reineke) and HB15 (Klopfenstein) this week to update the agency's Governing Board on the intersection of the Statehouse and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). She said both branches of government are busy with current and prospective regulation of Ohio's electric distribution utilities (EDU) as well as natural gas. "One of the common themes we see is utilities wanting more money from consumers," Willis observed.

Energy panelists including former heads of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) and the Office of Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) provided an overlapping and sometimes contrasting view of the policy concern confronting speakers and state lawmakers last Wednesday's "All Amped Up" forum at the Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC), "Can Ohio meet its future energy needs?"

The House passed major energy policy measure HB15 (Klopfenstein) on a 90-3 vote, with substantial floor debate on whether to provide an “off-ramp” for Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC) subsidies from 133-HB6.

FirstEnergy Corp. is giving notice to roughly 350 employees across Ohio and four other states in PJM Interconnection's 13-state territory this week as part of a new management model emphasizing closer cooperation with government regulators including the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Corporate Communications Manager Jennifer Young said the Akron-based utility will lay off just under 3% of its approximately 12,000 employees by eliminating certain positions and expanding others -- a small but meaningful effort to "ensure the company is structured to operate efficiently, deliver an exceptional customer experience and meet challenges and opportunities now and in the future."

FEDERAL

Gov. Mike DeWine and members of Ohio's U.S. House and Senate delegations recently wrote letters to the Trump administration calling for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) headquarters to be relocated from Washington, D.C. to the Cleveland area that already houses NASA's Glenn Research Center. DeWine's letter, also signed by Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, says it is an "optimal time" to move the headquarters location and Ohio offers "a much more economical location" as well as "significant efficiencies through co-location with a vibrant NASA Research Center."

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

In addition to a concurrence vote on sweeping higher education bill SB1 (Cirino), Wednesday’s Senate session included passage of SCR5 (Koehler), which urges the federal government to approve Ohio’s work requirements proposal for the Medicaid expansion population; SR21 (Schaffer), which urges Congress to support mental health treatment for military personnel and veterans; and SB101 (Blessing), which addresses lien requirements.

In addition to passage of energy measure HB15 (Klopfenstein), Wednesday’s House session included passage of HB27 (Callender-Troy), which names Lake County’s Grand River bridge for Spc. Jacon A. Ashton; HB55 (Stewart), which allows courts to escalate certain administrative costs, expenses and fees in liens; and HB94 (Mathews-Hall), regarding online posting of labor law notices.

HANNAH NEWS’ MEET THE FRESHMEN

Strong personal and professional connections to the needs of vulnerable youth and a realization that state- and local-level advocacy made the biggest difference led Crystal Lett to her new role as a legislator. Now-Rep. Lett (D-Columbus) already had a familiarity with complex care needs from her work in mental health services for adolescents and young adults facing some combination of behavioral health challenges, developmental disabilities and involvement in the child welfare system. Then, two major events altered the course of her life: she lost her brother to suicide, and a month later had her first child, who would turn out to have a rare genetic condition. "In one month's time ... I went from being a case manager for other people's kids to really having the non-choice to drop out of my employment in direct care because it was more expensive for me to work," she said. "Even if wanted to [work], I could not find child care placement for a medically fragile kiddo."

During his career in the U.S. Army National Guard, freshman State Rep. Ty Mathews (R-Findlay) says he was always taught that you lead from the front. "You hear that quite a bit, but that's not necessarily the case," Mathews told Hannah News about the difference in leadership required at the Statehouse. "You need to lead where the points of most friction are happening. So that's kind of where I find myself." Mathews said he always felt he was called to public service in some way, following in the footsteps of one grandfather who served in the Brazilian Air Force and another who served in the U.S. Navy. His father was a missionary in Brazil, where he met Mathews' mother before they moved to Findlay.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

The first measles case of 2025 has led to an outbreak in Ashtabula County, Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Bruce Vanderhoff announced Wednesday. Additionally, ODH announced "one confirmed case of a visitor in Knox County who exposed others to measles in Knox and nearby counties." Counties adjacent to Knox County include Delaware, Morrow, Richland, Ashland, Holmes, Coshocton and Licking counties. Vanderhoff said ODH and Ashtabula County have identified 10 measles cases. Nine are linked to an adult male reported last week as the state's first measles case of 2025.

Attorney General Dave Yost this week told appellate judges he will challenge their ruling against a new law on health care restrictions for trans minors very soon but wants it stayed in the meantime. The 10th District Court of Appeals recently ruled to block enforcement of provisions in 135-HB68 that restrict provision of drugs and hormones for gender transition to minors, deciding that the language violates the Health Care Freedom Amendment to the Ohio Constitution.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Nearly 800 Ohio University (OU) faculty members now have the right to collectively bargain, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) announced Monday. The Ohio State Employment Relations Board certified that the OU faculty vote to join AFT was 453 for to 189 against, AFT said in a news release. Members of the United Academics of Ohio University join the more than 1.8 million members of AFT across the country, and the faculty at 12 unionized campuses across Ohio who are members of the AFT and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).

University of Cincinnati (UC) announced Gerard (Gerry) Bradley from the University of Louisville (UofL) as its next executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. Bradley will begin in early June, pending approval by the UC Board of Trustees.

The Miami University (MU) Board of Trustees recently approved the site location for the design phase of a new arena on its Oxford Campus at Cook Field. David Sayler, MU director of athletics, said in a prepared statement that the arena is still in an exploratory phase; the proposed arena design includes two basketball practice courts and a volleyball arena as well as other facilities.

The Kent State University Board of Trustees endorsed Transformation 2028, a plan for degree-granting colleges from the Division of Academic Affairs (DOAA) and approved the establishment of three new majors during the board's meeting in March. Transformation 2028 works to strengthen the DOAA through strategic reorganization and sustainable realignment of academic units, programs and resources, according to a written statement prepared by the university.

A significantly higher number of Ohio's top high school students are attending in-state colleges and universities as a result of the $5,000 per academic year scholarship created in last session's budget bill, Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday. The most recent statistics show that 87% of Ohio students graduating in the top 5% of their school's graduating class are now attending Ohio institutions of higher education, the governor said during a wide-ranging Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC) conversation with Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles. The 87% figure is up from the first year of the program, when 76% of those students ended up attending Ohio colleges and universities.

The Senate Wednesday voted 20-11 to concur with House amendments to higher education overhaul legislation SB1 (Cirino), sending the bill immediately on to Gov. Mike DeWine, who has indicated the likelihood he will sign it. That did not stop members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, joined with other groups, from holding a press conference earlier in the day calling for DeWine to veto the bill. On the Senate floor, sponsor Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) urged concurrence, saying that the House changes were only some "minor" amendments. He thanked House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) for bringing the bill to the floor after previous version 135-SB83 stalled out, saying that "it was proven that the House did, in fact, have the votes."

HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS

The Senate Housing Committee heard a presentation on Tuesday on the approach one Cleveland organization is taking to use a combination of public funding and private investment to revamp the housing stocks in some of the city's neighborhoods with the worst housing stock. Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) launched in 2023 with a strategy to invest in "middle neighborhoods." CNP President and CEO Tania Menesse described middle neighborhoods as neighborhoods of traditionally single-family homes, which are traditionally the income tax base for cities.

JUDICIAL

The Ohio Supreme Court has set aside a Board of Professional Conduct recommendation and issued a fully stayed six-month suspension of Portsmouth Municipal Court Judge Russell Kegley's law license for interfering in his son's incarceration on charges of domestic violence and resisting arrest.

LABOR

Saying Washington, D.C. has forgotten the difficulties faced by the American worker, former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (DOH) announced the launch of his new "Dignity of Work Institute," which he dubbed a nonpartisan, nonprofit institute that will be "dedicated to the people who make this country work." Brown also released the first project of his institute, a poll of 1,000 registered voters nationally focused on the struggles of workers. "We need to make workers the winners in our economy," Brown said during a video conference with reporters. "It is what the institute is about. It is my mission in months and years ahead."

MARIJUANA/HEMP

Lawmakers should reject intoxicating hemp legislation SB86 (Huffman) and consider supporting a newly introduced intoxicating hemp bill from Reps. Tex Fischer (R-Youngstown) and Ty Mathews (R-Findlay), representatives of the Ohio Grocers Association (OGA) and Ohio Council of Retail Merchants (OCRM) said Tuesday.

The chair of the Ohio State Bar Association's (OSBA) Traffic Law Committee Wednesday told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Ohio's law on driving while under the influence of marijuana "is missing the point" and is one of the biggest discrepancies in current Ohio statute.

MEDICAID/MEDICAID REFORM

Interested people have the opportunity to weigh in on two proposed changes to how Medicaid works - the imposition of work requirements for some people in the expansion population, and the ability for children to be covered by Medicaid through age 3 regardless of changes in family circumstances. Through Monday, April 7, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will take public comments on the work requirements proposal. Comments can be submitted HERE. Information on the continuous eligibility waiver and opportunities to submit comment is HERE. Comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 2.

A Montgomery County woman banned previously from working as a Medicaid provider pleaded guilty last week for yet again defrauding the program -- this time stealing $1.5 million, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced. Janay Corbitt, 36, of Dayton, pleaded guilty to second-degree felony theft and three third-degree felony counts of identity fraud. A previous theft conviction in 2019 had barred her from the Medicaid program.

PENSIONS

Ohio will co-lead the national class action lawsuit against Boeing Co. over safety and compliance failures exposing more than $139 million in stock shares at two of the state's government pensions. Vice Chancellor Morgan Zurn of the Delaware Court of Chancery has named the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS), Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) and Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System (OFPRS) lead plaintiffs after two deadly airline crashes killing 346 people and a near miss in January of last year.

PEOPLE

DSD Advisors, a lobbying and public affairs firm based in Cincinnati, announced this week it is now partnering with former Ohio senator and representative Bill Seitz. "With over two decades of legislative experience in the Ohio House and Senate and a deep understanding of Ohio's political landscape, Seitz's wealth of experience, insights, and expertise will further enhance DSD's ability to provide invaluable strategic counsel to clients across a range of industries," the firm said in the announcement.

Tom Chema, noted leader of several economic development projects throughout Ohio, state government agencies and Hiram College, died suddenly on Sunday, March 16, after a long and distinguished career of public service. Among Chema's most visible accomplishments was his leadership of Cleveland's Gateway Project in the 1990's. Chema was tapped by former Gov. Richard Celeste to save Cleveland's professional sports teams and lead the revitalization of downtown Cleveland.

Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger announced Monday that he had been named executive chair and head of technology at Gloo, a technology platform that says it connects the "faith ecosystem." He previously served as an investor and chairman of Gloo's board of directors, and will lead product and engineering efforts, including Gloo AI, to help "empower the faith ecosystem and ensure technology becomes a force for good."

The League of Women Voters of Ohio (LWVO) announced this week that author Allison Tyra will be the keynote speaker at its 2025 Trailblazer Awards to be held in May in Aurora. Tyra is the author of "Uncredited," which explores women who have shaped history without recognition. She also created and manages "Infinite Women," an encyclopedia dedicated to documenting women's achievements. The event will be held Saturday, May 17, from 6-8 p.m. at the Bertram Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Aurora.

PUBLIC SAFETY

The Office of Criminal Justice Services announced last week the certification of three Ohio law enforcement agencies for state standards established by the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board. One additional agency achieved its recertification. Agencies completing the certification process have adopted and implemented the initial two standards regarding use of force and hiring and recruitment while the recertification process takes place on a revolving, three to four-year cycle.

TAXATION

Reps. Brian Lampton (R-Beavercreek) and Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) gave sponsor testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee Wednesday on HB30, a bill to phase the state income tax down to a flat rate of 2.75% over two years. Lampton said it builds on work by past General Assemblies to "simplify and reduce the tax burden on Ohioans and ensure our state remains a destination for businesses to grow and attract people wishing to work, raise a family, and truly thrive here."

TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced Friday it will create an advanced air mobility (AAM) division, in keeping with provisions of transportation budget HB54 (Stewart) after that bill cleared the Legislature Wednesday. The AAM Division is meant to "integrate advanced aviation technologies with transportation technologies on the ground," according to ODOT. It will be led by Robert "Bob" Tanner, who has over 30 years of expertise in transportation law and policy at federal, state and local levels.

The Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) Wednesday approved a draft funding list for major new construction projects in the state, planning a $319.3 million investment in 14 projects around the state. The list provides $295.2 million in construction funding on eight projects; $9.1 million for new project development on three projects; and $15 million for additional project development funding on three other projects.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) Board of Directors approved private employers' smallest rate decrease in five years Friday as state insurance savings continue tightening since the onset of COVID-19. A 6% cut will end up costing the average employer 53 cents per $100 of payroll as of July 1.

WORKFORCE

Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel announced Tuesday that 566 employers were awarded funding in the January round of TechCred, which will enable Ohioans to earn 7,681 tech-focused credentials. This brings the program to over 130,000 tech-focused credentials and over 3,500 Ohio employers since 2019.

Provided by Hannah News Service