A piece of legislation introduced into the Ohio House of Representatives to authorize a tax credit for landlords who allow companion animals to reside in their rental units has been assigned to a committee for review.
Assistant Majority Whip Sharon Ray (R-Wadsworth) and State Representative Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) introduced House Bill (HB) 277, known as the Pet Friendly Rental Act on September 18th.
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A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers introduced a bill to the Ohio House of Representatives to freeze property taxes for eligible seniors.
The legislation, known as the 70 Under 70 Plan, sponsored by State Representatives Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) and Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati), would freeze property taxes for Ohioans 70 years or older who make less than $70,000 a year and have owned their home for 10 years or more.
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Two Republican Ohio lawmakers have introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representatives to require local school districts to include over-the-counter medications in their school medication policies.
House Bill (HB) 70, sponsored by State Representatives Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) and Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester), looks to patch an oversight in existing policies by requiring every school to request parental permission before administering over-the-counter medications to children.
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On Monday, Republican businessman and candidate for U.S. Senate Bernie Moreno and Arizona Republican politician and former candidate for Arizona Governor Kari Lake rallied Republicans to vote in support of Ohio State Issue on August 8th.
Moreno and Lake attended a county Republican rally in Cleveland in support of Ohio State Issue 1 to raise the threshold to amend the state constitution. They spoke to hundreds of voters at the Get Out the Vote Rise and Shine Rally at the Strongsville GOP in Parma.
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A Republican Ohio lawmaker introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representatives that aims to permit public schools statewide to employ chaplains to provide support services and programs for students.
House Bill (HB) 240 sponsored by State Representative Reggie Stoltzfus (R-Paris Twp.) would allow chaplains to serve as paid employees or volunteers in public schools without having to obtain a license from the state board of education.
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The Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC), the nation’s oldest conservative grassroots organization, appointed Ohio State Representative Brett Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville) to serve on its National Prosecutors and Law Enforcement Advisory Council.
The press release details that in this position, Hillyer (pictured above) will work with other council members to develop best practices and policy recommendations to boost public safety through conservative justice system reforms.
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Two Republican Ohio lawmakers introduced a resolution to the Ohio House of Representatives to urge the United States Congress to preserve the United States Armed Forces’ dominance and increase military enlistment.
The Restoration of America’s Readiness (ROAR) Resolution, sponsored by State Representatives Jennifer Gross (pictured above, right) (R-West Chester) and Bernie Willis (R-Springfield) (pictured above, left), looks to express Ohio’s desire to Congress to preserve the United States Armed Forces’ authority globally and to encourage Ohioans to enlist in military service.
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Two Republican Ohio Lawmakers have introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representatives that aims to prohibit adult cabaret performances in front of children.
House Bill (HB) 245 sponsored by State Representatives Angela King (R-Celina) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania) looks to ban “adult cabaret performances” outside of venues specifically for adult cabarets.
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On Tuesday morning Alex Triantafilou, the head of the Ohio Republican Party responded to the announcement that Ohio-born singer-songwriter John Legend is rallying with Democrats against State Issue 1 calling it an attempt to “trick ordinary people.”
This follows a Democratic-backed group One Person One Vote announcing that Legend would attend their Cincinnati rally on Tuesday afternoon to encourage attendees to vote against Issue 1 during the state’s special election on August 8th.
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Two Republican Ohio lawmakers have introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representatives to reinforce election integrity and stop meddling in party primaries.
House Bill (HB) 210, sponsored by State Representatives Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) and Gary Click (R-Vickery), aims to require electors who want to change political parties to register as a member of that political party by December 31st.
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A Republican Ohio lawmaker introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representatives to reduce the size of Ohio’s State Board of Education and remove governor-appointed positions.
House Bill (HB) 235 sponsored by State Representative Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula), and former state education board member, looks to downsize the 19-member Board of Education to fifteen members by 2027. It also aims to remove the eight positions appointed to the Board of Education by the governor beginning in 2025.
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Two Republican Ohio Lawmakers have introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representatives that aims to increase the penalties for drug and human trafficking in Ohio.
House Bill (HB) 230, known as the Saving Ohio Communities Act, sponsored by State Representatives Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) and D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron) looks to address the staggering increase in drug overdoses, specifically fentanyl poisoning in the state.
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The Ohio House of Representatives passed a Republican-backed piece of legislation last week that tries to make hospital prices more transparent and affordable.
The Ohio House progressed House Bill (HB) 49 by a 90-5 vote advancing the legislation to the Ohio Senate for its review.
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The Ohio House of Representatives passed two Republican-backed pieces of legislation on Wednesday one that aims to protect women’s sports and children from exploitation in the state and one that aims to require school systems to have policies in place that allow parents to be more active in their child’s education.
The Ohio House passed House Bill (HB) 68, known as the SAFE Act, with the Save Women’s Sports Act amended into it by a 64-28 vote and HB 8, known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights, by a 65-29 vote advancing both pieces of legislation to the Ohio Senate for their review.
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The Ohio House of Representatives passed a Republican-backed legislation that attempts to save taxpayers millions of dollars statewide by modernizing the Ohio Revised Code.
The Ohio House passed the legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 94-1, advancing it to the senate for its consideration.
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The Ohio House of Representatives passed legislation that aims to allow wholesalers experiencing “bad debt” to claim a refund on cigarette, tobacco and vapor products from the state for the tax they pay upfront when they are unable to obtain reimbursement from a retailer.
The House passed the legislation by an 85-3 vote with all Republicans and all but three Democrats voting in favor of the bill.
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On Wednesday, the Ohio House of Representatives approved an amendment that aims to alter the process of how initiative petitions can propose constitutional amendments as well as legislation to allow for a statewide special election in August to vote on it.
The Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment, Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 2 would mandate a 60 percent approval percentage for any future constitutional amendments, call for signatures from all 88 counties, and do away with the opportunity to “cure” petitions by collecting additional signatures if necessary.
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The Ohio House’s plan to increase starting pay for teachers in the state to $40,000 still leaves it below the average starting pay across the country, according to a recent report.
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An Ohio Senate committee held its first hearing on the toxic train derailment in East Palestine. The Senate’s Special Committee on Rail Safety had a lot of questions for leaders of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA).
On February 3rd, 50 train carriages, 10 of which were carrying hazardous materials, derailed as a result of a technical problem with a rail car axle, according to federal authorities. There was vinyl chloride in five of the vehicles. Hundreds of residents evacuated as a result of the controlled release of poisonous gasses that Norfolk Southern carried out on February 6th to stop an explosion.
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Two Ohio Republican lawmakers introduced a bill this week they claim will make hospital prices more transparent and affordable.
Federal law already requires hospitals to provide information about standard prices online. However, a majority of hospitals today are not in compliance. Ohio Representatives Tim Barhorst (R-Wintersville) and Ron Ferguson (R-Fort Laramie) filed a bill this week that would codify these federal laws into the Ohio Revised Code to allow for greater enforcement.
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The Lucas County Republican Party voted unanimously this week to censure the Republican representatives who voted in favor of newly elected House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill).
Last month, lawmakers elected moderate Republican Stephens as the new speaker to succeed State Representative Bob Cupp (R-Lima) despite the Republican Caucus‘ previous selection in November of State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Moncolva) as the new speaker. Although the GOP caucus voted for Merrin as Speaker of the House in December, Stephen fought in collaboration with the Democrats to collect votes and garner a win.
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A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers want to keep the state’s primary elections at the same time every year, whether it’s a presidential election year or not. Under the introduced legislation, all primaries would take place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May.
The bill has the backing of nine cosponsors from both sides of the aisle in the Ohio House.
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U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) in collaboration with Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the PARTS Act on Monday, to prevent the thefts of catalytic converters by making the highly sought-after auto part traceable.
The PARTS Act, Preventing Auto Recycling Thefts, is a piece of bipartisan legislation that aims to reduce catalytic converter thefts by requiring new vehicles to have the VIN stamped onto the converter, allowing law enforcement officers to link stolen parts to the originating vehicles.
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Jim Renacci, a former Ohio Republican congressman, on Thursday unveiled a new political action committee in an effort to elect conservative candidates to Ohio’s school boards.
The new Save Our Schools (SOS) Ohio PAC, according to a news release from Renacci, would aid candidates in raising funds and targeting voters to win these important seats and use data capturing and analysis on all races to identify crucial races to flip control of local school boards.
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New Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) has released his list of committee chairs and vice chairs with about 50 percent of those positions going to 20 of the 22 Republicans who supported him for speaker including most of the major committees, such as finance.
Earlier this month, lawmakers elected moderate Republican Stephens as the new Speaker of the Ohio House to succeed state Representative Bob Cupp (R-Lima). The choice came despite the Republican Caucus‘ previous selection in November of state Representative Derek Merrin (R-Moncolva) as the new Speaker. Although the GOP caucus voted for Merrin as Speaker of the House in December, Stephen fought in collaboration with the Democrats to collect votes and garner a win.
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Republicans from Hamilton County have begun to emerge as potential party leaders to replace former chairman Alex Triantafilou. Former Judge Russell Mock announced his candidacy for Hamilton County GOP Chairman on Tuesday.
The previous chairman for the last 14 years, Triantafilou, resigned to become the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party.
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Two Republican state lawmakers in Ohio have introduced a bill to change the state’s medical marijuana regulations, which would allow more people to use cannabis for medicinal purposes and establish a new state agency to manage the program.
Senate Bill (SB) 9, sponsored by State Senators Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) and Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), is similar to another proposal from the previous legislative session, SB 261, which was passed by the Ohio Senate in December 2021 but was defeated in the Ohio House of Representatives.
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Summit County Republican Party Chairman and statewide party Vice-Chair Bryan Williams officially announced his candidacy for chairman of the Ohio Republican Party on Wednesday in a letter to state central committee (SCC) members.
The Ohio Republican Party’s central committee is meeting on January 6th to consider selecting a replacement for current Chairman Bob Paduchik who announced after the November 8th general election that he would not be seeking another term.
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An Ohio lawmaker introduced legislation on Tuesday to the General Assembly to expand schooling options for Ohio children.
Senate Bill (SB) 368, sponsored by State Senator Sandra O’Brien (R-Ashtabula), known as the Parental Education Freedom Act, would make each student in the state eligible for an Educational Choice (EdChoice) Scholarship to be used at a private school of their choice, or an increased tax credit for expenses related to homeschooling.
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State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township) has been elected as the new Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives for the 135th General Assembly as reported by a release from the Ohio House.
The GOP Caucus selected Merrin, a 36-year-old Realtor, and real estate investor as the House Republicans’ pick for speaker over two rivals. State Representative Bill Dean (R-Xenia) organized and led the leadership election. The caucus’ newly elected and returning members participated in the vote.
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Ohio Senator Matt Huffman, (R-Lima) will once again serve as President of the Ohio Senate for the 135th General Assembly after a unanimous vote Tuesday, as reported by a release from the Senate.
Huffman was first elected to the Ohio Senate in 2016. He was re-elected to a second term in 2020 when he previously served as Senate President during the 134th General Assembly and prior to that as Majority Floor Leader. This follows his serving four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives building up to his election as Speaker Pro Tempore.
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If legislation introduced into the Ohio House of Representatives becomes law, the state would simplify the process of overturning wrongful convictions.
Twenty-one House members co-sponsored House Bill 738, introduced by State Reps. David Leland, D-Columbus, and Paula Hicks-Hudson, D-Toledo.
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“In recent years, there has been a global shift in attitudes toward the development of new nuclear technologies to deploy scalable clean energy,” Rep. Dick Stein, R-Norwalk, said. “This legislation will bring Ohio to the forefront of advanced nuclear innovation and strengthen our domestic supply chains. This legislation is a proactive measure to tell the federal government Ohio is here to be a solution to find a clean, carbon-free energy source.”
The new authority, according to a news release, would be responsible for the development of advanced nuclear reactor commercialization, isotope production and nuclear waste reduction.
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Workers’ compensation injuries taking place at home would look more like injuries suffered in an office if a bill passed recently by the Ohio House eventually becomes law.
House Bill 447 would eliminate at-home injuries suffered by employees working from that were not a direct result of a typical work. State law does not currently differentiate injuries from injuries sustained by work-from-home employees that are outside of the employer’s control.
“The pandemic changed our lives dramatically,” Rep. Brian Lampton, R-Beavercreek, said. “With that change, legislators should act to modify laws that reflect the world we live in today. House Bill 447 codifies that injuries sustained by work-from-home employees qualify for workers’ compensation if the injury was caused by their employment and within the control of their employer.”
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The Ohio House of Representatives passed a flurry of bills this week, including a Constitutional Carry bill, that will now head to the Senate floor.
HB 227 is the Constitutional Carry law. It provides that Ohioans who are not otherwise barred from owning a firearm no longer need need a license to carry a concealed handgun. The law does, however, allow Ohio’s gun owners to obtain a concealed carry license for the purpose of carrying their concealed handguns in other states that do require such licensure.
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Republicans in the Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday advanced the Ohio Law and Order Act, aimed to protect members of law enforcement.
The legislation, House Bill 109, would allow police officers who are injured in a riot to sue protest organizers.
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MEDINA, Ohio – Republican gubernatorial challenger Jim Renacci has asked for a full investigation of the flow of FirstEnergy Corp.’s political contributions into the 2018 campaign of Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) in the wake of the Akron-based electric utility’s $230 million settlement of public bribery charges with the Department…
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The Ohio House of Representatives voted to expel one of their members, former Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford), following Householder’s indictment in an alleged $60 million federal bribery scheme.
Republican members advocated for the vote to be held on the House floor, rather than waiting for the expulsion legislation to pass through various committees. The historic, bipartisan 75-21 vote approved a resolution that contended Householder was not qualified for office.
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Wednesday the Ohio General Assembly (GA) did something that doesn’t often happen – the Republican supermajority delivered veto override votes in both chambers to undo what a Governor from their own party did just one day earlier.
Senate Bill 22 (SB22) is a law that establishes legislative oversight of emergency, standing and special orders issued by state leaders and agencies – giving the General Assembly the power to rescind orders with a concurrent resolution (a simple majority vote of both the House and the Senate) instead of passing a law that requires the Governor’s approval.
Below is a simple list of what the new law does and doesn’t do.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – As The Ohio Star reported, the House GOP chose Robert R. Cupp (R-Shawnee Twp.) to be the speaker of the house with Representative Tim Ginter (R-Salem) serving as speaker pro tempore. The majority leader is Representative Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) with Rick Carfagna (R-Westerville) serving as assistant majority leader. Also, Representative Don Jones (R-Freeport) will serve as majority whip and Representative Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) will act as assistant majority whip.
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Ohio State Representative Diane Grendell (R-Chesterland) announced Wednesday the introduction of a bill to “terminate the COVID-19 state of emergency in Ohio.”
The representative lauded Governor Mike DeWine for his swift response to COVID saying that he “responded appropriately.” However, Grendell said the administration “continues to use the state of emergency to restrict businesses and all Ohioans.”
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Counter-protesters wearing black activism gear targeted Representative Candice Keller (R-OH-53) after her speech this past weekend at a Save Our Children Rally in Columbus. Keller is an avid pro-life legislator and creator of the Ohio Heartbeat Bill.
Keller and her husband Kent – a write-in candidate for the Ohio Senate – attended the rally. In interviews with The Ohio Star, Keller states that she and her husband were walking back to their cars when they noticed people recording and following them. Every time the couple looked back, the group stopped and stared – but continued taping.
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In a historic, unanimous and bipartisan vote Thursday, the Ohio House ousted its Republican speaker as the chamber’s top leader following his indictment in an alleged $60 million bribery scheme.
Rep. Larry Householder is the first Ohio House speaker ever removed by the chamber, according to the Ohio History Connection. His nametag was unscrewed from the speaker’s dais shortly after the vote, but he still retains his seat in the GOP-led Legislature.
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