Tag: Senator Michele Reynolds

Ohio Republican Lawmaker Introduces Legislation to Close Primary Elections and Update the Voter Registration Process

Hannah Poling

A Republican lawmaker introduced legislation last week into the Ohio Senate to move Ohio’s primary elections to a closed system and to allow voters to update their party affiliation at any time up to thirty days before a primary election.

Senate Bill (SB) 147, known as the Voter Registration Modernization Act, sponsored by State Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester), attempts to allow voters to be more civically engaged by allowing them to declare their political party affiliation in real-time increasing data, accuracy, and integrity of the voter registration process.

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Ohio Lawmakers Form New Senate Select Committee on Housing

Hannah Poling

Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) announced last week the creation of a new Senate Select Committee to discuss housing affordability, community growth, and the steps the legislature can take to improve Ohioans’ access to home ownership.

According to Huffman, the committee will hold hearings around the state to learn and discover what the state can do to remove barriers to home ownership in Ohio. Some issues to be discussed include housing shortages, inflation, taxes, and affordability.

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Ohio Republican Lawmakers Form New Legislative Prayer Caucus to Advocate for Religious Freedom

Hannah Poling

Ohio Republican Lawmakers have formed a new Ohio Legislative Prayer Caucus (OLPC) of the 135th General Assembly that pledges to advocate for religious freedom and Judeo-Christian values that have been embedded in American culture since its foundation.

State Representative Gary Click (R-Vickery) in the House and State Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) in the Senate co-chair the bicameral caucus.

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Ohio to Award Nearly $500,000 to Boost Law Enforcement Recruitment

Hannah Poling

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and his Department of Safety Director Andy Wilson have announced that the state of Ohio is awarding nearly $500,000 in funding to law enforcement agencies throughout the state to help aid in the recruitment of new officers.

31 law enforcement agencies in 21 counties will receive the grant funding totaling $445,449 as part of the second round of funding offered as part of the new Ohio Law Enforcement Recruitment Grant Program. The program was created by Gov. DeWine in 2020 to enable police departments throughout Ohio to focus on recruiting efforts.

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Ohio Senate Unanimously Passes Legislation to Preserve Student’s Religious Expression

Hannah Poling

The Ohio Senate has unanimously passed legislation that aims to require local boards of education to draft “non-exhaustive” lists of religious holidays and excuse students for up to three days each academic year.

Senate Bill (SB) 49 known as the “Religious Expression Days” (R.E.D.) Act sponsored by State Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) would require schools to accommodate “any missed assignments including tests” and teachers would have to accept these absences “without question” while maintaining “alternative accommodation requests confidential.”

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Bipartisan Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to End the Death Penalty in Ohio

Hannah Poling

A bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced legislation to end the death penalty in Ohio.

Senate Bill (SB) 101 sponsored by state Senators Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester), Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) aims to remove the death penalty in Ohio and instead pursue life without parole for capital crimes.

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Ohio Senate Bill Seeks to Reduce Police Officer Age Requirement to Address Police Shortage

Hannah Poling

A recently proposed law that is now making its way through the Ohio Statehouse would lower the age requirement for an Ohioan to join the police department.

In Ohio, applicants must currently be 21 years old to become police officers, but Senate Bill (SB) 53 would lower that age limit to 18. Senators Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) have sponsored the legislation.

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Ohio Lawmakers Consider Bill to Localize State Agency Licensure Appeals

Hannah Poling

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would transfer the conflict over state licenses that have been suspended or repealed to local county courts as opposed to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

Senate Bill (SB) 21 sponsored by state Senators Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) and Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) would provide legal challenges to licenses issued by the Ohio Casino Control Commission, the State Medical Board, the State Chiropractic Board, the Board of Nursing, and the Liquor Control Commission to take place in the county where that person or company is based.

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Seven New Ohio State Senators Sworn in for New Legislative Session

Hannah Poling

In the 2022 general election, 17 of the Ohio State Senate’s 33 seats were up for grabs. As of January 2023, seven of those seats are held by members of the Democratic Party, and 26 are held by members of the Republican Party.

Four new Democratic state senators and three new Republican state senators have been sworn in to represent their constituents in the new legislative session.

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