Ohio Legislature Set to Begin New Year Under Even Stronger Republican Majority

 

The 2020 General Election added one additional Republican to the Ohio Senate and three additional Republicans to the Ohio House of Representatives.

On Monday Senators and Representatives were sworn in as the Ohio’s 134TH General Assembly begins with Republicans now holding a 25-8 advantage in the Senate and outnumbering Democrats 64-35 in the House.

That increase in Republican lawmakers might spell hope for conservative Ohioans unrelenting in their push for COVID legislation – for example, Senate Bill 311, that restricts Governor Mike Dewine’s 11-month restriction reign ranging from the Arnold Classic to the requiring people be in a residence by 10:00 p.m.

The Ohio Constitution requires a three-fifths vote to override a veto, which is 20 votes in the Senate and 60 in the House; the exception being bills that required an extraordinary 2/3 majority for passage – for example, a bill containing an emergency clause.  The extraordinary majority requires 22 Senate votes and 66 House votes.

The 134th General Assembly is made up of the following members:

House of Representatives:

District 1              Scott Wiggam (R-Wooster)

District 2              Marilyn John (R-Shelby)

District 3              Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg)

District 4              Robert Cupp (R-Shawnee Twp)

District 5              Tim Ginter (R-Salem)

District 6              Phil Robinson (D-Cleveland)

District 7              Tom Patton (R-Strongsville)

District 8              Kent Smith (D-Euclid)

District 9              Janine Body (D-Cleveland Hts.)

District 10            Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland)

District 11            Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland)

District 12            Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland)

District 13            Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood)

District 14            Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland)

District 15            Jeffrey Crossman (D-Parma)

District 16            Monique Smith (D-Fairview Park)

District 17            Adam Miller (D-Columbus)

District 18            Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus)

District 19            Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville)

District 20            Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester)

District 21            Beth Liston (D-Dublin)

District 22            David Leland (D-Columbus)

District 23            Laura Lanese (R-Grove City)

District 24            Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington)

District 25            Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus)

District 26            Erica Crawley (D-Columbus)

District 27            Tom Brinkman (R-Cincinnati)

District 28            Jessica Miranca (D-Forest Park)

District 29            Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison)

District 30            Bill Seitz (R-Green Twp.)

District 31            Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati)

District 32            Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati)

District 33            Sedrick Denson (D-Cincinnati)

District 34            Emilia Sykes (D-Akron)

District 35            Tavia Galonski (D-Akron)

District 36            Bob Young (R-Green)

District 37            Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson)

District 38            Bill Roemer (R-Richfield)

District 39            Willis Backshear, Jr. (D-Dayton)

District 40            Phil Plummer (R-Dayton)

District 41            Andrea White (R-Kettering)

District 42            Tom Young (R-Miamisburg)

District 43            Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria)

District 44            Paul Hicks-Hudsonn (D-Toledo)

District 45            Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo)

District 46            Michael Sheehy (D-Oregon)

District 47            Derek Merrin (R-Waterville)

District 48            Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton)

District 49            Tom West (D-Canton)

District 50            Reggie Stoltzful (R-Paris Twp.)

District 51            Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton)

District 52            Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester)

District 53            Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.)

District 54            Paul Zeltwanger (R-Mason)

District 55            Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville)

District 56            Joe Miller (D-Amherst)

District 57            Dick Stein (R-Norwalk)

District 58            Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown)

District 59            Allesandro Cutrona (R-Canfield)

District 60            Daniel Troy (D-Willowick)

District 61            Jamie Callender (R-Concord Twp.)

District 62            Scott Lipps (R-Franklin)

District 63            Mike Loychik (R-Cortland)

District 64            Michael O’Brien (D-Warren)

District 65            Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland)

District 66            Adam Bird (R-New Richmond)

District 67            Kris Jordan (R-Powell)

District 68            Rick Carfagna (R-Westerville)

District 69            Sharon Ray (R-Wadsworth)

District 70            Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville)

District 71            Mark Frazier (R-Newark)

District 72            Larry Householder (R-Glenford)

District 73            Brian Lampton (R-Beavercreek)

District 74            Bill Dean (R-Xenia)

District 75            Gail Pavliga (R-Atwater)

District 76            Diane Grendell (R-Chesterland)

District 77            Jeffrey LaRe (R-Violet Twp.)

District 78            Brian Stewart (R-Ashville)

District 79            Kyle Kohler (R-German Twp.)

District 80            Jena Powell (R-Arcanum)

District 81            James Hoops (R-Napoleon)

District 82            Craig Riedel (R-Defiance)

District 83            Jon Cross (R-Kenton)

District 84            Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield)

District 85            Nino Vitale (R-Union Twp.)

District 86            Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville)

District 87            Richard McClain  (R-Upper Sandusky)

District 88            Gary Click (R-Fremont)

District 89            Douglas Swearingen, Jr. (R-Huron)

District 90            Brian Baldridge (R-Cherry Fork)

District 91            Shane Wilkin (R-Lynchburg)

District 92            Mark Johnson (R-Chillicothe)

District 93            Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill)

District 94            Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville)

District 95            Don Jones (R-Freeport)

District 96            Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville)

District 97            Adam Holmes (R-Nashport)

District 98            Brett Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville)

District 99            Sarah Fowler (R-Geneva)

 

Senate:

Rob McColley (R-District 1)

Theresa Gavarone (R-District 2)

Tina Maharath (D-District 3)

George Lang (R-District 4)

Steve Huffman (R-District 5)

Niraj Antani (R-District 6)

Steve Wilson (R-District 7)

Louis Blessing (R-District 8)

Cecil Thomas (D-District 9)

Bob Hackett (R-District 10)

Theresa Fedor (D-District 11)

Matt Huffman (R-District 12)

Nathan Manning (R-District 13)

Terry Johnson (R-District 14)

Hearcel Craig (D-District 15)

Stephanie Kunzie (R-District 16)

Bob Peterson (R-District 17)

Jerry Cirino (R-District 18)

Andrew Brenner (R-District 19)

Tim Schaffer (R-District 20)

Sandra Williams (D-District 21)

Mark Romanchuk (R-District 22)

Nickie Antonio (D-District 23)

Matt Dolan (R-District 24)

Kenny Yuko (D-District 25)

Bill Reineke (R-District 26)

Kristina Roegner (R-District 27)

Vernon Sykes (D-District 28)

Kirk Schuring (R-District 29)

Frank Hoagland (R-District 30)

Jay Hottinger (R-District 31)

Sandra O’Brien (R-District 32)

Michael Rulli (R-District 33)

The House GOP chose Bob Cupp (R-Shawnee Twp.) Speaker of the House with Representative Tim Ginter (R-Salem) Speaker Pro Tempore.  Majority Leader is Representative Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) with Rick Carfagna (R-Westerville) serving as Assistant Majority Leader. Representative Don Jones (R-Freeport) will serve as Majority Whip and Representative Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) will act as Assistant Majority Whip.

House Democrats again selected Representative Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) Minority Leader and chose Representative Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus) Assistant Minority Leader. Representative Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) will act as Minority Whip while Representative Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester) will fill the role of Assistant Minority Whip.

The Senate Republican Caucus elected Senator Matt Huffman (R-District 12) President and Senator Jay Hottinger (R-District 31) President Pro Tempore.  Senator Kirk Schuring (R-District 29) will act as Majority Leader while Senator Rob McColley (R-District 1 ) fills the role of Majority Whip.

The Senate Democratic Caucus re-elected Senator Kenny Yuko (D-District 25) Minority Leader, Senator Cecil Thomas (D-District 9 ) Assistant Minority Leader, Senator Nickie Antonio (D-District 23) Minority Whip and Senator Tina Maharath (D-District 3) Assistant Minority Whip.

Next week caucuses in each chamber will retreat to discuss 2021 priorities.

The first “working day” will be the week of January 18, according to Ohio State Senator Andrew Brenner (R-19) and Ohio State Representative Kris Jordan (R-Powell).

Governor DeWine announced today that he signed Senate Bill 175 – the stand-your-ground act passed by both chambers of the 133RD General Assembly that allows people to in the state to weapon-defend themselves anywhere, not just in a residence or vehicle and grants civil immunity to churches and other nonprofits for certain injuries, deaths or losses resulting from the carrying of handguns.

DeWine has also not yet signed House Bill 431, a bill Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost worked into the Ohio legislature. HB431 expands protections for human trafficking victims and creates the offense of ‘engaging in prostitution,’ and marking it a firs degree misdemeanor, requiring the perpetrator get treatment or education and face a fine up to $1,500.

Notable bills that recently made headlines that are holdovers House or Senate:

Senate Bill 311 – limits Director of Health order-issuing authority.

House Bill 178 – modifies weapon law and permits concealed carry without a license.

According to Senator Brenner, education and COVID legislation are prospective priorities for the upper chamber.

_ _ _

Jack Windsor is Managing Editor and an Investigative Reporter at The Ohio Star. Windsor is also an Investigative Reporter at WMFD-TV. Follow Jack on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].

 

 

Related posts

One Thought to “Ohio Legislature Set to Begin New Year Under Even Stronger Republican Majority”

  1. francis clickenger

    I would like to comment on the idea of the our media platforms thinking they have the right to, or attempt to, shut down the idea of free speech in our country. I don’t care if your a liberal or a republican, this should shake you all to your very cores.. Facebook, Twitter, and Google are looking you in the eyes and telling you they have more power than the counties, states, or the Federal Government. They’ve put up staggering amounts of money to ensure that our elected officials never get rid of prop 230 that allows them to do exactly what they’re doing to the President and his followers at this very moment. The bias and hate they have for conservatives is not only depressing, it’s starting to scare people. And in this humble citizens opinion, dangerous at the VERY least. God Bless you all and the United States of America

Comments