COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s a new year, and a new General Assembly session will soon begin at the Ohio Statehouse. Although this is an off year for elections, there will be a lot of work to be done at the state level.
Here are some of the biggest items we think will be addressed in 2025.
US Senate nomination
First, Gov. Mike DeWine will soon be sworn into the Senate to replace J.D. Vance, who is retiring to become Vice President.
“It has to be someone who really wants to get the job done, and it has to be someone who we think is capable of doing it,” DeWine said, adding that a Senate appointment could keep him in the seat for a long time. He added that it might also be due to gender. time.
The governor has previously said he wants someone who can not only win the 2026 primary and general election, but also retain his seat in 2028.
I was the first to report that the governor and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted were visiting Mar-a-Lago to meet with President-elect Donald Trump and Mr. Vance in late 2024.
I have been persistently pestering DeWine and Husted about their Senate appointments.
Ohio Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted visit Trump and Vance ahead of Senate nominations
RELATED: Ohio Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted visit Trump and Vance ahead of U.S. Senate appointment
DeWine has been extremely tight-lipped about his meetings, and I’m still waiting on his schedule records from several months ago.
Husted is the frontrunner, according to interviews with 30 political insiders. However, several other names consistently surface. Leading candidates include Ohio RNC Leader Jane Timken and Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague.
Politicos also mentioned state Rep. Jay Edwards. State Sen. Frank LaRose, state Sen. Matt Dolan and state Department of Development Secretary Lydia Mihalik.
operating budget
There is also an operating budget for 2026-2027, which will provide billions of dollars to fund federal and other state policies. State Rep. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) is the next Treasurer, according to the nameplate on a particular Treasurer’s chair door, which includes changes to school funding, taxes, and public programs such as Medicaid. It had previously explained that it would include support and cuts.
“The job of all senators and representatives, as you know, is to represent our districts well and try to meet their needs through the budget process that we go through,” he said. “Things that don’t get funded now might get funded in the next cycle.”
House Minority Leader Alison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) wants property tax relief, but she doesn’t expect that from her Republican colleagues.
“While we have long said we would not provide direct relief on this property tax issue, we have no real desire to address this concern for many Ohioans, especially those who are older and financially burdened. It’s the majority’s choice not to address the economic burden. Set the budget,” Russo said.
She says there are options for immediate help.
Dozens of bills have been proposed to provide relief to homeowners due to rising property taxes. A commission has been created. Statewide reports were released, including one on Wednesday. Nothing far-reaching was accomplished.
We have a series about property taxes and the struggles Ohioans face. Click here to read more.
“You don’t have to wait until six months from now to decide on a budget, by the way, when you’re probably going to have less income,” Reeder continued. “There are also other tax cuts being considered to reduce the amount coming in as relief to residents.”
With the federal government’s COVID-19 relief funding gone, states will have far less funding than before.
“Do you think it will probably pass then? Probably not,” she added. “I think there’s always going to be an excuse not to address this issue.”
Republicans continue to say they will eventually address property taxes, which is likely to be included in the budget. But outgoing state Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) said lawmakers need to seriously sit down and think about the impact of their choices.
“When we make property tax concessions like this, we have to be careful not to disrupt the school funding structure…” Seitz said. “We don’t want our constitutional school funding system to be overturned at the last minute by a series of local property tax cuts that derail that system.”
redistricting
The Ohio Redistricting Commission (ORC) is tasked with drawing new maps for the state’s 15 congressional districts.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission (ORC) is made up of seven slots. There will always be two Republicans and two Democrats in the state legislature. The remaining three seats are the governor, secretary of state, and auditor.
This led to chaos in Ohio’s redistricting in 2022, with the bipartisan Ohio Supreme Court ruling that Republicans on the committee were drawing lines to unfairly benefit their party. The map was withheld.
When the map was first approved in 2022, the ORC’s vote on the map was not unanimous, so the map only lasted four years. This congressional map, as well as previous versions of the same, were declared unconstitutional by the bipartisan Ohio Supreme Court.
Redistricting reform No. 1 failed last November, so Republicans will continue to be in charge. Although the Republican majority in Congress is slim, there is much at stake for both sides of the aisle.
Although a majority of voters rejected changes to the current system, politicians across party lines acknowledge that the 2021-2022 redistricting process was, as DeWine called it, “a mess.” .
The governor proposed another plan to prevent gerrymandering, modeled after Iowa’s hybrid system. Mr. DeWine was a member of the commission and voted for the map, which was declared gerrymandered by the Supreme Court.
Governor DeWine opposes anti-gerrymandering proposal, says he wants to put a new one on the November ballot
RELATED: Gov. DeWine says he opposes anti-gerrymandering proposal, wants to put new one on November ballot
cannabis reform
With Speaker-elect Matt Huffman (R-Lima) in control of the House and President-elect Rob McCauley (R-Napoleon) leading the Senate, the chances of changing marijuana policy will be even better.
Currently, adults 21 and older are allowed to smoke, vape, and consume cannabis. Ohio residents can grow up to 12 plants, with a maximum of six per household.
“The initiative that was proposed and passed by voters had some fundamental flaws, and those flaws usually occur when there is no scrutiny from all sides,” Huffman said. “The bill passed by the Senate last December addresses many of these issues.”
In December 2023, the Senate passed a bill restricting marijuana. If signed into law, it would reduce THC content and increase costs. Most e-cigarettes would be banned, among dozens of other restrictions and changes to what voters chose. Home-grown cannabis will also be limited to six plants instead of 12.
House leaders remained committed to listening to Ohioans and blocking Huffman’s proposal.
But now that Huffman is slated to become Speaker of the House, his chances of changing the law are increasing.
Sales have already begun since August, and House leaders said changing the law now would be harmful and disruptive.
RELATED: Ohio Republicans again propose restricting marijuana and making it more expensive
Ohio Republicans again propose restricting marijuana and making it more expensive
when it starts
The 136th Congress begins on January 6th. New members are sworn in at a ceremony in each chamber.
Follow WEWS Statehouse Reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
