August 6, 2025 Legislative Update
Legislative Update
August 6, 2025
Compiled by Jan Lanier, JD, RN
Contributors: Barb Bright, Erica Scarborough, Jake Schmidt members ANA-Ohio Public Policy Committee Bill Tracking Team
Summer recess happenings
Veto overrides—Although members of the general assembly are, for the most part, home in their districts until mid-September, that does not mean there is total silence at the statehouse. A few new bills have been introduced, and a special session day was called for July 21st by house speaker Matt Huffman (Lima) in an attempt to override three of Governor Mike DeWine’s 67 line-item vetoes of provisions in the state’s operating budget (HB 96). The provisions at issue in July dealt with property tax language.
Veto over-rides of a budget bill must begin in the Ohio house and require a 3/5 super majority in both chambers to pass. Counting votes is the key to success. Because some legislators were not available for the special session day, the ability to get the needed vote margin was not guaranteed. At the end of the day, only one of the three provisions on the house agenda was voted upon.
The veto in question affected a provision that eliminated the authority for political subdivisions to pursue specific levy types beginning in 2026. Per HB 96, “emergency “ levies, “replacement” levies and the like would no longer be options. DeWine’s reason for vetoing that provision was because he believed it limited school districts and municipalities flexibility to meet local needs. The vote to override was 61-28.
The unaddressed agenda items included provisions that would allow county budget commissions to reduce levy amounts approved by voters and another that would change how property taxes are calculated. (A county budget commission is made up of the county auditor, treasurer, and prosecutor and currently serves in a review/oversight capacity. If voters approve, a commission may also include two elected officials).
The approved override must now go to the senate. The possibility of veto overrides of these and other provisions looms throughout the entirety of the current 136th General Assembly.
New bills—New developments
The following bills are being monitored closely by ANA-Ohio. SB 209 sponsored by Sens. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) and Michelle Reynolds (R- Canal Winchester) is a companion bill to a substitute version of HB 12 dealing with the use of drugs for off-label purposes. Neither the senate bill nor Sub HB 12 address concerns about the absence of language that expressly provides nurses administering these drugs immunity from liability. The bill’s sponsor (Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) and select members of the house health were reminded of ANA-Ohio’s concerns and provided information to support those issues.
SB 227—To cap the cost of insulin was introduced by senator Hearcel Craig (D) Columbus in early July. The bill states that no health benefit plan will require more than $35 in cost- sharing per covered insulin drug per 30-day supply. This applies to all amounts or types of insulin. The bill was introduced July 1st after the house and senate recessed so there has been no action to date on this bill.
HB 271—expands insurance and Medicaid coverage and removes cost-sharing for supplemental and diagnostic breast cancer screenings. The bill is sponsored by Reps. Jean Schmidt (Loveland) and Josh Williams (Toledo), both republicans and was referred in mid-May to the house health committee where Rep. Schmidt is the chair. The bill received two hearings prior to the house recess. Proponent witnesses included representatives from Susan G. Komen, the Ohio State Medical Association, the Ohio Hospital Association, and many others. Julie McMahon, the director of the community health program for Susan G. Koman testified that the average cost of a mammogram is $234 while a breast MRI averages a cost of $1021. The inconsistency in out-of-pocket charges causes confusion and stress and often leads women to delay obtaining the full screens.
HB 281 establishes requirements for hospitals to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement by permitting agent access to the facility for the purposes of gathering information, investigating, and collecting evidence. Noncompliance can lead to loss of Medicaid, or grant funding. The bill was introduced May 20th by Rep. Josh Williams (R) and referred to the house public safety committee May 21st. The bill received sponsor testimony on June 11th. The bill could undermine patient trust as well as creating conflicts with ethical principles related to duties owed patients by those caring for them.
HB 370 called the Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act introduced June 18th is sponsored by Reps. Jonathon Newman (R-Troy) and Levi Dean (R-Xenia). The bill in essence criminalizes abortion by recognizing fertilized embryos as persons with equal production. The bill has not yet been referred to a standing committee. The bill appears to conflict with the constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2023 that provides a state constitutional right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and continuing pregnancy, and allows the state to restrict abortion after fetal viability, except when “necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.”
The proposal has received broad opposition from reproductive health organizations across the state.
Be sure to check out the August ANA-Ohio bill tracker posted on the ANA-Ohio website under the advocacy link for a list of all the new bills ANA-Ohio is following and updates about many more.
Federal response puts Ohio Medicaid initiative on hold
On July 17th the U.S. Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services notified Ohio that its 1115 waiver that was set to begin in October was put on hold in a money saving effort. The waiver would have allowed children to remain continuously enrolled in Medicaid through age three as opposed to the current 12 months of continuous eligibility. The waiver request was mandated by the previous General Assembly in its budget bill (HB33). The current General Assembly attempted to eliminate the requirement, but Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed that provision. The continuous coverage would help ensure that children have access to services such as vaccines, screenings, and other treatments that help prevent the need for more intensive health care services later in life. (Source: Wiselogel, N, (July 25, 2025.) Ohio Health Policy News. Health Policy Institute of Ohio Columbus OH.)
Statehouse schedule for the second half of 2025 & personnel changes
The schedule released by house leadership includes a busy October with full sessions scheduled for every Wednesday that month. Legislators are expected to reconvene September 16th. Tentative session days are scheduled for September 23rd if needed and possibly for the 30th . Full sessions are also set for December 2nd, 3rd, and 9th and possibly the 10th. Obviously, the house expects to have a full agenda prior to its holiday recess.
Rep. Sedrick Denson (D-Cincinnati) announced his resignation effective Friday August 8th . He is currently serving his third term in the house. In his announcement he did not go into details about his next role but said it would allow him to continue to serve in a new capacity. His resignation triggers the formation of a screening panel by house democrats to select Denson’s replacement. (Source: Gongwer-Ohio (August 4, 2025) Rep. Denson to resign house seat. Gongwer News Service. Columbus, OH)
Campaign politics ALREADY
Even though the 2026 election is over one year away, the political drums are beating, and many early signals are being sent. A lot is at stake as candidates begin to solidify their places on the ballot and their overall viability as candidates. All state-wide offices in Ohio are up for grabs with republicans currently controlling all the positions.
Watching fundraising is always a good way to get an insight into who has the ear of big money contributors. One way to keep track is to watch the campaign finance reports that must be filed periodically throughout the campaign cycle. These reports do not tell the full story because there are many so-called dark money entities that are not required to report their expenditures. Ohio does limit individual contributions to political campaigns, but Ohio’s limit is higher than most states. In fact, Ohio has the highest limit for candidates running for the state house or senate. Other states differentiate limits based on the office being sought and some have no limits at all. In Ohio, as of February 2025 the maximum amount someone who is older than seven-years-of-age can give is $16,615.67 in a primary election and that same amount again in the general election. For the Ohio senate where candidates run every four years, the preprimary period extends over three years while in the house it is only a one-year time frame. The federal limit is $3500 preprimary and that same amount post primary.
Who’s got it ($$$) & who doesn’t
(Sources: Gongwer-Ohio (July 31, 2025) GOP leaders, caucuses maintain edge in legislative finance reports. AND Statewide candidates reveal fund raising cards. Gongwer News Service).
| Republican candidate/office | Amount reported | Democrat candidate/office | Amount reported |
| Vivek Ramaswamy Governor | $9.3 M. He loaned his campaign $203,000 and reports contributions from all 50 states and some foreign countries | Amy Acton
Governor |
$1.4 M |
| Robert Sprague Secretary of State | Sprague is currently the state treasurer
$422,379 |
Bryan Hambley Secretary of State | $417, 677 |
| Marcell Strbich Secretary of State | $153,015. Self -loaned $50,000 | ||
| Keith Faber
Attorney General |
Faber is currently the state auditor
$2 million in his campaign account with $483,487 in contributions |
Eliot Forhan
Attorney General No report |
|
| Republican candidate/office | Amount reported | Democrat candidate/office | Amount reported |
| Kristina Roegner
Treasurer |
$553,302 added to $1million already on hand. She is currently a state senator. | No D opponent yet | |
| Michael Zuren
Treasurer |
$1,785 raised with $4270 already on hand | ||
| Frank LaRose
Auditor |
Currently Secretary of State $517,317 in contributions combined with $506,126 already on hand | No D opponent yet | |
| U.S. Senate | |||
| John Husted U.S Senator | $6 million on hand | No D opponent yet | |
|
STATEHOUSE leaders |
|||
| Senate President Rob McColley | $566,177 | Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio | $324, 789 |
| House Speaker Matt Huffman | $1.06 million | House Minority leader(s)
|
Russo–$133,326
Isaacsohn–$192,702 |
| Republican House Caucus | $2.11 million | Ohio House Democratic Caucus | $264,297 |
| House republican organizational committee | $1.9 million | House democratic organizing committee | $65,405 |
| Republican senate committee | $2.33 million—after expenses $2.16 million | Democratic house support | $258,877—after expenses $231,918 |
| OTHER NOTABLE fund raisers | |||
| Brian Stewart, Chair finance committee | $283,915 |
Who will be the next Ohio senate president after 2026?
In the land of term limits, those who want to hold leadership positions in either the house or senate begin that quest early in their legislative careers. Because house republican majority is not likely to change with election results—current Speaker Matt Hoffman (R-Lima) has a firm grip on his speaker position and likely will maintain that hold throughout his next three house terms. The senate, however, is a different story.
Current president Rob McColley (Napoleon) is term limited and there is no clear heir apparent yet. A race began to take shape late in July when current president pro tem Sen. Bill Reinke (Tiffin) officially announced he was going to seek the senate presidency and had the endorsement of his colleagues who currently make up the republican leadership team, Sens. Theresa Gavarone (Bowling Green) and George Lang (West Chester). Reinke is a partner in his family’s car dealership.
His likely challenger is Sen. Jerry Cirino (Kirtland) who chairs the powerful senate finance committee. He was the sponsor of the controversial SB 1 dealing with operations at Ohio’s universities and colleges. The bill passed despite considerable objection from the public. Cirino emphasized that his experience heading several billion-dollar companies makes him well-qualified for the senate leadership role. His backers have not been named, but Cirino expressed surprise at Reineke’s announcement.
Sen. Reinke has $396,000 in his campaign funds and Sen. Cirino has $254,000. His top contributor was Ronald Wilheim president of nursing and long-term care for a firm called communicare. He gave $7500. Cirino’s other major contributors were the Ohio Dental Association and the Ohio Optometric Association. Reineke already reported contributing money to the campaigns of two individuals seeking a senate seat where the incumbent is term-limited—Craig Reidel and Rep. Steve Demetriou (Bainbridge) who currently represents House District 35 in northeast Ohio. (Source: Gongwer-Ohio July 30, 2025) Reinke, Cirino square off for senate presidency. Gongwer News Service.)
Redistricting (Gerrymandering) & other strategies to affect election results
Gerrymandering or redrawing representational districts to create or destroy voting advantages has taken center stage as those in power attempt to use it to ensure that 2026 election results contain no surprises on election day. There are many steps in this endeavor, and the outcome is unclear; but Ohio is not the only state being targeted by those at the federal level. Others include Texas, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, and New Hampshire. In Ohio redistricting has many looming deadlines that could impact the general assembly’s schedule for the second half of 2025.
What’s the plan?
The republican party’s hold on the U.S. House of Representatives is tenuous and several Ohio districts are being targeted as possible seats that would reinforce or preserve the republican majority/control of the U.S. house for at least two more years. The responsibility for drawing the map rests with Ohio elected officials, and there are lots of moving parts. The process is interesting in its configuration. The deadlines that must be met are tight and looming.
Ohio’s current redistricting process
September 30th—General Assembly must pass a proposed map in both chambers by 3/5 majority AND at least half of the democrats must vote to approve. That is not likely to occur, especially if the majority party attempts to redraw several key democratic districts that are seen as potential wins for the Rs next year. If (when) that doesn’t happen, the next step of the process is triggered.
October 31st—The seven-member Ohio Redistricting Commission must pass a map with bipartisan support. That commission is composed of three statewide office holders ( the governor, auditor, and secretary of state) two republican lawmakers, and two democrat lawmakers (appointed by party leaders in their respective chambers). There will be five republicans and two democrats making up the commission that will make this decision. At least one minority party member must vote to approve. Whether or not the commission can meet this requirement depends on what the proposed map looks like.
November 30th—If the commission is unsuccessful by October 31st the issue returns to the general assembly but this time only 1/3 of the democrats must vote to support. The proposed map must again pass each chamber by 3/5 majority vote. In addition, the map must meet certain rules, such as it cannot unduly favor a party or incumbent, or split townships or municipalities. In the past these proposed maps were challenged by the minority party, and the bipartisan Supreme Court ruled they did not meet the required criteria. However, the court now has a solid 6-1 republican majority, so the outcome of any challenge could be different. Once the map is approved, the governor can either sign or veto it.
Targeted redistricting is not the only strategy being employed to affect the federal election results . Another tactic involves bringing people in, either federal government employees or a third party, to physically examine a state’s election equipment. Federal officials have provided technical assistance and cybersecurity advice to state election officials in the past, but election equipment has been off limits because election laws tightly limit who has access.
In addition to this tactic that was attempted in Colorado, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked at least nine states for copies of their voter rolls. At least two states have complied. The outreach has differed from state to state. Colorado was asked to provide all records related to its elections, while in Alaska, the DOJ questioned why no voters were removed for mental incompetence. Other states were asked detailed questioned about the process for removing non-citizens and other ineligible voters from the rolls.
Further, DOJ attorneys have asked states to share information about voters to implement an executive order issued by Donald Trump that would shift power over elections to the federal government rather than relying on states to continue to ensure safe and secure elections without federal intervention. When that executive order was appealed, it was temporarily blocked, at which point, the strategy was changed to focus on a different provision in the order that addressed information sharing. That provision has not been blocked by the courts.
Under the U.S. Constitution the federal government plays a limited role in elections. The current efforts are seen by some as imposing federal power over state election processes. Election officials have been concerned about such efforts in the past and fear that current efforts will lead to a national voter file that includes personal information about voters or possibly impose rules that would eliminate eligible voters from the rolls.
(Source: Manley, P. & Sanchez, Y. (July 16, 2025) DOJ hits states with broad requests for voter rolls, election data. Washington Post. Washington D.C.)
The redistricting uproar in Texas, currently the focus of much media attention, began when Gov. Gregg Abbott called a special session of the state’s legislature to redraw its congressional district lines in a blatantly partisan way. He admitted openly that the proposed new lines were drawn to favor republicans not to discriminate against blacks and Latinos. The democrat legislators fled the state so the legislature would not have a quorum and therefore unable to conduct business., i.e., approve the new district map. “The Texas initiative rests on a 2019 Supreme Court ruling that federal courts would not police claims alleging that partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional. Courts continue to police racial gerrymandering”. (Source: Hasen, R. (August 2025 )Trump started a redistricting war. Only congress can stop it. Retrieved from https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-texas-redistricting-map-congress-voters-rcna223094?cid=eml_mda_20250806&user_email=50dddd44a21caa37917d3e2c928a1f280f43ad9ef27a1043d8199e8d515f15a2.
While this information may seem like a slog through deep weeds, it is important to be aware of the significance of many activities across the country that taken together have significant implications for the 2026 election and beyond. Voting in free and fair elections has long been the hallmark of a genuine democracy . Not being able to trust election results will lead to questions and court cases intended to add more confusion and chaos to an already at-risk institution. Such uncertainty further endangers an already teetering republic founded on the rule of law.
