LEGISLATION
OHIO GENERAL ASSEMBLY | 135th General Assembly • First Session
| S.B. 1 – Revise Education Law and Department duties; rename the department *OPPOSE* Sponsor: Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin) Notes: Renames the Department of Education as the Department of Education and Workforce Development (D.E.W.). Transfers most of the powers and duties of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW). Read the Full Analysis • Introduced on 1/11/23, referred to Senate Education Committee on 1/17/23 • 1st hearing held on 1/17/23 • 2nd hearing held on 2/7/23 • 3rd hearing held on 2/14/23 • 4th hearing held on 2/21/23 • 5th hearing held on 2/28/23 • Passed in the Senate on 3/1/23 (Yes: 26 N: 7 - See Roll Call) |
| S.B. 4 – Modify the film and theater tax credit Sponsor: Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) & Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) Notes: Analysis currently unavailable • Introduced on 1/11/23, referred to Senate Ways and Means Committee on 1/17/23 |
| S.B. 5 – Establish the Workforce Voucher Program Sponsor: Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) Notes: Establishes the Workforce Voucher Program, requiring the Director of Development to award vouchers to students at public and private institutions of higher education seeking degrees, certifications, or licenses for in-demand jobs. Analysis Read Full Analysis • Introduced on 1/11/23, referred to Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee on 1/17/23 |
| S.B. 11 – Enact the Parent Educational Freedom Act (The Backpack Bill) *OPPOSE* Sponsor: Sen. Sandra O’Brien (R-Ashtabula) Notes: Expands eligibility for Educational Choice scholarships to all students; ceases operation of the Pilot Project (Cleveland) Scholarship Program; increases the amount of homeschooling expenses that a taxpayer can claim as an income tax credit each from, from $250 to $2000. HB 11 is the companion bill. Read Full Analysis • Introduced on 1/11/23, referred to Senate Education Committee on 1/17/23 • 1st hearing held on 2/7/23 • 2nd hearing scheduled for 2/21/23 • 3rd hearing held on 3/7/23 |
| S.B. 14 – Expand veteran eligibility to teach without a license Sponsor: Sen. Frank Hoagland (R-Mingo Junction) Notes: Permits a school district, community school, or STEM school to employ an eligible veteran who does not hold an educator license as a teacher; establishes related service, educational, registration, and mentorship requirements that a veteran must meet in order to be employed as a teacher. Read Full Analysis • Introduced on 1/11/23, referred to Senate Education Committee on 1/17/23 • 1st hearing held on 2/7/23 • 2nd hearing held on 3/7/23 |
| S.B. 47 – Prohibit public employer granting paid leave-certain activities *OPPOSE* Sponsor: Sen. Stephen Huffman (R-Tipp City) Notes: To enact section 4117.091 of the Revised Code to prohibit a public employer from providing paid leave or compensation for a public employee to engage in certain union activities. Analysis Unavailable • Introduced on 2/7/23, referred to Senate Judiciary Committee |
| S.B. 83 - Enact Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act*OPPOSE* Sponsor: Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) Notes: To amend and enact sections of the Revised Code to enact the Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act regarding the operation of state institutions of higher education. Includes language that would prohibits "employees of any state institution of higher education" from going on strike. • Introduced on 3/14/23, referred to Senate Workforce & Higher Education Committee • 1st hearing scheduled for 3/22/23 at 11:00 a.m. |
| H.J.R. 1 - To require 60% approval from voters to make changes to the state constitution *OPPOSE* Sponsor: Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) Notes: Proposing to amend Sections of the Constitution of the State of Ohio to require a vote of at least 60% of the electors to approve any constitutional amendment and to modify the procedures for an initiative petition proposing a constitutional amendment. Analysis Unavailable • Introduced on 2/15/23, referred to Constitutional Resolutions Committee on 2/16/23 • 1st hearing scheduled for 3/22/23 at 9:00 a.m. |
| H.B. 10 - Continue phasing-in the school financing system(The Fair School Funding Bill) *SUPPORT* Sponsor: Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) & Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) Notes: To express the intent of the General Assembly to 1 continue phasing in the school financing system 2 established in H.B. 110 of the 134th General 3 Assembly and, if practicable, fully phase it in. Analysis Unavailable • Introduced on 2/15/23, referred to Finance Committee |
| H.B. 11 - Establish the Backpack Scholarship Program(The Backpack Bill) *OPPOSE* Sponsor: Rep. Riordan McClain (R-Upper Sandusky) & Marilyn John (R-Richland County) Notes: To amend the Ohio Revised Code to establish the Backpack Scholarship Program to begin operating for the 2023-2024 school year, to repeal the Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot Program and the Pilot Project Scholarship Program on July 1, 2024, and to make an appropriation. SB 11 is the companion bill. Analysis Unavailable. • Introduced on 2/15/23, referred to Primary and Secondary Education Committee 2/16/23 • 1st hearing held on 2/28/23 |
| H.B. 52 - Reverse H.B. 509/134th GA changes to EMS training, continuing ed*SUPPORT* Sponsor: Rep. Riordan McClain (R-Upper Sandusky) & Marilyn John (R-Richland County) Notes: To amend the Ohio Revised Code to restore law related to emergency medical services training and continuing education programs and EMS and fire instructor certification, and to amend the versions of the Revised Code that are scheduled to take effect on December 29, 2023, to continue the changes on and after that date, and to declare an emergency. • Introduced on 2/15/23, referred to State and Local Government committee on 2/16/23 • Passed in the House on 3/1/23 (Yes: 95 N: 0 - See Roll Call) - To Senate Local Government Committee • 1st hearing held on 3/14/23 |
US CONGRESS | 118th Congress • First Session
| H.R. 82 – Social Security Fairness Act *SUPPORT* Sponsor: Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA-6) Notes: The bill repeals provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from state or local government. Government Pension Offset (GPO)/Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) • Introduced in House on 1/9/23, referred to House Committee on Ways and Means |
| H.R. 382 – Pandemic is Over Act *OPPOSE* Sponsor: Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2) Notes: Terminates the public health emergency declared with respect to COVID-19. Read Full Analysis • Introduced on 1/17/23 • Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce on 1/17/23 • Passed in the House on 1/31/23 (Yes: 220 N: 210 NV: 0 Abs 4) - See Roll Call • AFL-CIO Statement |
| H.R. 536/S.B. 124 – FAIR ACT *AFGE - SUPPORT* Sponsor: Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA-11) | Sen. Brian Schatz [D-HI] Notes: To increase the rate of pay under the statutory pay systems and for prevailing rate employees by 8.7 percent, and for other purposes. • Introduced in House on 1/26/23 | Introduced in Senate on 1/26/23 • Referred to House Committee on Oversight and Accountability on 1/26/23 | Referred to Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs on 1/26/23 |
U.S. SUPREME COURT WATCH
| Glacier Northwest, Inc., v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters Docket #: 21-1449 Notes: A case on whether employers can sue unions for damage to property caused during strike action. • Oral Argument on 1/10/23 [LISTEN] • AFL-CIO Statement |
LOCAL
| CLEVELAND: Ord. No. 297-2023 – Pertaining to Community Benefit Agreements Sponsor: Blaine Griffin & Jasmine Santana Notes: To supplement the Codified Ordinances of Cleveland, Ohio, 1976, by enacting new Chapter 191A, Sections 191A.01 through 191A.07, related to Community Benefits Agreements. [Read the Ordinance] • Introduced on 3/6/23 as an emergency |
OTHER
| Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless; Ohio Federation of Teachers; Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans; and Union Veterans Council v. Frank LaRose (HB 458 PHOTO IDENTIFICATION LAW) Case #: 1:23-cv-26 Notes: Filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division. The Plaintiffs believe that House Bill 458 will severely restrict Ohioan’s access to the polls – particularly those voters who are young, elderly, and black, as well as those serving in the military and others living abroad. The law imposes one of the most stringent photo-identification requirements in the country (eliminates ability to provide bank statements, utility bills, government checks, paychecks, and other government documents as acceptable forms of identification when voting in person); significantly advances the deadline during which voters must provide the documents or information necessary to ensure that their provisional ballots or rejected ballots are counted; and significantly advances the deadlines by which voters must submit applications for mailed absentee-voter ballots. • Read the Complaint |
UNION LEADER RESOURCES
HB 458 Legislative Fact Sheet (voter photo I.D.U.S. law, Effective 4/7/23)
HB 458 Final Analysis (Ohio Legislative Service Commission)
HR 1065 Legislative Fact Sheet (Pregnant Worker Fairness Act, Effective 6/27/23)
UPDATED 3/17/2023