Week in Review December 1, 2025

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This report reflects the latest happenings in government relations, in and around the Ohio statehouse. You’ll notice that it’s broad in nature and on an array of topics, from A-Z. This will be updated on a weekly basis.

Please feel free to share it with anyone else you believe may find it of interest, as well. Also, please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions, concerns or if we can be of any assistance.

ARTS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

After Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed their attempt to eliminate the longstanding arts funding set-aside for major capital projects, lawmakers worked with the administration and returned to the topic last week with a proposal to cap per-project spending under the program. Meanwhile, legislators have taken steps to control awards to arts and culture facilities from a major new capital project funding pool, to the consternation of advocates. The latest budget bill, HB96 (Stewart), was passed by lawmakers with language to eliminate the Percent for Art program. But DeWine struck that provision as one of his 67 line-item vetoes. The legislative flurry preceding Thanksgiving included two budget corrections bill, HB184 (Stewart) and HB434 (Willis), both of which affect arts and culture funding. Under HB184, total Percent for Art costs would be capped at $200,000 per project, meaning the amount of money set aside for art works for a project would only increase until the state's contribution hit $20 million.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Attorney General Dave Yost announced a deadline extension on Tuesday supporting workshop proposals for the 2026 Two Days in May Conference on Victim Assistance. His Crime Victim Services Section now will accept conference proposals until Friday, Dec. 5 at 4 p.m. More information is HERE.

BUSINESS/CORPORATE

Secretary of State Frank LaRose Monday announced his office has launched a new data dashboard to view and analyze the latest business activity in the state, joining other data dashboards he has launched, including those pertaining to voter registration and absentee ballot activity. The secretary of state's office said the tool is designed to help the public better analyze new business filings. It allows users to view new business growth throughout the years, explore self-reported demographics and county statistics, and view notary and ministerial license statistics.

CHILDREN/FAMILIES

A new partnership between the DeWine administration, the city of Columbus and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) will replace lead and galvanized service lines at child care facilities served by Columbus Water and Power. The partnership was announced Friday. The service line replacement effort will be funded by a $500,000 grant from H2Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine's statewide water quality initiative.

ECONOMY

A recent report by personal finance site WalletHub found Ohio was lowest in the nation for increases in auto loan debt. Ranks for neighbor states included Indiana, 21st-highest; Michigan, 25th; West Virginia, 28th; Pennsylvania, 35th; and Kentucky, 43rd.

EDUCATION

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) announced on Monday that it has disbursed funds to schools and townships in 10 different counties throughout the state through the Trees to Textbooks program. The program distributes a percentage of the revenue generated from state forest management activity to the locality where the activity took place.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced Monday its member schools had approved emergency bylaw changes to allow name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements for high school athletes, making Ohio the 45th state to permit NIL in high school sports. The vote was part of a referendum from Monday, Nov. 17 to Friday, Nov. 21, with 447 schools voting for the change, 121 against and 247 abstaining. The new bylaw goes into effect immediately, permitting the student-athletes to receive NIL compensation for appearances, licensing, social media, endorsements and other use of branding based on their public recognition. It also sets up reporting procedures and limits to ensure students don't jeopardize eligibility related to OHSAA recruiting and amateur bylaws.

The Ohio Supreme Court unanimously decided Tuesday to dismiss the case of a Columbus mother who objected to Columbus City Schools' initial denial of transportation services to her child, saying the matter became moot after the district started transportation services. Still pending is a broader lawsuit filed by Attorney General Dave Yost affecting parents facing a similar situation as Marissa Siebold, the plaintiff in Tuesday's ruling.

ELECTIONS 2026

Former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan announced Friday he wouldn't be running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, ending months of speculation about whether he'd challenge former Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Dr. Amy Acton. Ryan had previously said he'd make a decision by the end of September, then delayed that announcement. "After careful consideration, much prayer and reflection, and after long conversations with my family, my closest friends and advisors, I've made the decision not to run for governor in 2026," Ryan said.

Following the adoption of a new congressional district map for the state by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, Secretary of State Frank LaRose Friday issued Directive 2025-55 to all 88 county boards of elections regarding the implementation of that new map.

The Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) announced that Ohio Democrats from around the state gathered last week to select new constituency caucus leadership. The party said the constituency caucuses will play a pivotal role in organizing their communities and turning out voters during the critical 2026 midterm elections. New caucus leaders include Chair Chris Harding of the Hispanic & Latino Caucus; Chair and state Rep. Erika White (DToledo) of the Women's Caucus; and Chair Priya Tamilarasan of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus

The following endorsements were made over the week:

• The gubernatorial campaign of Democrat Amy Acton announced the endorsements of Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, and Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, who said in a joint statement released by the campaign "As the mayors of Ohio's four largest cities, we see every day how much our residents contribute to the vibrance, ingenuity, and character that make Ohio truly the heart of it all. We know that keeping young folks in our growing cities, lowering housing costs, and maintaining safe communities require a governor who understands the importance of strong local partnerships and consistent investment in the places where people live, work, and build their futures. That is why we are proud to jointly endorse Dr. Amy Acton for governor. Ohioans have witnessed Dr. Acton's steady judgment, collaborative spirit, and proven ability to bring people together to solve real problems firsthand. With her leadership, our cities and our entire state will continue to flourish."

ENERGY/UTILITIES

State regulators set aside the Office of Ohio Consumers' Counsel's (OCC) requested rate decrease across FirstEnergy's service territory due to 133-HB6 (Callender-Wilkin) "mismanagement" Wednesday and instead raised the company's annual revenues by $34 million. That number is misleading, however, as Ohio Edison will see a yearly rate decrease of $17.4 million and Toledo Edison -$24.4 million, while Cleveland Electric Illuminating (CEI) Co.'s customers will pay $76 million more every year.

The Ohio Supreme Court must consider whether an apparent conflict of interest among two township trustees and beneficiaries of a proposed 2,768-acre solar project moots subsequent opposition by a majority of trustees to the utility-scale solar plant under 134-SB52 (Reineke-McColley). The case recently went before justices for oral argument.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

The House and Senate clerks both released first-half session schedules for 2026 Monday. The House won't convene another floor session until mid-February and has 10 confirmed meeting dates before the summer break. The Senate returns earlier, in late January, and has 11 confirmed session dates in total. A one-page summary of the schedules is available HERE.

GOVERNOR

Gov. Mike DeWine Tuesday signed one of two budget corrections bills passed by the General Assembly this month, while using his line-item veto on a provision involving the payment of towing fees. HB434 (Willis), which makes corrections to the transportation and main operating budgets, was introduced in September and quickly sailed through the House and Senate, with the House concurring on the Senate changes on Nov. 5. Several corrections were amended into the bill during that process. Among the various provisions, the bill would have required the payment of towing and storage fees for vehicles ordered towed by law enforcement in all circumstances with no exceptions. However, in signing the bill Tuesday, DeWine struck that language, saying in his veto message that it would allow victims of crime to be charged a fee to reclaim their private vehicles after they've been seized as evidence by law enforcement as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.

Appointments made over the week include the following:

• Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. of Dublin (Franklin County) to the Ohio History Connection Board of Trustees for a term beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending June 26, 2027

• Brian D. Marita of Westlake (Cuyahoga County) to the Accountancy Board for a term beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Oct. 20, 2032. - Geoffrey D. Eaton of Ontario (Richland County) to the Ohio Architects Board for a term beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Oct. 2, 2030.

• Spencer A. Barker of Newark (Licking County) to the State Auctioneers Commission for a term beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Oct. 9, 2028.

• Kevin P. Bingle of Hilliard (Franklin County) (2028) appointed and John T. Patton of Spencer (Medina County) (2027), Robert J. Hedger of Pickerington (Fairfield County) (2027), James A. Armile of Poland (Mahoning County) (2028) and Robert A. Schuerger II of Columbus (Franklin County) (2026) reappointed to the Ohio Athletic Commission for terms beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Sept. 2 in the years specified.

• Barbara C. Mills of Beavercreek (Greene County), Lori Ann Feibel of Bexley (Franklin County), Cara Dingus Brook of Logan (Hocking County) and Charles E. Wilson, Jr. of Columbus (Franklin County) to the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Ohio Advisory Board for terms beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Nov. 20, 2028.

• Thomas A. Hinojosa of Fairview Park (Cuyahoga County) to the Board of Building Appeals for a term beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Oct. 13, 2029 and Donald C. Cooper of Tallmadge (Summit County) for a term beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Oct. 13, 2028.

• Daniel V. Gallagher of Fairview Park (Cuyahoga County) appointed and Christie A. Ward of Lockbourne (Franklin County), Christopher L. Miller of Dublin (Franklin County), Paul E. Yankie of Cincinnati (Hamilton County) and Donald B. Leach, Jr. of Columbus (Franklin County) reappointed to the Board of Building Standards for terms beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Oct. 13, 2029

• James F. McGregor of Gahanna (Franklin County) reappointed to the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission for a term beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Sept. 29, 2030.

• Mary E. Beatty of Columbus (Franklin County), John E. Driscoll of Medina (Medina County), Brian McTaggart of North Ridgeville (Lorain County), Wayne M. Scott of Centerburg (Knox County) and Scott P. Jacobs of Vandalia (Montgomery County) to the Elevator Safety Review Board for terms beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Nov. 20, 2028.

• Jared K. Weiser of Powell (Delaware County) appointed to the Industrial Commission Nominating Council for a term beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Oct. 20, 2029; Ryan R. Augsburger of Columbus (Franklin County) and Philip J. Fulton of Columbus (Franklin County) reappointed for terms beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Oct. 20, 2029; and Thomas R. Winters of Columbus (Franklin County) reappointed for a term beginning Nov. 21, 2025, and ending Oct. 20, 2027.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Six online cannabis career certificate programs are launching through Kent State University (KSU) in partnership with Green Flower, a cannabis education provider. KSU said the programs have been introduced to "meet workforce demands in Ohio's rapidly growing $3 billion cannabis industry."

More than $17 million in questioned spending at now closed Eastern Gateway Community College (EGCC) has been identified by auditors in their review of the college's finances from July 2022 to June 2023, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced Tuesday. In total, state auditors identified 44 findings of questionable financial activity during their review. The college closed in September 2025 due to financial and legal challenges.

Ohio State University has identified majors it will eliminate under provisions of SB1 (Cirino) meant to curtail low-enrollment programs, as well as other degrees that will be merged. Under SB1, programs that confer fewer than five degrees on average over a three-year period are to be eliminated, although institutions can request a waiver. The university said its Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee last week approved a report to the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) on low-enrollment and duplicate programs. The requirement for the university to approve and submit this report every three years pre-dates SB1, the university noted.

Sinclair Community College is investing $30 million to remodel one of its campus buildings into an Integrated Education Technology Center (IETC) as part of an initiative to meet convergence needs across information technology (IT), cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). The building is set to open in spring 2027.

JUDICIAL

The Ohio Supreme Court effectively struck down Rules of Judicial Conduct limits on judges' First Amendment rights and cleared former state senator and Geauga County Probate and Juvenile Court Tim Grendell of two of three disciplinary counts against him in a rare Friday opinion. The Ohio Association of Probate Judges' (OAPJ) president-elect, Ohio Judicial College (OJC) faculty member, and former Ohio Attorney General candidate will nevertheless serve an 18-month bar suspension with 12 months stayed for "willfully" and illegally detaining two minors in juvenile lockup who refused visitation with their father.

An Ohio Supreme Court majority joined by Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy and four Republicans ruled Tuesday that peace officers are "persons" and therefore potential crime victims under the Ohio Constitution. Even on duty, victimized officers have "privacy" rights guaranteed in Marsy's Law, Article I, Section 10a, and elucidated in "Victim Privacy Law" R.C. 2930.07. For those reasons, Justice R. Patrick DeWine wrote that the Columbus Dispatch's public records request for unredacted footage of a multi-officer shootout in July 2023 with one of three carjackers on I-71 near the Capitol lacked constitutional or statutory authority.

LIBRARIES

Former State Librarian Beverly Cain died Nov. 18 following a medical emergency and end-of-life care, the State Library of Ohio (SLO) announced. "Beverly was an amazing mentor to myself and to many of the library leaders of today," said State Librarian Mandy Knapp. "Her selfless devotion to bringing information and excellent library service to the people of Ohio is an enduring legacy. I ask you to honor her by being a little kinder to one another today." Cain retired in 2020, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, after 33 years of library service, including 10 years as agency director and state librarian of Ohio. In 2024, Cain returned to service as interim state librarian until early 2025.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Downtown Columbus is one of the safest places in the city when looking at the statistics, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said Friday following the announcement of a new partnership between the DeWine administration, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the city of Columbus to replace lead and galvanized water lines. "One homicide is too many, even though we're seeing the lowest level of homicides in this city since 2017," added Ginther in response to a question concerning a recent fatal shooting in downtown Columbus. Ginther praised the city's division of police and the DeWine administration's $1 million investment in recruitment efforts. "We currently have one of the largest police classes at the academy that we've had since the pandemic," he said.

MARIJUANA/HEMP

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine still considers hemp to be dangerous, he told reporters Friday, commenting about his opinion on the most recent hemp provisions laid out in the conference committee's SB56 (Huffman) which passed the House last week. He criticized "hyped up" hemp products, noting they often are designed to look like candy to appeal to kids. He called the issue a "serious problem."

OHIO HISTORY

As plans for Ohio's celebration in 2026 of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence reach from the Statehouse to the celebration of Ohio's river roots to the state's place in cinema history in movie theaters across the state, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has announced a slate of events throughout 2026 celebrating the rich history of Ohio's public lands.

PUBLIC SAFETY

The Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Division of State Fire Marshal (SFM) announced recently that the state's 2025 Ohio Fire Code (OFC) is now in effect, including key changes to streamline regulations and keep up with new technology and safety needs. The changes included incorporating the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC), which removed 29 percent of words in the Fire Code and fire-related portions of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC). That resulted in the removal of 8,772 regulatory restrictions that were out-of-date, duplicative or unnecessary under the modern safety standards, according to SFM.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Leaders of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) recently called for a continuation of states' ability to regulate policy on artificial intelligence (AI) free of federal restrictions, following the reported drafting of a presidential executive order to support the challenging of state AI laws. On Nov. 18, President Donald Trump said on social media that there should be "one federal standard instead of a patchwork of 50 state regulatory regimes" and that this could be done "in a way that protects children and prevents censorship." Reporting about the draft executive order followed soon after, though subsequent reports indicate it is unclear whether that will move forward. Trump signed a separate order Monday on federal support to expand AI development with comparisons to the Manhattan Project.

TAXATION

A provision in HB186 (Hoops-D. Thomas) eliminating non-business property tax credits for landlords will result in consequences for small businesses and raise rent for people across the state, according to the Ohio Manufactured Homes Association (OMHA) and the Ohio Real Estate Investors Association (OREIA) who both sent Gov. Mike DeWine a letter Friday requesting his veto of the provision.

TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE

Gov. Mike DeWine, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, members of Ohio's congressional delegation and local leaders met in East Palestine Friday to provide new information on a first responder training center to be established there. The project was first announced in March 2023 following the train derailment, with Norfolk Southern agreeing to build the center with a focus on hazardous material fires. After a visit by Vance to East Palestine in January 2025, the plans were enhanced to include higher education opportunities and ways to ensure long-term viability for the facility. Attending the Friday announcement were U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Jon Husted (R-OH), U.S. Rep. Mike Rulli (R-Salem), former U.S. Rep. and current Youngstown State University (YSU) President Bill Johnson, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway and Norfolk Southern Railway Company President and CEO Mark George.

AAA is projecting 81.8 million people nationally will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period, an increase of 1.6 million travelers compared to last year, which would set a new overall record. Of that number, 73 million are expected to travel by car during the holiday period from Tuesday, Nov. 25 through Monday, Dec. 1, an increase of 1.3 million compared to last Thanksgiving, AAA said. The auto club added that the number could be higher if some air travelers decide to drive instead of fly following recent flight cancellations.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Investment Committee Chairman Mark Palmer of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation's (BWC) Board of Directors Friday presented members the state insurance fund's (SIF) performance review as of Sept. 30. Palmer valued the fund at roughly $20.3 billion on returns of 9.3 percent calendar year-to-date.

[Story originally published in The Hannah Report. Copyright 2025 Hannah News Service, Inc.]