Governor Mike DeWine issued a personal record 67 line item vetoes in the state operating budget, and the Ohio House is preparing to override at least three of them before the end of the month. All three provisions focus on property taxes. One of them allows county budget commissions to reduce voter approved levies, another requires emergency and other levies to be used when calculating the 20-mill floor that is the effective tax rate, and the third limits districts’ power to ask for emergency levies. The Ohio House needs at least 60 votes in order to override the Governor’s vetoes and at least four Republican House members are expected to be absent; there are 65 total House Republicans. No Democrats in either chamber voted in favor of the state operating budget, so the margin will be close.

Governor DeWine recently announced the formation of a new property tax working group to be led by former legislators Bill Seitz and Pat Tiberi. Despite the announcement of the working group, it appears that the Ohio House still plans to proceed with a veto override. The veto override vote in the Ohio House is scheduled to take place on July 21. Currently, the Ohio Senate has not set a date to meet to do their own veto override vote.

Eviction Record Sealing Bills Introduced in House and Senate

Before the summer, break legislators introduced bills in the House and the Senate aimed at reducing the harmful effects of eviction records.

In the Senate, Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) introduced S.B. 204, which is modeled after the Colorado suppressed records statute and would limit the public’s access to eviction records at the time they are filed. Under the proposal, when a plaintiff files for an eviction, the records would not be posted online or generally accessible to the public until there is a final order in the case. If the tenant is evicted, the case would then become a public record. However, if judgment in the case is in favor of the tenant or the case is dismissed, the record would remain suppressed.

Representatives Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland) and Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland) took a different approach to the same issue with the introduction of H.B. 368 in the House. Their proposal would require clerks of courts to automatically seal all eviction records three years after the final judgment in the case (or, if there was a financial judgment awarded, three years after final satisfaction of the judgment). OPLC will monitor both bills closely and work with the sponsors to support them as they move through the committee process.

Legislation Introduced to Shield Domestic Violence Survivors from Gun Threats

Before legislators finalized the budget and left the Statehouse for their summer break, a few of them introduced legislation to protect survivors of domestic violence from gun violence.

Rep. Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland) introduced H.B. 352 as part of his Community Safety and Solutions Agenda. This bill closes the “boyfriend loophole” by expanding the offense of domestic violence to include dating relationships. It also prohibits a person subject to a domestic protection order or who has been convicted if misdemeanor domestic violence from owning or possessing weapons. It has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.

Additionally, Rep. Michele Grim (D-Toledo) and Rep. Munira Abdullahi (D-Columbus) introduced H.B. 354, the Keeping Our Survivors Safe Act. The bill would prohibit individuals convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses from possessing firearms — bringing Ohio law into alignment with existing federal protections. It has been assigned to the House Public Safety Committee. OPLC will monitor both bills closely and work with the sponsors to support them as they move through the committee process.

Legislator Spotlight: Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester)

The Ohio Poverty Law Center is starting a new segment to highlight the members of Ohio’s General Assembly, and our first featured legislator is Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester). Senator Reynolds represents the third Ohio Senate district which includes Madison, Pickaway and Franklin County. Considered a rising star within her caucus, Senator Reynolds is a very active member serving on 6 committees including:

• Housing, (Chair)
• Judiciary, (Vice Chair)
• Workforce Development, (Vice Chair)
• Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Rules and Reference
• Small Business and Economic Opportunity

Senator Reynolds has made housing one of her biggest priorities since she began her service in the Ohio Senate. She chaired the Ohio Senate Housing Task Force last General Assembly, and helped establish housing as a permanent substantive committee. The Ohio Poverty Law Center has worked with Senator Reynolds on several housing proposals including the recently introduced S.B. 204 which as mentioned above, would enact eviction record sealing measures. Senator Reynolds has also worked with OPLC on kinship care reform by joint sponsoring S.B. 58. She is currently at the end of her first term as a member of the Ohio Senate.