Ohio State Senate

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Ohio State Senate
General Information
Party control:	Republican
Session start:[1]	January 4, 2021
Session end:[1]	December 31, 2021
Term length:	4 years
Term limits:	2 terms (8 years)
Redistricting:	Commission
Salary:	$67,492/year
Members
Total:	33
Democrats:	8
Republicans:	25
Other:	0
Vacancies:	0
Leadership
President:	Matt Huffman (R)
Maj. Leader:	Kirk Schuring (R)
Min. Leader:	Kenny Yuko (D)
Elections
Last election:	November 3, 2020
Next election:	November 8, 2022

The Ohio State Senate is the upper chamber of the Ohio General Assembly. Alongside the Ohio House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Ohio state government and works alongside the governor of Ohio to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Ohio State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Ohio State Senate meets at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.

The Ohio Redistricting Commission approved new state legislative district maps by a 5-2 vote on September 16, 2021. The two Democratic members of the commission, state Rep. Emilia Sykes (D) and state Sen. Vernon Sykes (D), dissented. Since the map was approved along partisan lines, it will only last for four years, rather than ten, as outlined in the 2015 constitutional amendment that created the commission.^[2] These maps take effect for Ohio’s 2022 legislative elections. Click here for more information about redistricting after the 2020 census.

Sixteen of the chamber's 33 seats were up for election in 2020. The chamber's Republican supermajority increased from 24-9 to 25-8. Click to read more »

Ohio has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

This page contains the following information on the Ohio State Senate.

• Which party controls the chamber
• The chamber's current membership
• Partisan control of the chamber over time
• Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
• A district map
• How redistricting works in the state
• Legislation currently under consideration
• Legislative session dates
• Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
• A list of committees

Party control[edit]

Current partisan control[edit]

The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Ohio State Senate as of November 2021:

Party		As of November 2021
	Democratic Party	8
	Republican Party	25
	Vacancies	0
Total		33

Members[edit]

Leadership[edit]

Each legislative session, the president of the Senate, a member of the majority caucus, is chosen by all members of the Senate. The majority and minority caucuses select their respective leaders.^[3]

Current leadership and members[edit]

• Senate president: Matt Huffman (R)
• Majority leader: Kirk Schuring (R)
• Minority leader: Kenny Yuko (D)

Salaries[edit]

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislators
Salary	Per diem
$67,492/year	No per diem is paid.

Swearing in dates[edit]

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Ohio legislators assume office the first day of January after a general election.^[4][5]

Membership qualifications[edit]

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article 2, Section 3 of the Ohio Constitution states: "Senators and representatives shall have resided in their respective districts one year next preceding their election, unless they shall have been absent on the public business of the United States, or of this state."

Article 2, Section 5 of the Ohio Constitution states: "No person hereafter convicted of an embezzlement of the public funds, shall hold any office in this state; nor shall any person, holding public money for disbursement, or otherwise, have a seat in the General Assembly, until he shall have accounted for, and paid such money into the treasury."

Historical party control[edit]

Between 1992 and 2020, grew their majority in the Ohio State Senate. Republicans held a 20-13 majority as a result of the 1992 elections. As a result of the 2020 elections, the Republican majority was 25-8. The table below shows the partisan history of the Ohio State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2020. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Ohio State Senate Party Control: 1992-2020

Year	'92	'94	'96	'98	'00	'02	'04	'06	'08	'10	'12	'14	'16	'18	'20
Democrats	13	13	12	12	12	11	11	12	12	10	10	10	9	9	8
Republicans	20	20	21	21	21	22	22	21	21	23	23	23	24	24	25

There were few movements in the partisan balance of the state Senate between 1992 and 2020. There was one election, held in 2010, in which Republicans gained two seats. The only gains Democrats made occurred as a result of the 2006 elections, when they gained one seat. All other election cycles saw either Republicans picking up one seat or there being no change in the partisan balance of the chamber.

Trifecta history[edit]

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2021, Ohio was under the following types of trifecta control:

• Democratic trifecta: None
• Republican trifecta: 1995-2006, 2011-2021
• Divided government: 1992-1994, 2007-2010

Ohio Party Control: 1992-2021
No Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Elections[edit]

Elections by year[edit]

Ohio state senators serve staggered, four-year terms, and half of the Senate is up for election every two years. Ohio holds elections for its legislature in even years.

2022[edit]

See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2022

Elections for the Ohio State Senate will take place in 2022. The general election is on November 8, 2022. A primary is scheduled for May 3, 2022. The filing deadline is February 2, 2022.

2020[edit]

See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2020

Elections for the office of Ohio State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for April 28, 2020. The filing deadline was December 18, 2019.

In the November 2020 election, Republicans expanded their majority in the Ohio State Senate from 24-9 to 25-8.

Ohio State Senate
Party		As of November 3, 2020	After November 4, 2020
	Democratic Party	9	8
	Republican Party	24	25
Total		33	33

2018[edit]

See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2018

Elections for the Ohio State Senate took place in 2018. The primary election took place on May 8, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The filing deadline for partisan candidates was February 7, 2018. The filing deadline for independent candidates was May 7, 2018.

In the 2018 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Ohio State Senate from 23-9 to 24-9.

Ohio State Senate
Party		As of November 6, 2018	After November 7, 2018
	Democratic Party	9	9
	Republican Party	23	24
	Vacancy	1	0
Total		33	33

2016[edit]

See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Ohio State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 16, 2015. A total of 16 seats out of the 33 seats in the Ohio State Senate were up for election in 2016.

Heading into the election, Republicans held a 23-10 majority. Republicans gained one seat in the election, giving them a 24-9 majority.

Ohio State Senate
Party		As of November 7, 2016	After November 8, 2016
	Democratic Party	10	9
	Republican Party	23	24
Total		33	33

Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2000

2014[edit] See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2014 Elections for the Ohio State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 5, 2014. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 23-10 majority. No partisan change occurred in the election. Ohio State Senate Party As of November 3, 2014 After November 4, 2014      Democratic Party 10 10      Republican Party 23 23 Total 33 33 2012[edit] See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2012 Elections for the office of Ohio State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on March 6, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was December 7, 2011. A total of 16 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 23-10 majority. No partisan change occurred in the election. Ohio State Senate Party As of November 5, 2012 After the 2012 Election      Democratic Party 10 10      Republican Party 23 23 Total 33 33 During the 2012 election, the total value of contributions to the 36 Senate candidates was $12,648,369. The top 10 contributors were:[6] 2012 Donors, Ohio State Senate Donor Amount Republican Senate Campaign Cmte of Ohio $2,948,557 Ohio Republican Party $589,951 Ohio Democratic Party $181,958 American Electric Power $148,736 Firstenergy Corp $132,550 Ohio Senate Democrats $132,255 Ohio Association of Realtors $132,000 Ohio Education Association $130,273 Wholesale Beer & Wine Association of Ohio $129,667 King Strategic Communications $108,777 The following table details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election. 2012 Margin of Victory, Ohio State Senate District Winner Margin of Victory Total Votes Top Opponent District 30 Lou Gentile 4.8% 157,287 Shane Thompson District 18 John Eklund 9.4% 166,316 Jim Mueller District 2 Randy Gardner 16.6% 175,432 Jeff Bretz District 24 Thomas Patton 17.9% 176,839 Jennifer L. Brady District 22 Larry Obhof Jr. 18.7% 159,225 James E. Riley District 20 Troy Balderson 19% 150,736 Teresa M. Scarmack District 26 Dave Burke 20.5% 142,796 Tanyce J. Addison District 10 Chris Widener 22.6% 155,631 Jeff D. Robertson District 8 Bill Seitz 22.9% 170,596 Richard G. Luken District 6 Peggy Lehner 24.8% 169,969 Rickey E. McKiddy 2010[edit] See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2010 Elections for the office of Ohio State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 4, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was February 18, 2010. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 21-12 majority. Republicans gained two seats in the election, giving them a 23-10 majority. Ohio State Senate Party As of November 1, 2010 After the 2010 Election      Democratic Party 12 10      Republican Party 21 23 Total 33 33 During the 2010 election, the total value of contributions to the 57 Senate candidates was $10,478,510. The top 10 contributors were:[7] 2010 Donors, Ohio State Senate Donor Amount Republican Senate Campaign Cmte of Ohio $2,463,124 Ohio Republican Party $1,246,811 Ohio Republican State Senate Campaign Cmte $482,625 Republican Senate Campaign Cmte $325,958 Ohio Democratic Party $213,780 Schneider, Michelle G $151,000 Wholesale Beer & Wine Association of Ohio $146,030 Ohio Senate Democrats $145,500 SEIU Healthcare District 1199 $125,451 Ohio Dental Association $122,600 2008[edit] See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2008 Elections for the office of Ohio State Senate consisted of a primary election on March 4, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to the 44 Senate candidates was $13,649,223. The top 10 contributors were:[8] 2008 Donors, Ohio State Senate Donor Amount Republican Senate Campaign Cmte of Ohio $3,056,587 Ohio Republican Party $656,103 Ohio Senate Democrats $232,313 Ohio Association of Realtors $172,800 Wholesale Beer & Wine Association of Ohio $146,040 Ohio Democratic Party $134,855 Firstenergy Corp $130,500 Brennan, David L $103,150 Ohio State Medical Association $96,950 Citizens for Gillmor $92,670 2006[edit] See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2006 Elections for the office of Ohio State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 2, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to the 48 Senate candidates was $14,040,261. The top 10 contributors were:[9] 2006 Donors, Ohio State Senate Donor Amount Republican Senate Campaign Cmte of Ohio $2,911,762 Ohio Republican Party $970,751 Ohio Senate Democrats $849,418 Ohio Democratic Party $269,664 Ohio Association of Realtors $196,850 Brennan, David L $137,500 Ohio Education Association $133,550 Wholesale Beer & Wine Association of Ohio $127,650 Ohio Dental Association $105,334 Firstenergy Corp $95,000 2004[edit] See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2004 Elections for the office of Ohio State Senate consisted of a primary election on March 2, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to the 40 Senate candidates was $10,212,918. The top 10 contributors were:[10] 2004 Donors, Ohio State Senate Donor Amount Republican Senate Campaign Cmte of Ohio $2,146,563 Ohio Republican Party $411,732 Ohio Democratic Party $325,765 Ohio Association of Realtors $90,500 Ohio House Republican Campaign Cmte $90,340 Ohio Education Association $86,800 Wholesale Beer & Wine Association of Ohio $76,400 Muskingum County Democratic Party $72,474 Brennan, Ann Amer $70,000 Ohio Automobile Dealers Association/Dealers Investment Group $69,600 2002[edit] See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2002 Elections for the office of Ohio's State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 7, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to the 38 Senate candidates was $11,901,512. The top 10 contributors were:[11] 2002 Donors, Ohio State Senate Donor Amount Republican Senate Campaign Cmte of Ohio $3,998,806 Ohio Democratic Party $869,985 Ohio Republican Party $443,802 Ohio Senate Democrats $156,754 Montgomery County Republican Party $134,510 Ohio Education Association $120,550 Democratic National Cmte $100,000 Wholesale Beer & Wine Association of Ohio $80,613 Ohio Association of Realtors $65,500 Ohio Society of CPAS $62,654 2000[edit] See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2000 Elections for the office of Ohio State Senate consisted of a primary election on March 21, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to the 41 Senate candidates was $8,804,029. The top 10 contributors were:[12] 2000 Donors, Ohio State Senate Donor Amount Republican Senate Campaign Cmte of Ohio $779,059 Ohio Senate Democrats $296,782 Ohio Republican Party $280,412 Ohio Democratic Party $203,827 Ohio Education Association $151,069 Ohio House Republican Campaign Cmte $114,395 Ohio Society of CPAS $83,639 Ohio Association of Realtors $77,630 Wholesale Beer & Wine Association of Ohio $76,784 Ohio State Medical Association $67,900

Term limits[edit]

See also: State legislatures with term limits

The Ohio legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Ohio Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative limited Ohio senators to no more than two four-year terms, or a total of eight years.^[13]

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.

Vacancies[edit]

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Ohio General Assembly, the vacancy must be filled by an election conducted by the members of the legislative house where the vacancy happened who are members of the party that last held the seat. A simple majority vote is needed in order to approve a replacement.^[14]

See sources: Ohio Const. Art. 2, Sec. 11

District map[edit]

See also: Ohio state legislative districts

The state of Ohio has 33 state Senate districts. Each district elects one senator.

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Redistricting[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Ohio

Congressional redistricting procedures in Ohio[edit]

On May 8, 2018, voters in Ohio approved a constitutional amendment establishing new procedures for congressional redistricting. Beginning with the 2020 redistricting cycle, the following provisions were set to take effect:^[15][16]

• Following completion of the United States Census, state legislators can adopt a new congressional district map if three-fifths of the legislature's total membership vote to approve, including one-half of the minority party members. This map would apply for 10 years.
• If the legislature proves unable to adopt a new map, a commission will be formed to adopt a map. That commission will include the governor, state auditor, secretary of state, and four legislators, two of whom must come from the legislature's minority party. A majority of the commission's members, including two members belonging to the minority party, must agree on a map. The map would apply for 10 years.
• If the commission proves unable to adopt a map, state legislators will be given a second chance to adopt a map. The map would have to be approved by three-fifths of the legislature's total membership, including one-third of the minority party's members. The map would apply for 10 years.
• If the legislature fails a second time, the majority party of the legislature, without support from the minority party, can adopt a map that would apply for four years.

Maps drawn by the legislature can be vetoed by the governor or a veto referendum campaign. The amendment stipulates that 65 of Ohio's counties cannot be split during redistricting (18 can be split once, and the state's five most populous counties can be split twice).^[15][16]

State legislative redistricting procedures in Ohio[edit]

On November 3, 2015, voters in Ohio approved a constitutional amendment to create a bipartisan state legislative redistricting commission. The commission comprises seven members: the governor, state auditor, secretary of state, one person appointed by the speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, one person appointed by the House leader of the largest political party of which the speaker is not a member, one person appointed by the President of the Ohio State Senate, and one person appointed by the Senate leader of the largest political party of which the president is not a member.^[17][18]

Maps drawn by the commission are valid for 10 years if at least two commissioners from each major political party vote for them. Should the maps be passed along strictly partisan lines, the maps are valid for four years.^[17][18]

A six-member advisory commission is also involved in the congressional and state legislative redistricting processes. The majority leaders of the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio State Senate each appoint three members, "at least one of whom must be from a different party, and at least one of whom must not be a legislator."^[19]

All legislative districts are required to be compact and made of "contiguous territory." Also, the "boundary of each district [must] be a single nonintersecting continuous line." The amendment forbids district plans from favoring or disfavoring either political party.^[17][18]

2020[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Ohio after the 2020 census

The Ohio Redistricting Commission approved new state legislative district maps by a 5-2 vote on September 16, 2021. The two Democratic members of the commission, state Rep. Emilia Sykes (D) and state Sen. Vernon Sykes (D), dissented. Since the map was approved along partisan lines, it will only last for four years, rather than ten, as outlined in the 2015 constitutional amendment that created the commission.^[2] These maps take effect for Ohio’s 2022 legislative elections.

Senate President Matt Huffman (R), a member of the commission, estimated that the new maps would create 62 Republican seats and 37 Democratic seats in the House, and 23 Republican seats and 10 Democratic seats in the Senate. Cleveland.com reported that Democrats on the commission agreed with Huffman's Senate estimates, but said the new House map would create 65 Republican seats and 34 Democratic seats.^[2]

District map before and after 2020 redistricting[edit]

Below are the maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.

2010[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Ohio after the 2010 census

Ohio received its 2010 local census data in early March 2011. Although the state population showed net growth, Ohio's largest cities recorded population loss. Of the state's five largest cities only Columbus had population growth. Cleveland suffered the sharpest decline, losing 17.1% of its population.^[20]

The Ohio Legislative Task Force on Redistricting, Reapportionment, and Demographic Research assisted the General Assembly and Ohio Apportionment Board in drafting new maps. Four of the five members of the Board were Republicans. By a vote of 4-1 they gave final approval to a new map on September 28, 2011. The single Democrat on the Board, Rep. Armond Budish, opposed the map saying it quarantined Democrats in 1/3 of the legislative districts.^[21]

On January 4, 2012, Democrats filed suit against the legislative maps, saying they violated constitutional requirements for compactness and preservation of county and municipal boundaries. The Ohio Supreme Court took the case but, due to proximity to the 2012 elections, ruled the new maps would stand for the 2012 elections, with possible revisions to apply starting in 2014.^[22]

Sessions[edit]

Legislation[edit]

The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Ohio State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

Dates of legislative sessions in Ohio by year[edit]

2021[edit]

See also: 2021 Ohio legislative session and Dates of 2021 state legislative sessions

In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 4, 2021, and adjourn on December 31, 2021.

2020[edit]

See also: 2020 Ohio legislative session and Dates of 2020 state legislative sessions

In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 6, 2020, and adjourn on December 31, 2020.

Effect of coronavirus pandemic[edit]

See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Coronavirus pandemic
Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryDaily updatesElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit

Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The Ohio State Legislature suspended legislative activity on an uncertain date. The House reconvened on May 6, 2020. The Senate is scheduled to reconvene on May 13, 2020.^[23][24]

2019[edit]

See also: 2019 Ohio legislative session and Dates of 2019 state legislative sessions

In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 7, 2019, through December 31, 2019.

2018[edit]

See also: 2018 Ohio legislative session and Dates of 2018 state legislative sessions

In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 2, 2018, through December 31, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here.

Click [show] for past years' session dates.

2017[edit] See also: Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 2, 2017, through December 31, 2017. 2016[edit] See also: Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 5 through December 31. Major issues in 2016[edit] Major issues during the 2016 legislative session included legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use, anti-abortion legislation, renewable-energy mandates, congressional redistricting, and right-to-work bills.[25] 2015[edit] See also: Dates of 2015 state legislative sessions In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 5 through December 16.[26] Major issues in 2015[edit] Major issues during the 2015 legislative session included raising the minimum wage, expanding Medicaid eligibility, and increase accountability for charter schools.[27] 2014[edit] See also: Dates of 2014 state legislative sessions In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 7 through December 31. Major issues in 2014[edit] Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included raising taxes on gas and oil drilling, reforming Ohio’s municipal income tax system, changing the state's election and concealed-weapons laws, and reforming Medicaid and other health-care issues. Both chambers also looked to reduce the state's energy efficiency and renewable energy mandates.[28] 2013[edit] See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 7 to December 31. Major issues in 2013[edit] Keith Faber (R) took over as president of the Senate and the main focus of the legislature was adopting a new biennial state budget. Additionally, lawmakers addressed casino regulation, state collective-bargaining laws, Medicare expansion, and prison overcrowding.[29] 2012[edit] See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 3 to December 31. 2011[edit] See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions In 2011, the legislature was in session from January 3 through December 31.[30] 2010[edit] See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions In 2010, the legislature was in session from January 4 through December 31.[31]

About legislative sessions in Ohio[edit]

The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.^[32] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

Article II of the Ohio Constitution establishes when the Ohio General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to meet. Section 8 of Article II states that the regular session is to convene on the first Monday in January of each year, or the following day if that Monday is a legal holiday.

Section 8 also contains rules for convening special sessions of the General Assembly. It empowers the Governor of Ohio or the presiding officers of the General Assembly to convene a special session. For the presiding officers to convene the session, they must act jointly.

Legislative roles and procedures[edit]

Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

Veto overrides[edit]

See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Ohio are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Three-fifths of members in both chambers.

Three-fifths of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 60 of the 99 members in the Ohio House of Representatives and 20 of the 33 members in the Ohio State Senate. Ohio is one of seven states that requires a three-fifths vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

Are there other special rules?

If the governor vetoes an emergency measure, two-thirds of the members in both chambers are required to override the veto, which is 66 of the 99 state representatives and 22 of the 33 state senators.[33]

Authority: Article II, Section 16 of the Ohio Constitution.

"If the governor approves an act, he shall sign it, it becomes law and he shall file it with the secretary of state. If he does not approve it, he shall return it with his objections in writing, to the house in which it originated, which shall enter the objections at large upon its journal, and may then reconsider the vote on its passage. If three-fifths of the members elected to the house of origin vote to repass the bill, it shall be sent, with the objections of the governor, to the other house, which may also reconsider the vote on its passage. If three fifths of the members elected to the second house vote to repass it, it becomes law notwithstanding the objections of the governor, and the presiding officer of the second house shall file it with the secretary of state."

Role in state budget[edit]

See also: Ohio state budget and finances

Ohio on

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Budgets • Civil liberties • Education • Elections • Energy • Environment • Healthcare • Pensions

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:^[34]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in July of the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
2. State agencies submit their requests to the governor between September and October.
3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in February (the deadline is extended to March 15 for a newly elected governor).
4. The legislature typically adopts a budget in June. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The biennium begins July 1 of odd-numbered years.

Ohio is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.^[34]

The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the state legislature is legally required to pass a balanced budget.^[34]

Committees[edit]

See also: List of committees in Ohio state government

Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

• Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
• Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
• Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Ohio State Senate has 17 standing committees:

Constitutional amendments[edit]

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the Ohio Constitution can be amended:

See also: Section 1a, Article II and Article XVI of the Ohio Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Ohio

Ohio Constitution
Preamble
Articles
I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII • XIX • Schedule

The Ohio Constitution lays out three different paths, in two different articles, for how to go about changing the state's constitution.

• Section 1a of Article II defines the right of citizens to use initiated constitutional amendments.

• Valid signatures equaling 10 percent of the number of votes cast for all gubernatorial candidates in the most recent gubernatorial election are required to qualify an initiated constitutional amendment for the ballot.
• The constitution says that petitions must have printed on them the words “Amendment to the Constitution Proposed by Initiative Petition to be Submitted Directly to the Electors.”
• The constitution established the Ohio Ballot Board to oversee ballot measures.
• If an initiated constitutional amendment reaches the ballot, a simple majority vote from all state voters voting on the measure is required to approve it.

• The Ohio state legislature can propose amendments for voter approval, according to Article XVI, if 60 percent of both chambers agree to it.

• The constitution established the Ohio Ballot Board to oversee ballot measures.
• Elections on amendments proposed by the legislature can take place on general election days or special election days.
• The Ohio Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over matters relating to legislatively-proposed amendments.
• Lawsuits against legislatively-proposed amendments, for the most part, cannot be filed within 64 days of the election.

• Finally, Ohio can call a constitutional convention in two different ways:

• The Ohio state legislature, if approved by a two-thirds majority of state legislators, can put a question on the ballot about whether to have a convention.
• Every 20 years, starting in 1932, the question "Shall there be a convention to revise, alter, or amend the constitution?" must automatically appear on the state's ballot.

• This 20-year cycle is invariant regardless of whether the state legislature also votes to put a similar question on the ballot from time to time.

Historical context:


Between 1995 and 2019, the following occurred:

• A total of 45 measures appeared on statewide ballots.
• An average of two measures appeared on the ballot during odd-numbered election years.
• The number of measures appearing on statewide ballots ranged from zero to five.
• Voters approved 53.3 percent (24 of 45) and rejected 46.7 percent (21 of 45) of the statewide ballot measures.

Ohio statewide ballot measures, 1995-2019
Years	Total number	Approved	Percent approved	Defeated	Percent defeated	Odd-year average	Odd-year median	Odd-year minimum	Odd-year maximum
All measures	45	24	53.3%	21	46.7%	1.8	2.0	0	5
Initiatives	20	7	35.0%	13	65.0%	0.8	0.00	0	4
Veto referendums	3	1	33.3%	2	66.7%	0.2	0.0	0	1
Legislative amendments	20	16	80.0%	4	20.0%	0.9	1.0	0	2

2021 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2021 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway throughIn states where it takes one session to refer a measure to the ballot, Ballotpedia begins coverage of proposals once they have passed in one chamber of the legislature and only require approval in the second chamber for referral. In states where it takes two session to refer a measure to the ballot, Ballotpedia begins coverage of proposals once they have passed in both chambers in the first session required. the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2021.

See also: Ohio 2021 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

No measures to list

Potential:

The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2021.

No measures to list

See also[edit]

Elections	Ohio State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
Ohio State Senate elections, 2022 Ohio State Senate elections, 2020 Ohio State Senate elections, 2018	Ohio General Assembly Ohio House of Representatives Governor of Ohio Ohio Supreme Court	State legislative elections, 2022 State legislative elections, 2021 State legislative elections, 2020 State legislative elections, 2019 State legislative elections, 2018	State government trifectas State government triplexes State executives State courts Ballot measures

Footnotes[edit]

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