Ohio Statehouse Republicans have clearly learned a few tricks from Donald Trump, including the value of creating chaos.

They’ve scheduled committee hearings on dozens of important bills in the same two-day span this week.

Several of the committees that are accepting public testimony have been scheduled for Tuesday, meaning testimony is due tomorrow (Monday).

Do you have time to write a short testimony (or two) today? Go to TakeActionOhio.com, click on the bills that get you most fired up, and write a paragraph or two! We’ve even built House and Senate testimony templates to help you.

Your testimony does NOT need to be long. A few sentences is totally fine. A few paragraphs is perfect!

Testifying in Statehouse committees is truly important. It draws reporter attention and leads to more press coverage — which increases public awareness of a bill or issue.

We also know testifying is important because they’ve recently been trying so hard to stop us from doing it.

Here are just a few of the key Ohio bills having hearings this week (for a larger list, check out TakeActionOhio.com):

HB 1 is one of the most overtly racist and hateful bills we’ve seen from the Ohio legislature this G.A, which is really saying something.

This outrageous bill would ban Ohioans with ties to certain countries from owning or holding property within 10 miles of “critical infrastructure” — and the bill defines “critical infrastructure” incredibly broadly.

These Ohioans could not own homes or businesses within 10 miles of electrical grids, telecommunications lines, water and sewer systems, fiber-optic networks, or radio and television facilities.

As a coalition of Ohio’s Asian American organizations noted, “Even a one-mile ban around such an expansive list of infrastructure would render significant portions of Ohio inaccessible for families and businesses.”

Seriously. What do Statehouse Republicans think is going to happen? Do they all just live in constant fear of Asian Americans taking little family outings to commit acts of terrorism against Ohio’s radio stations?

This bill would be laughably pathetic if it weren’t so damaging.

Testify (or submit written-only testimony) against HB 1:

• Testimony must be uploaded to the committee website by 9:30 am on Monday 3/16/26

• Generic Ohio House testimony template

• HB 1 testimony template from OPAWL

SB 156 would require Ohio middle and high schools to teach students what’s known as the “Success Sequence.”

The “Success Sequence” tells kids that they will be successful in life if they graduate high school, get a job, get married, then have kids, in that order.

This is yet another bill that would be laughable if it weren’t so problematic.

On top of being a shameless effort to increase the birth rate to create more workers for Ohio’s economy, SB 156 will also lead to bullying and feelings of insecurity for kids whose families haven’t followed the “Success Sequence.”

Plus it completely devalues the significance of higher education….ignores individual life choices and circumstances…and is overall just a weird freaking thing to force teachers to say to kids.

Testify (or submit written-only testimony) against SB 156:

• Testimony must be uploaded to the committee website by 2:15 pm on Monday 3/16/26

• House testimony template

HB 249 would create a new criminal offense of “unlawful adult cabaret performance.” (yes, seriously).

The bill bans any person “from recklessly engaging in an adult cabaret performance” (AKA a drag show) in “any location other than an adult cabaret.”

The penalty for “unlawful adult cabaret performance” would be:

• A first degree misdemeanor if the performance occurs in the presence of a juvenile

• A fifth degree felony if the performance is obscene

• A fourth degree felony if the performance is obscene and occurs in the presence of a juvenile who is under 13 years old

• Full bill analysis here

Following our theme of the day, the bill’s definition of “obscene” would be genuinely hilarious if it weren’t so harmful. It unironically uses phrases like “sexual deviants,” and “inspires disgust or revulsion in persons with ordinary sensibilities.”

You can read the bill’s full definition of “obscene” on page 4 of this document.

Besides the fact that this bill was apparently written by the 1640s Puritans who inspired The Scarlet Letter, it’s also a fairly obvious violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Testify in-person (or submit written-only testimony) against HB 249:

• Testimony template

• Testimony must be uploaded to the committee website by 9:30 am on Tuesday 3/17/26

• NOTE: This particular committee chair is similar to HB 249 in that he too is stuck in the past. So I also highly recommend emailing the following 2 documents to OHRJudiciaryCommittee@ohiohouse.gov to ensure your submission is received:

  1. Your testimony in pdf format (How To Save A Pdf)

  2. One of these completed witness slips:

     • Accessible Witness Information Form.docx

     • Accessible Witness Information Form.pdf

Days like today are a great reminder that:

1.) You are absolutely qualified to run for office. I guarantee you’re more qualified than half the people currently in office.

2.) It really freaking matters who runs your state government. Please vote all the way down your ballot in every election. Ohio desperately needs new state legislators.

This morning, news broke that Ted Carter, president of The Ohio State University, has abruptly resigned over an “inappropriate relationship” with someone who received “access to top officials” while “seeking public resources to support her personal business.”

We now know that Carter did not simply choose to leave after a sudden crisis of conscience. Someone outside the university went to the board of trustees. Then Carter resigned after the board confronted him.

While this is certainly a difficult moment for Ted Carter’s loved ones, it’s also undeniably a very good day for Ohio State students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Ted Carter leaves a shameful legacy behind at my beloved alma mater. Here are a few highlights:

Under Ted Carter, Ohio State shut down its diversity offices before any law required them to do so.

Then, after SB 1 (which we call the Higher Education Destruction Act) became law last year, Ted Carter worked closely with Statehouse Republicans to over-comply with the law and suppress student speech.

He banned everything from sidewalk chalk to amplified sound to non-OSU dorm themes.

Even worse, Carter’s university police have been regularly arresting students at peaceful protests.

I personally attended several student-led events on campus during Carter’s tenure that were surrounded by an outrageous number of both police and OSU watchdogs. It made for a very uncomfortable experience and likely scared students and staff away from these peaceful political events.

On top of all that, Ted Carter’s Ohio State has often made national headlines for all the wrong reasons.

In 2024, crypto bro Chris Pan was mysteriously selected as the OSU Spring Commencement speaker.

Pan gave a truly unhinged speech, and later admitted that he was high on psychedelic drugs while writing it.

How had someone so obviously unqualified been selected for such a prestigious OSU honor? The answer is very likely Ted Carter.

More recently, Carter made news once again for refusing to remove Les Wexner’s name from campus buildings, despite Wexner being named a “co-conspirator” in the Epstein Files.

Under Ted Carter, Ohio State’s campus has become both an unrecognizable police state and a regular national laughingstock. As alumni and/or Buckeye fans, let’s demand much, much better from the next president.

As you’re likely aware, gas prices have skyrocketed since President Trump illegally bombed Iran last week.

On Friday morning, GasBuddy shared a list of states with the biggest recent rise in gas prices. Ohio was #3 on the list. Today we’re #2…

This is on top of the outrageous cost of groceries….

Gas bills….

Electric bills….

Rent….

Basically, the price of everything has gone up.

That’s why it was so jarring on Friday morning, when (right around the time Ohio was making national news for its dramatic increase in gas prices) one of Ohio’s U.S. Senators posted the most tone deaf video I’ve seen in a long time:

If you live in Ohio, Jon Husted will be on your ballot this November.

His Democratic opponent, Sherrod Brown, immediately responded to Husted’s video with some well-deserved mockery:

Seriously. When was the last time Jon Husted visited Ohio? There’s no way he would have agreed to say something so laughable on camera if he’d been here recently.

And how is it possible that all the people working for him would let him say something so ignorant?

Now that Trump has added a new forever war onto his tariffs, his healthcare cost hikes, and his tax cuts for the mega rich, it’s safe to say that anyone voting based on their pocketbook should not be voting Republican for the foreseeable future (unless you’re a billionaire. Congrats on that, by the way).

Ohio friends, let’s show Jon Husted exactly what we think of his elitist BS this November — when we send Sherrod Brown back to the U.S. Senate.

Today we learned that Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, “has turned over the voter registration data of nearly 8 million Ohioans to the U.S. Department of Justice.”

Why does that matter?

First of all, your state government just gave your private voting data to the federal government. Small government conservatives should be rioting in the streets.

But the main cause for concern is election security.

Unlike many other countries, American elections are run by the states. In order to run a major voter suppression effort, the federal government would need the states' full, unredacted voter files.

Want more info? Here’s one of Ohio’s top elections attorneys, Marc Elias, discussing this topic in detail.

The Trump Administration has already sued at least 24 states trying to get their voter data.

Some states, like Minnesota, have defended their citizens’ privacy and refused to cave. Minnesota’s leadership even stood strong when AG Pam Bondi tried to access their data through extortion.

Yes, really. A few hours after ICE murdered Alex Pretti, Pam Bondi sent a letter demanding the state hand over its full, unredacted voter file in exchange for ICE leaving Minneapolis.

Not to sound like a broken record, but it really freaking matters who controls your state government.

Electing good people at the state level can create a firewall between you and a corrupt federal government.

Ohio Republicans have proven that they can’t be trusted to stand up for us. They are either soft and spineless, or willing participants in Trump’s corruption.

TAKE ACTION — Mark your calendar for the major Ohio elections happening this year:

• Primary Election (how we pick the candidates for November) — May 5, 2026

• General Election — November 3, 2026

Remember to vote all the way down your ballot. Every Republican at every level of government needs to go.

The only way to permanently purge MAGA from the Republican Party is to fire every politician who still allows themselves to be tied to the party in its current form.

ALSO — Make sure to update and check your voter registration several times throughout the year:

• Ohio: https://VoteOhio.gov

• All states: https://IWillVote.com

One final thought — Don’t ever let anyone tell you your vote doesn’t matter. If voting were pointless, they wouldn’t be trying so hard to stop you from doing it.

Last night, while most Americans slept, Donald Trump illegally bombed Iran without congressional approval. At least 100 school children were murdered in the attack. Many others died as well.

HOW OHIO’S U.S. SENATORS RESPONDED:

Shamefully, both of Ohio’s U.S. Senators — Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted — spent the day trying to defend their party’s incredibly unpopular president.

Jon Husted is up for re-election this November. His Democratic opponent, former Senator Sherrod Brown, made clear that he’s the only candidate in the race who actually cares about Ohioans:

HOW OHIO’S CONGRESS MEMBERS RESPONDED:

Several of Ohio’s Republican Congress members praised Trump for bombing Iran without congressional approval. Apparently they don’t mind that the president has rendered them effectively meaningless. Those Congress members are:

• Mike Rulli — Contact Mike Rulli

• Troy Balderson — Contact Troy Balderson

• Dave Joyce — Contact Dave Joyce

• Max Miller — Contact Max Miller

• Bob Latta — Contact Bob Latta

Two Republican Congress members tweeted vaguely about love for the troops — but failed to mention WHY the brave men and women of America’s military are suddenly about to be in harm’s way. Those Congress members are:

• Dave Taylor

• Jim Jordan

Just one Ohio Republican Congress member had the courage to speak up and say Trump had no authority to start this war and has provided no explanation for its need: Rep Warren Davidson (contact Rep Davidson here)

Rep Davidson is about as far from liberal as it’s possible to be. But he’s also a former Army Ranger, and he understands that Trump’s illegal war will get young Americans killed.

Four of Ohio’s five Democratic Congress members also spoke out firmly against Trump’s actions:

• Marcy Kaptur

• Emilia Sykes

• Shontel Brown

• Joyce Beatty

But Ohio’s most shameful moment of the day came from Democratic Congressman Greg Landsman.

Rep Landsman chose to be one of the only Democrats in the nation supporting Donald Trump as he murdered children to distract from the Epstein Files.

Defending an illegal war and the murder of 100+ school children should be career-ending.

Greg Landsman needs to lose the May 5th primary election. Donate to Landsman’s Democratic opponent, Damon Lynch, and follow him on social media:

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Substack

• Twitter

There are moments in history (like the day your president illegally bombs an elementary school to distract from highly credible pedophilia allegations) when politicians are presented a clear choice between right and wrong. Failing in those moments needs to be disqualifying. Ohio Democrats deserve candidates we can support loudly and proudly heading into November.

Yesterday, the Ohio House passed SB 63, which will ban Ranked Choice Voting in Ohio and punish communities that try to use it.

New York City used Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in their recent, high-profile mayoral election. RCV gives more candidates a chance to prove themselves and increases the odds of electing a candidate everyone likes (or at least tolerates).

In an RCV system, voters rank their favorite candidates in order of preference. If a candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, that candidate wins. If no one earns more than 50% of first-choice votes, then the RCV counting system is used. Learn more here, here, and here. You can also practice ranking your vote here:

No matter how you personally feel about Ranked Choice Voting, most people can agree we damn sure shouldn’t be banning it. Legislators should trust Ohioans to decide what works best for their own communities.

That’s why it’s even more shameful that Ohio’s Ranked Choice Voting ban is being led by a Democrat.

Senator Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) joint sponsored SB 63, and has led the charge to pass it through the Statehouse. He has repeatedly ignored objections from his colleagues and pleas from his constituents. It’s been infuriating to watch.

Senator DeMora ran the Ohio Democratic Party as executive director for many years, and is still one of the most powerful people in the party, which makes his refusal to listen to Ohioans even more shameful.

It’s also very telling that Bill DeMora chose to joint sponsor this bill with Republican Senator Theresa Gavarone, who is responsible for the most egregious voter suppression bills and laws passed in Ohio in recent years.

It’s important to mention that nearly every Democrat in the Ohio House voted NO on Senator DeMora’s bill. They deserve genuine credit and praise for that vote. It took guts to stand up to their Democratic colleague in the Senate. (Rep Lauren McNally accidentally voted yes, and Republicans refused to let her change her vote to no)

Every Republican House rep voted yes on Senator DeMora’s bill, and politicians like Frank LaRose publicly praised it. You’d think this would cause Bill DeMora to second guess his actions, but I won’t hold my breath.

We do still have one chance to block SB 63 and stop Ohio from banning Ranked Choice Voting: We can persuade Governor DeWine to veto it.

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:

1.) Call Governor DeWine (and his top staffers). Tell him to respect local control and VETO SB 63

• Mike DeWine’s voicemail is famously always full. So we need to contact everyone who speaks with him throughout the day! DeWine office contact sheet — https://Bit.ly./MikeDeWine

SAMPLE SCRIPT:

• Hi. My name is [NAME], and I’m an Ohio voter. My zip code is [ZIP CODE].

• I’m [angry / furious / frustrated / irritated / etc.] that Statehouse politicians are trying to ban Ranked Choice Voting and punish communities that use it.

• What happened to local control? What happened to respecting voters? What happened to small government?

• Does Governor DeWine plan to respect Ohio voters and VETO SB 63?

• [IF DEWINE PLANS TO VETO]: Thank you so much! Thank you for respecting voters! I will be telling others about this veto and making sure they’re all watching!

• [IF DEWINE PLANS TO SIGN SB 63]: That is unacceptable. What can I do to persuade him to listen to Ohioans?

  • I will be telling others about this bill and making sure they’re all watching. Please urge the governor to respect local control and VETO SB 63.

• [IF DEWINE IS UNSURE]: What information can I provide? Is there anything I can do to make sure he listens to Ohioans and VETOES SB 63?

  • I’ll be telling others about this bill and urging them to call you as well. Please urge the governor to respect local control and VETO SB 63!

2.) Let Senator DeMora know your thoughts:

• 614-466-4583

• DeMora@OhioSenate.gov

• Twitter #1

• Twitter #2

3.) Join Rank The Vote Ohio — then follow them on Facebook, Twitter, BlueSky, and other social media platforms for updates and calls to action!

This is Republican State Rep Rodney Creech.

Rep Creech represents Ohio House District 40, which includes all of Preble County and parts of Montgomery and Butler Counties.

Last year, Rep Creech was removed from his Ohio Statehouse committees after credible allegations of child sexual abuse emerged.

Rep Creech was never criminally charged, but we can’t exactly trust that to mean he’s innocent….

In fact, “Creech made a substantial donation” to the prosecutor who chose not to charge him with sexual imposition.

Perhaps even worse, we now know the child sexual abuse allegations came from Rep Creech’s own children.

Earlier this week, Rep Creech’s daughter posted publicly about the incidents. Rep Creech responded from his official legislator Facebook page, claiming his daughter suffers from “textbook parental alienation.”

Then, on Thursday, it became clear why Rep Creech’s daughter chose to call him out publicly several months after the allegations emerged.

State Rep Rodney Creech — who last year refused calls for his resignation — announced that he will run for re-election this November.

Even more sickening? Shortly after Creech announced his re-election campaign this week, Republican House Speaker Matt Huffman put Creech back in charge of several Statehouse Committees.

Committee leadership (chairmanship) comes with significant power over Ohio laws, as well as a hefty pay bump. This move also indicates that Matt Huffman wants Creech to win reelection.

Rep Creech told reporter Dillon Carr that his kids’ sexual abuse accusations were simply a “small bump in the road” and he plans to win re-election to the Ohio Statehouse.

Side Note: I gotta say — it’s really become impossible to ignore that the Republican Party is trying to normalize child sex crimes at the state and national level.

If you, like me, are about to lose your mind with rage after reading this story, take action:

1.) Tell House Speaker Matt Huffman to remove Rodney Creech from his committees. Make clear that Huffman will be complicit if he refuses:

• Phone: 614-466-6344

• Email: Rep78@OhioHouse.gov

• Fax: 614-719-3977

• Twitter: @MattHuffman1

2.) Tell State Rep Rodney Creech to resign:

• Phone: 614-466-2960

• Email: Rep40@OhioHouse.gov

• Fax: 614-719-6940

• Twitter: @RodneyCreechOH

3.) Ask your state rep to publicly demand Rodney Creech’s resignation:

• Find your state rep by typing your address below this map

Public outrage and public pressure are incredibly powerful. Let’s use this power for good.

Three years ago, Ohio citizens gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures and placed an initiative (Issue 2) on the ballot to legalize adult-use marijuana.

In November 2023, Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved Issue 2 with over 57% of the vote. That’s a huge percentage in a state like ours.

It’s important to mention that Issue 2 was an “initiated statute” instead of a constitutional amendment.

What does that mean?

It means Issue 2 changed state law instead of changing our state constitution.

The problem with “initiated statutes” is that the Ohio legislature (state House and state Senate) can change the law back whenever they want.

And that’s exactly what Ohio Republicans are trying to do.

(Side note: This is why other ballot initiative efforts — like the abortion rights campaign — chose to change the state constitution instead. It’s harder for the legislature to overturn the will of the people when voters amend the constitution)

This past December, Ohio’s Republican supermajority passed a bill (SB 56) to gut the adult use marijuana law Ohioans voted for.

SB 56 re-criminalizes marijuana in several different ways:

• It bans legal marijuana purchased in other states

• It criminalizes having marijuana in your car anyplace other than the trunk — even when it’s not being used (you can guess how that law will be used….)

• It allows landlords to ban all marijuana use in property they own. 1/3 of all Ohioans are renters. They could be punished for using this legal product in their own homes.

• It expands employers’ power to punish/fire Ohioans who use adult-use marijuana legally

• And much more

If this law goes into effect, Ohio will return to arresting citizens and/or ruining their lives over a product that’s being purchased legally a few miles away in other states.

On top of all that, Governor DeWine made the bill even worse when he signed it into law.

The governor vetoed (rejected) the parts of SB 56 that allowed for THC drinks to continue for a few years.

THC drinks will now become fully illegal in Ohio when the law goes into effect on March 20th.

To be clear: every Democrat in the Ohio Statehouse voted to respect the marijuana law and Ohioans’ votes.

Nearly every Republican voted to pass SB 56 and re-criminalize several aspects of adult-use marijuana.

See the vote breakdown here.

Ohioans are rightfully outraged by their government’s utter lack of respect for voters. After all, didn’t Republicans used to stand for small government and personal freedom?

But Governor DeWine’s response? Stop whining.

Thankfully, there’s a chance to stop SB 56 from going into effect.

Ohio citizens are gathering signatures to place a referendum on the ballot that would repeal SB 56.

They will need over 248,000 signatures by March 19th. You can help make it happen.

Sign up and share this link everywhere to spread the word: https://NoOnSB56.com

Even if you don’t use marijuana yourself, this issue impacts you. It can and should supersede political parties.

Politicians should respect their voters. They should fear losing their elected offices if they ignore their voters. Let’s remind them together.

You might have heard that there’s a group of people collecting signatures to end (abolish) property taxes in Ohio.

Today, Governor Mike DeWine (a Republican) tried to explain how bad that would be for our state.

If we abolish property taxes, Ohio would need to find other ways to…

Read more

It’s a major election year, and the Ohio legislature is about to return from their winter break. That can only mean one thing: campaign messaging bills.

The Statehouse Republican supermajority will focus on passing bills they can discuss on the campaign trail through…

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I live in Columbus, Ohio, one of several cities that has been terrorized by ICE raids in recent months. It’s been tough to get into the Christmas spirit while our neighbors live in fear of masked goons jumping them in the Kroger parking lot.

As a Catholic, I struggle…

Read more

In news that will shock no one — Governor DeWine has caved to his party’s extremists in every possible way.

Statehouse Republicans sent the governor four bills that will cause immense harm to Ohio communities. He signed all four of them.

We had hoped the governor would…

Read more

Have you attended a “How Things Work at the Ohio Statehouse” advocacy training yet? We’ve got two virtual options coming up!

The first is a Lunch & Learn with Blue Ohio!

• WHEN: Tomorrow (Thursday 12/18) at 12:00 pm

• WHERE: Register here

Option 2 will be held in mid-January

• …

Read more

Will Governor DeWine do the right thing? Or will he cower and cave to his party’s extremists?

He only has a few days left to decide.

Ohio Statehouse Republicans have sent the governor four bills that would cause immense harm to our state. He can choose to sign the bil…

Read more

INCREDIBLE BREAKING NEWS from Indiana!

The Indiana Republican supermajority has REJECTED Trump’s demand that they rig the state’s congressional district maps to remove ALL Democratic seats.

Indiana legislators have faced every kind of pressure imaginable during this p…

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Yesterday, Ohio’s Republican supermajority passed a bill to re-criminalize marijuana and completely change the law Ohioans passed in 2023.

Truly, you have to ask, what are Republicans thinking?

57% of Ohio voters supported legalizing adult-use marijuana in 2023. That’s…

Read more

Finally, some GOOD news!

Governor DeWine heard your calls and paid attention. He VETOED Ohio Republicans’ bill to weaken child labor laws!

SB 50 would have allowed 14 and 15 year-olds to work until 9:00 pm year-round, even on school nights.

What a freaking headline. It’…

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This past Saturday, as Buckeyes everywhere donned their scarlet and grey and prepared for THE game, Honesty For Ohio Education posted a graphic that everyone needs to see.

This image really highlights how Ohio’s new law — SB 1 — has already harmed OSU and universitie…

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Wednesday (11/19/25) is going to be long and exhausting for anyone connected to the Ohio Statehouse.

Ohio’s Republican supermajority plans to pass dozens of bills before leaving on a lengthy holiday break.

They’ve been rewriting and moving bills incredibly quickly thi…

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Ohio friends….I have good news and bad news.

Good News: The Ohio legislature is expected to leave soon for a (potentially lengthy) holiday break!

Bad News: Ohio’s Republican Statehouse supermajority is trying to rush dozens of dangerous, unpopular bills through the leg…

Read more