UPDATE: Bad Bills at the Ohio Statehouse

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 this week, which makes our advocacy very difficult. It’s also just a terrible way to run a state government.

Here are some of the most controversial bills that are likely to receive votes on Wednesday:

Pick 1 or 2 that make you the angriest, and make some calls!

SB 293 — An obvious attempt to stop eligible Ohio citizens from voting. It literally punishes Ohioans for delays in the mail.

• Under current Ohio law, all ballots returned by mail must be postmarked before the election, but they can still be counted if they arrive by the fourth day after Election Day (this allows for delays in the mail). BUT SB 293 WOULD REQUIRE nearly all absentee ballots to be delivered to their county Board of Elections by Election Day in order to be counted.

  • Only ballots from military and overseas absentee voters could be delivered up to four days after Election Day

• IMPORTANT — Pieces of SB 153 (Ohio’s version of the SAVE Act) and SB 4 (Election Integrity Unit) were also added to this bill before it passed House committee.

  • These items will lead to more elections investigations against political opponents, force more Ohioans to vote provisionally, and CANCEL your voter registrations if you don’t “cure” your provisional ballot within FOUR DAYS.

• Tell your state rep to vote NO on SB 293. Tell them not to punish active, engaged citizens for the mail being slow:

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

• Download and share these graphics on social media, via email, in group chats, and more. Make sure every Ohioan knows how bad this bill would be.

HB 324 — Restrict access to the abortion pill, SSRIs, and other prescription drugs

• In committee, the bill sponsors made clear that they intend to restrict SSRIs and other drugs, not just mifepristone

• This bill is based on one debunked study into the safety of mifepristone:

  • ANSIRH Debunks Questionable Junk Analysis on Abortion Safety

  • Flawed Report Aims to Undercut Established Research on Abortion Pill Safety

• Tell your state rep to vote NO on HB 324:

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

SB 34 — Ten Commandments in public schools

• All Ohio school districts would be required to choose 4 of 9 approved “founding documents” to display in all social studies and history classrooms for all Ohio students starting in 4th grade

• The list of “founding documents” includes:

  • The Ten Commandments

  • Ohio’s state motto (“With God All Things Are Possible”)

  • The US national motto (”In God We Trust”)

• The bill also allows each school district to erect a monument inscribed with one or more of the “historical documents” on any school grounds or premises

• NOTE: Religious orgs are planning to offer to donate/fund 10 commandments in classrooms so school districts don’t have to pay for them….

• Read our full bill analysis here

• Tell your state senator to vote NO on SB 34:

  • Find your senator by typing your address below this map

HB 485 — Require schools to show an inaccurate, anti-abortion “fetal development” video each year

• The “Baby Olivia Act” would require schools to show a misleading, anti-abortion “fetal development” video every year starting in 5th grade

• “The ‘Meet Baby Olivia’ video was produced by Live Action, which advocates against abortion”

• Tell your state rep to vote NO on HB 485:

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

HB 326 — Force high schools to give students the “Classic Learning Test”

• Requires Ohio to select the “Classic Learning Test” as one of the nationally standardized tests that may be administered under the College and Work Ready Assessment System.

• If a state college/university in Ohio requires the SAT, ACT, or any other nationally standardized test for student admissions, they would also have to accept the “Classic Learning Test”

• This bill will likely lead to some Ohio districts offering ONLY the “Classic Learning Test” instead of the SAT/ACT — making harder for Ohio students to apply to schools out of state

• “The “Classic Learning Test” has won the favor of some Republican politicians who promote a “back to basics” approach to education. Its board includes Christopher Rufo, the Manhattan Institute senior fellow who has been a leading voice in the movement to ban “critical race theory” from K-12 schools, and representatives from the conservative American Enterprise Institute; Hillsdale College, a private Christian liberal arts school; and the conservative education media company PragerU.”

• Tell your state rep to vote NO on HB 326:

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

  

HB 335, HB 129, and HB 186 — Property tax bills that would devastate Ohio schools, libraries, parks, first responders, and more

• Understanding Ohio’s key property tax bills

• Tell your state senator to vote NO on HB 335, HB 129, and HB 186. We need targeted property tax relief that 1.) doesn’t punish schools, libraries, or first responders for the state’s mistakes, and 2.) actually helps the people who are struggling most (older Ohioans and low-income Ohioans).

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

• Spread the word using this toolkit

  • Fact Sheet to download and share

  • Graphic to download and share

  • Property Tax PPT Presentation (PPT Slide Deck)

  • Social media posts and more