The Ethics Commission issued an opinion to clarify the prohibition on public officials or employees soliciting or using their public position to secure a financial benefit or detriment for a family member. Formal Advisory Opinion 2025-01 confirms domestic partners are considered members of a public official’s family. The commission concluded this opinion is consistent with how other state and local agencies treat domestic partnerships in family-related internal policies.

Gov. Mike DeWine will nominate Jim Tressel as the new lieutenant governor of Ohio. Former Lt. Gov. Jon Husted resigned to replace Vice President JD Vance in the U.S. Senate. Tressel was previously the head football coach at The Ohio State University and most recently, the president of Youngstown State University. This appointment will last until the next election in 2026.

The 135th General Assembly adjourned on December 18, until Monday December 23, 2024, after a marathon session lasting two days.

With not many days left in this legislative session, lawmakers have likely completed most of their work.

One bill affecting campaign finance was passed during the special session in May and June of this year.

Special Session Amended Substitute House Bill 0001 prohibits individuals and certain entities from knowingly soliciting or accepting political contributions or expenditures from a foreign national. The lone ethics bill intended to enact the Ethics and Financial Disclosure Reform Act, changing the ethics laws for public officials and employees and reporting requirements for lobbyists, never made it out of committee.

The 136th General Assembly will convene on January 6, 2025.

Although Republicans won an overall majority, U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes beat out Republican Kevin Coughlin in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District by 2%.

The area includes all of Summit County, a large chunk of Stark County (including Canton), and a small sliver of Portage County.

Sykes won the newly redrawn 13th District in the 2022 midterm elections.

Republicans swept three state Supreme Court races, giving the GOP six of seven seats beginning in January.

Incumbent Democrat Justice Melody Stewart lost to Justice Joe Deters, a Republican appointed to the bench by Gov. Mike DeWine two years ago.

Deters opted to challenge Stewart rather than run to retain his seat.

Incumbent Justice Michael Donnelly, a Cleveland area Democrat, lost his seat to Republican challenger Megan Shanahan, a Hamilton County judge making her first statewide run.

Republican Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Dan Hawkins beat Democrat Eighth District Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Forbes.

In January, Justice Jennifer Brunner will be the sole Democrat on the court and the only Democrat in Ohio statewide office.

Businessman Bernie Moreno defeated U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown by just under 4% to help shift control of the U.S. Senate to the Republican Party.

Both of Ohio’s Senate seats will be occupied by Republicans for the first time in 18 years, when Brown unseated future Gov. Mike DeWine.

Moreno won 50.2% of the vote and Brown received 46.4%.

On November 5, voters in Ohio rejected a ballot measure to create a 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw congressional and state legislative districts.

Ohio will continue to use its current redistricting method led by state lawmakers and a commission of seven elected officials.

The state will keep its current state legislative maps through 2030 but the congressional map, approved without Democratic support, will be redrawn next year for the 2026 election.

As of this morning, the amendment failed 54% to 46%.

A divided panel of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Ohio’s ban on foreign contributions to ballot measure committees is valid.

The ruling overturns the preliminary injunction granted by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and reinstates the foreign contribution ban lawmakers passed during a special session.

In a 2-1 decision, the majority ruled Ohio’s new law banning political donations from foreign nationals and lawful permanent residents, also called green-card holders, does not violate First Amendment rights.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to allow the ban on foreign contributions to ballot measure committees to be enforced until October 8. This will give the panel sufficient opportunity to consider whether to overturn the preliminary injunction granted by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. State lawmakers passed the foreign contribution ban during a special session, adding green-card holders to the list of prohibited contributors. In a statement, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said his office is ready to begin immediate enforcement of the ban.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement of a new state law prohibiting foreign contributions to ballot measure committees.

Special Session House Bill 1, which was set to take effect September 1, extended the ban on foreign political contributions to include those from non-U.S. citizens living here legally.

The bill would have prohibited lawful permanent residents (LPRs) or green card holders from making contributions or expenditures regarding ballot issues or candidates.

Judge Michael H. Watson found the law was likely unconstitutional because federal law allows permanent residents to make contributions.

Gov. Mike DeWine called a special session of the General Assembly to begin on Tuesday, May 28.

The purpose of the first special session in 20 years is to pass legislation ensuring both major party presidential candidates will be on the Ohio ballot in November.

A legislative fix is necessary because the late date of this year’s Democratic convention comes after Ohio’s statutory deadline to certify presidential candidates for the November ballot.

In the past, such issues have been handled with quick legislative fixes but a number of Republican legislators have balked this year.

Lawmakers will also consider legislation to prohibit campaign spending by foreign nationals.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced special election dates for the 6th Congressional District seat.

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson is vacating the seat on January 21 to become the president of Youngstown State University.

A partisan primary is scheduled alongside the state primary election for March 19, with a separate general election scheduled for June 11.

Voters passed Issue 23, a ballot initiative amending the city charter in several ways.

Introduced by council member Liz Keating, the issue has been in the works for at least two years.

The main change is to amend the city charter to mirror state law regarding the ballot initiative process, requiring a copy of any initiative, referendum or charter amendment petition to be filed with the clerk of council before any signatures can be collected.

These would be made public so anyone could see what proposed amendments are circulating.

The amendment also limits initiatives to one subject and provides a cure period for insufficient signatures.

Issue 23 also updates the charter to reflect the fact that City Council terms were changed from four years to two years by a 2018 charter amendment and gives city council members the option to vote electronically in addition to voice votes.

Republican State Rep. Bob Young sent a letter to Speaker of the House Jason Stephens saying he’s stepping down effective October 2.

Gov. DeWine and half of the Republicans in the Ohio House had called on the District 32 representative to resign following his second arrest in two months.

Under the Ohio Constitution, the vacancy will be filled by a majority vote of House members who are affiliated with the same political party as the person last elected to the vacant seat.