LobbyComply Blog

The 136^th General Assembly adjourned on December 30, until Monday, January 5, 2026. Although more than 900 bills were introduced, only a few dozen have been passed and sent to Gov. DeWine. This includes the two-year, $60 billion state budget in Amended Substitute House Bill 96. The bill eliminated the State Election Commission, which has now been replaced with the Ohio Election Integrity Commission. Amended Substitute House Bill 96 also eliminates the statutory ban on corporations and labor unions making independent expenditures for or against political candidates. The bill eliminates contribution limits to independent dark-money groups but imposes new limits on contributions to ballot-issue campaigns.

The Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously voted 7-0 to adopt new congressional maps on October 31. The new maps implement a 12-3 Republican advantage and will remain in effect until January 2031.

Make sure you understand pay-to-play regulations in your state. See all 50 states and nearly 300 jurisdictions in our online guidebooks. Check them out here.

 A divided panel of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a new per curiam opinion in the OPAWL v. Yost case about the constitutionality of 2024 Special Session House Bill 1, which prohibited foreign contributions to ballot measure committees. In June 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the prohibition finding the law was likely unconstitutional because federal law allows permanent residents to make contributions. Then on October 8, 2024, a divided three-judge panel granted the state’s motion to stay the district court’s preliminary injunction, with one judge dissenting. On September 16, a divided three-judge panel affirmed the October 8 ruling reversing the district court’s order granting the injunction and remanding the case to the District Court for further proceedings consistent with the new opinion and with that of the majority in the October 8, 2024, ruling.

Do you know if your activities are defined as lobbying? We do. Take a walkthrough demo of our guidebooks today.

 A bill introduced in the House would prohibit lawmakers from receiving free sports tickets. House Bill 409 prohibits members of the General Assembly from knowingly accepting a free or discounted ticket to a professional sporting event, unless the free or discounted ticket is given or sold as part of a promotion generally available to the public, and on the same terms as generally available to the public. The bill defines professional sporting event as a sporting or athletic event played by a team that is a member of the national football league, the national hockey league, major league baseball, major league soccer, or the national basketball association.

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce is hosting staff from the Office of the Legislative Inspector General for a training session open to government affairs professionals on JLEC filing and lobbying requirements. The in-person session is from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday, April 25, at the Ohio Chamber Office in Columbus, Ohio. Although registration is not required, notify Tony Long if planning to attend at tlong@ohiochamber.com.

OHIO: The Office of Secretary of State published increased contribution limits. The contribution limits for what PACs, PCEs and individuals may contribute to statewide candidates, candidates for General Assembly, county parties, PACs, and PCEs increased from $15,499.69 to $16,615.67 per election; from $46,499.08 to $49,847.01 per calendar year to state parties; and from $23,249.54 to $24,923.51 per calendar year to legislative campaign funds. The amount of gifts corporations and labor unions may provide per year to a state political party, county political party, or legislative campaign fund for specified purposes increased from $12,751.16 to $13,669.24.

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.

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.