Gov. Mike DeWine is expected to sign a coronavirus response bill passed by legislators.

The bill includes a provision to extend absentee balloting till April 28 for the presidential and state primary elections.

The state’s Health Department postponed in-person voting originally scheduled for March 17 in response to COVID-19 concerns.

House Bill 197 cancels the rescheduled date of June 2 and instructs Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office to send a postcard to every registered voter in the state to notify them of methods to obtain an application for an absentee voter’s ballot.

The bill does not require an absentee ballot request actually be mailed to every voter.

An extremely limited group of voters will be able to vote in-person on April 28.

This includes disabled voters and those without a home address, but for most people, the option is not available.

Gov. Mike DeWine has delayed Ohio’s in-person voting by order of the state’s Health Department after a day of uncertainty about the status of the presidential primary election.

DeWine indicated earlier in the day at a press conference he did not have authority to unilaterally delay the primary and a lawsuit would be filed to move the election to June 2 over concern about COVID-19.

On Monday evening, Judge Richard A. Frye of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas rejected the request.

After the court ruling allowing the election to proceed and an evening of conflicting information, DeWine ended speculation with a tweet at 10:11 p.m.

The Health Department ordered all polling places not to open for Tuesday’s primary elections to protect voters and poll workers from the coronavirus outbreak.

Less than 24 hours before the scheduled primary election, Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a lawsuit will be filed in Franklin County today.

This will be requesting Tuesday’s in-person primary election be postponed until June 2.

The proposal will extend the deadline for requesting absentee ballots for voters who are unforeseeably confined or hospitalized.

In turn it will offer curbside voting for anyone concerned about entering their polling place as the state’s primary election rolls on during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Husted explained the June 2 date would allow anyone who had planned to vote in person to request an absentee ballot and return it in time to vote in the election.

Whether or not the election will be postponed will be decided by court order.

Cincinnati City Council member Tamaya Dennard resigned Monday.

Her resignation comes less than a week after being arrested on federal charges accusing her of trading votes for cash on a development deal.

Dennard, a Democrat, was not required to resign under the city’s charter.

However, if she did not, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters stated he would take action.

Deters claims he would have filed a petition with the Ohio Supreme Court seeking to remove her from office.

Dennard’s replacement will be selected by Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, a fellow Democrat.

Dennard, like all council members when they take office, had to name a fellow council member to select her replacement in the event she would be unable to complete her term.

For the first time, the Ohio Lobbying Activity Center (OLAC) will accept electronic payment for registration renewals, meaning lobbyists who pay electronically will not have to print and mail anything to OLAC.

A lobbyist may pay individually, by client, or simply by selecting the “add all pending items to cart” from the agent homepage and pay for renewals at one time.

Lobbyists may begin renewing registrations for executive and retirement engagements in OLAC on December 1. Legislative registrations do not expire until December 31, 2020.

The renewal option closes on January 15, 2020. Registrations submitted after this date will require a signature page signed by both the lobbyist and the employer.

For lobbyists who wish to still pay by check, the Office of the Legislative Inspector General must receive an invoice and filing fee no later than January 31 for each 2020 engagement.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 26 into law on November 6, repealing a state budget amendment that would have caused many Ohio attorneys to pay higher income taxes beginning in 2020.

Under Senate Bill 26, attorneys who derive their income from entities such as LLCs and LLPs qualify to pay no tax on the first $250,000 of income and will pay a flat 3 percent tax rate on income above that threshold.

Senate Bill 26 also allows educators to claim an income tax deduction for out-of-pocket classroom expenses.

The House passed legislation on October 10 to reverse the state budget bill, restoring a business tax exemption for attorneys and lobbyists.

Senate Bill 26 was originally introduced to allow educators to claim an income tax deduction for out-of-pocket classroom expenses.

The House Finance Committee approved amendments to restore the deduction for attorneys and lobbyists excluded in the two-year state operating bill tax policy of House Bill 166.

Since 2013, the state business income deduction (BID) has allowed those deriving income from any pass-through entity (e.g., LLCs, LLPs) to pay no tax on the first $250,000 of income and a flat 3% on any income above the threshold.

House Bill 166 excluded otherwise eligible income from legal services provided by an attorney or income from legislative, executive agency, or retirement system lobbying activity beginning in 2020.

Senate Bill 26 has been re-referred to the Senate for final approval.

Four more states making changes to lobbying and ethics laws. Find out which jurisdictions in this edition of News You Can Use Video Digest!

The state budget bill signed by Gov. DeWine includes a provision removing a tax exemption for attorneys and lobbyists beginning in 2020.

Since 2013, the state business income deduction (BID) has allowed those deriving income from any pass-through entity (e.g., LLCs, LLPs) to pay no tax on the first $250,000 of income and a flat 3% on any income above the threshold.

House Bill 166 excludes otherwise eligible income from legal services provided by an attorney or income from legislative, executive agency, or retirement system lobbying activity.

A professional coalition including the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) is beginning a grassroots campaign to reverse the exclusion.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed a campaign finance bill into law, promoting transparency for campaign finance reports.

Senate Bill 107 allows certain local political candidates to file their campaign finance reports electronically.

The bill further requires the Secretary of State to make the information in the electronic statements available online.

Senate Bill 107 will take effect January 1, 2021.

A three-judge federal panel unanimously ruled Ohio’s gerrymandered congressional district map unconstitutional under the First and 14th Amendments.

On behalf of the League of Women Voters, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio filed the suit.

The suit claimed the congressional map disfavored democratic voters on the basis of their political affiliation.

The court ordered the state to create a new map by June 14 to prepare for the 2020 election.

State Sen. Michael Rulli introduced legislation to promote greater transparency in local elections by allowing local candidates to file campaign finance reports electronically.

Senate Bill 107 would remove the paper-only filing requirements for individuals who file with local boards of elections.

The bill would also require the secretary of state to make the information in those electronic statements available online.

If passed, the bill would take effect on the first day of January that occurs at least 180 days after the act is filed with the secretary of state.

The Ohio Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, released new campaign contribution limits adjusted for inflation each odd-numbered year.

The changes include an increase in the amount PACs and individuals may contribute to statewide candidates from $12,707.79 to $13,292.35 per election period.

The new limits are effective today, February 25, 2019, through February 24, 2021.

Mayor Andrew Ginther and the City Council announced plans to limit contributions to municipal elections for the first time in city history.

The proposal seeks to limit annual contributions to municipal candidates by following state contribution amounts of $12,707.79.

The proposal also requires anyone issuing an advertisement in an election period to disclose contributions, expenditures, and debt. Additionally, all campaign finance filings must be audited.

Officials will host a presentation and hear public feedback on the proposal on Tuesday, December 4 at 6 p.m. in City Council chambers.

City Council will vote on the proposal at the December 10 council meeting. If passed, the proposal will take effect for the 2019 municipal elections.