The 2020 General Election added one additional Republican to the Ohio Senate and three additional Republicans to the Ohio House of Representatives.
On Monday Senators and Representatives were sworn in as the Ohio’s 134TH General Assembly begins with Republicans now holding a 25-8 advantage in the Senate and outnumbering Democrats 64-35 in the House.
That increase in Republican lawmakers might spell hope for conservative Ohioans unrelenting in their push for COVID legislation – for example, Senate Bill 311, that restricts Governor Mike Dewine’s 11-month restriction reign ranging from the Arnold Classic to the requiring people be in a residence by 10:00 p.m.
The Ohio Constitution requires a three-fifths vote to override a veto, which is 20 votes in the Senate and 60 in the House; the exception being bills that required an extraordinary 2/3 majority for passage – for example, a bill containing an emergency clause. The extraordinary majority requires 22 Senate votes and 66 House votes.
The 134th General Assembly is made up of the following members:
District 1 Scott Wiggam (R-Wooster)
District 2 Marilyn John (R-Shelby)
District 3 Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg)
District 4 Robert Cupp (R-Shawnee Twp)
District 5 Tim Ginter (R-Salem)
District 6 Phil Robinson (D-Cleveland)
District 7 Tom Patton (R-Strongsville)
District 8 Kent Smith (D-Euclid)
District 9 Janine Body (D-Cleveland Hts.)
District 10 Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland)
District 11 Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland)
District 12 Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland)
District 13 Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood)
District 14 Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland)
District 15 Jeffrey Crossman (D-Parma)
District 16 Monique Smith (D-Fairview Park)
District 17 Adam Miller (D-Columbus)
District 18 Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus)
District 19 Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville)
District 20 Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester)
District 21 Beth Liston (D-Dublin)
District 22 David Leland (D-Columbus)
District 23 Laura Lanese (R-Grove City)
District 24 Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington)
District 25 Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus)
District 26 Erica Crawley (D-Columbus)
District 27 Tom Brinkman (R-Cincinnati)
District 28 Jessica Miranca (D-Forest Park)
District 29 Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison)
District 30 Bill Seitz (R-Green Twp.)
District 31 Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati)
District 32 Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati)
District 33 Sedrick Denson (D-Cincinnati)
District 34 Emilia Sykes (D-Akron)
District 35 Tavia Galonski (D-Akron)
District 36 Bob Young (R-Green)
District 37 Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson)
District 38 Bill Roemer (R-Richfield)
District 39 Willis Backshear, Jr. (D-Dayton)
District 40 Phil Plummer (R-Dayton)
District 41 Andrea White (R-Kettering)
District 42 Tom Young (R-Miamisburg)
District 43 Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria)
District 44 Paul Hicks-Hudsonn (D-Toledo)
District 45 Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo)
District 46 Michael Sheehy (D-Oregon)
District 47 Derek Merrin (R-Waterville)
District 48 Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton)
District 49 Tom West (D-Canton)
District 50 Reggie Stoltzful (R-Paris Twp.)
District 51 Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton)
District 52 Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester)
District 53 Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.)
District 54 Paul Zeltwanger (R-Mason)
District 55 Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville)
District 56 Joe Miller (D-Amherst)
District 57 Dick Stein (R-Norwalk)
District 58 Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown)
District 59 Allesandro Cutrona (R-Canfield)
District 60 Daniel Troy (D-Willowick)
District 61 Jamie Callender (R-Concord Twp.)
District 62 Scott Lipps (R-Franklin)
District 63 Mike Loychik (R-Cortland)
District 64 Michael O’Brien (D-Warren)
District 65 Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland)
District 66 Adam Bird (R-New Richmond)
District 67 Kris Jordan (R-Powell)
District 68 Rick Carfagna (R-Westerville)
District 69 Sharon Ray (R-Wadsworth)
District 70 Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville)
District 71 Mark Frazier (R-Newark)
District 72 Larry Householder (R-Glenford)
District 73 Brian Lampton (R-Beavercreek)
District 74 Bill Dean (R-Xenia)
District 75 Gail Pavliga (R-Atwater)
District 76 Diane Grendell (R-Chesterland)
District 77 Jeffrey LaRe (R-Violet Twp.)
District 78 Brian Stewart (R-Ashville)
District 79 Kyle Kohler (R-German Twp.)
District 80 Jena Powell (R-Arcanum)
District 81 James Hoops (R-Napoleon)
District 82 Craig Riedel (R-Defiance)
District 83 Jon Cross (R-Kenton)
District 84 Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield)
District 85 Nino Vitale (R-Union Twp.)
District 86 Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville)
District 87 Richard McClain (R-Upper Sandusky)
District 88 Gary Click (R-Fremont)
District 89 Douglas Swearingen, Jr. (R-Huron)
District 90 Brian Baldridge (R-Cherry Fork)
District 91 Shane Wilkin (R-Lynchburg)
District 92 Mark Johnson (R-Chillicothe)
District 93 Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill)
District 94 Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville)
District 95 Don Jones (R-Freeport)
District 96 Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville)
District 97 Adam Holmes (R-Nashport)
District 98 Brett Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville)
District 99 Sarah Fowler (R-Geneva)
Rob McColley (R-District 1)
Theresa Gavarone (R-District 2)
Tina Maharath (D-District 3)
George Lang (R-District 4)
Steve Huffman (R-District 5)
Niraj Antani (R-District 6)
Steve Wilson (R-District 7)
Louis Blessing (R-District 8)
Cecil Thomas (D-District 9)
Bob Hackett (R-District 10)
Theresa Fedor (D-District 11)
Matt Huffman (R-District 12)
Nathan Manning (R-District 13)
Terry Johnson (R-District 14)
Hearcel Craig (D-District 15)
Stephanie Kunzie (R-District 16)
Bob Peterson (R-District 17)
Jerry Cirino (R-District 18)
Andrew Brenner (R-District 19)
Tim Schaffer (R-District 20)
Sandra Williams (D-District 21)
Mark Romanchuk (R-District 22)
Nickie Antonio (D-District 23)
Matt Dolan (R-District 24)
Kenny Yuko (D-District 25)
Bill Reineke (R-District 26)
Kristina Roegner (R-District 27)
Vernon Sykes (D-District 28)
Kirk Schuring (R-District 29)
Frank Hoagland (R-District 30)
Jay Hottinger (R-District 31)
Sandra O’Brien (R-District 32)
Michael Rulli (R-District 33)
The House GOP chose Bob Cupp (R-Shawnee Twp.) Speaker of the House with Representative Tim Ginter (R-Salem) Speaker Pro Tempore. Majority Leader is Representative Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) with Rick Carfagna (R-Westerville) serving as Assistant Majority Leader. Representative Don Jones (R-Freeport) will serve as Majority Whip and Representative Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) will act as Assistant Majority Whip.
House Democrats again selected Representative Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) Minority Leader and chose Representative Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus) Assistant Minority Leader. Representative Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) will act as Minority Whip while Representative Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester) will fill the role of Assistant Minority Whip.
The Senate Republican Caucus elected Senator Matt Huffman (R-District 12) President and Senator Jay Hottinger (R-District 31) President Pro Tempore. Senator Kirk Schuring (R-District 29) will act as Majority Leader while Senator Rob McColley (R-District 1 ) fills the role of Majority Whip.
The Senate Democratic Caucus re-elected Senator Kenny Yuko (D-District 25) Minority Leader, Senator Cecil Thomas (D-District 9 ) Assistant Minority Leader, Senator Nickie Antonio (D-District 23) Minority Whip and Senator Tina Maharath (D-District 3) Assistant Minority Whip.
Next week caucuses in each chamber will retreat to discuss 2021 priorities.
The first “working day” will be the week of January 18, according to Ohio State Senator Andrew Brenner (R-19) and Ohio State Representative Kris Jordan (R-Powell).
Governor DeWine announced today that he signed Senate Bill 175 – the stand-your-ground act passed by both chambers of the 133RD General Assembly that allows people to in the state to weapon-defend themselves anywhere, not just in a residence or vehicle and grants civil immunity to churches and other nonprofits for certain injuries, deaths or losses resulting from the carrying of handguns.
DeWine has also not yet signed House Bill 431, a bill Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost worked into the Ohio legislature. HB431 expands protections for human trafficking victims and creates the offense of ‘engaging in prostitution,’ and marking it a firs degree misdemeanor, requiring the perpetrator get treatment or education and face a fine up to $1,500.
Notable bills that recently made headlines that are holdovers House or Senate:
Senate Bill 311 – limits Director of Health order-issuing authority.
House Bill 178 – modifies weapon law and permits concealed carry without a license.
According to Senator Brenner, education and COVID legislation are prospective priorities for the upper chamber.
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Jack Windsor is Managing Editor and an Investigative Reporter at The Ohio Star. Windsor is also an Investigative Reporter at WMFD-TV. Follow Jack on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Unfortunately the Republican Party is spineless and refuse to be proactive in passing bills when they have majorities and the executive branch willing to sign it into law or a veto proof majority if whoever is leading the executive branch vetos it.
They worry about what people who will never vote for them think and ignore the people who voted them into office.