COLUMBUS, OH—As Ohio’s 135th General Assembly concludes, Americans for Prosperity-Ohio (AFP-OH) reflects on its role in stopping four harmful pieces of legislation and passing four key bills in 2024. Throughout Ohio’s legislative session, AFP-OH has been a champion of commonsense policies and a strong opponent to policies that don’t serve Ohioans’ best interests. These victories will serve as a foundation as AFP focuses on its “Buckeye Blueprint” legislative agenda moving into the 2025 session.
AFP-OH successfully helped stop the following bills:
- HB79 proposed a new utility program that would have increased energy costs and harmed consumers.
- With 450 volunteers, AFP-OH mobilized email, phone, and social media campaigns to urge the Senate Energy Committee to pull HB79 from consideration. The Chairman ultimately canceled the committee meeting, rendering HB79 effectively dead.
- HB205 would create a labor mandate on Ohio’s oil and gas refineries, jeopardizing energy independence and raising costs.
- Through AFP-OH’s key vote alert and grassroots efforts, HB205 was effectively stopped in the Senate.
- HB296 offered short-term solutions that would not fix the structural issues and underfunding of The Ohio Police & Pension Fund. It would increase the financial obligations of local governments and taxpayers while providing no increased benefits to retired public safety workers.
- HB296 was marked dead on arrival (DOA) in the Senate due to AFP-OH’s lobbying efforts and key vote alert.
- HB407 would add additional burdensome regulations on non-public schools in Ohio.
- AFP-OH was able to keep HB407 from consideration on the Ohio House floor with a key vote alert.
AFP-OH successfully testified for and helped pass the following bills:
- SB6 requires public retirement boards to prioritize ROI when making investment decisions in order to regulate environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) considerations in governance and investment decisions.
Senate Bill 37 / House Bill 29
- SB37 proposed amendments to various sections of the Ohio Revised Code concerning public safety and transportation.
- AFP-OH was able to keep SB37 alive; it was amended into HB29 and passed.
- SB198 provides returning citizens with important documentation including a birth certificate, SSN card, copies of any training or certifications they completed while incarcerated, and an ID/driver’s license.
- HB 234 reforms sentencing considerations for Alford pleas, revises sealing and expungement eligibility, and reforms procedures for suspending local officials indicted for felony offenses.
AFP-OH State Director Donovan O’Neil released the following statement:
“At AFP-OH, we’re committed to defending Ohioans from ill-advised legislation and advocating for policies that enhance prosperity and opportunity. In the 2024 legislative session, our grassroots efforts played a pivotal role in both passing key legislation and stopping major bills that would hurt individuals and families across the state, but our work does not end here.
“We anticipate similar pieces of legislation will arise in the upcoming 2025 session, but we will continue to mobilize our grassroots efforts and work with Ohio lawmakers to ensure Ohioans’ interests remain protected.”