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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:*
December 19, 2025




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*Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957
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Governor DeWine Signs Bills Into Law

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today signed numerous bills passed by the 136th General Assembly into law, including the following property tax related bills:


* House Bill 124 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Representative David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and State Representative Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township), to modify the process for making property tax sales-assessment ratio studies.
* House Bill 129 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Representative David Thomas (R-Jefferson), to generally include fixed-sum levies in the calculation of a school district's millage floor and to authorize, with limitations, school district fixed-sum levies.
* House Bill 186 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Representative James M. Hoops (R-Napoleon) and State Representative David Thomas (R-Jefferson), to authorize a reduction in school district property taxes affected by a millage floor that would limit increases in such taxes according to inflation, to modify property tax reductions for residential property, to modify the process for certifying property tax abstracts, and to make an appropriation.
* House Bill 309 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by sponsored by State Representative David Thomas (R-Jefferson), to modify the law governing county budget commissions and property taxation.
* House Bill 335 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Representative David Thomas (R-Jefferson), to limit revenue increases from inside millage levies occurring due to a reappraisal or update.

“These bills are a major step in reforming property taxes in Ohio,” said Governor DeWine. “While these bills are not perfect, they do provide meaningful relief to Ohioans in all corners of the state, while also protecting the critical services that are provided to all of us through the funding generated by property taxes.”

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*Statements of Support for Property Tax Bills* [ [link removed] ]


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Governor DeWine also signed the following bills into law:


* House Bill 10 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Representative Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) and State Representative Jack K. Daniels (R-New Franklin), to regulate imitation meat and egg products and to revise various agriculture laws.
* House Bill 29 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Representative Latyna M. Humphrey (D-Columbus) and State Representative Marilyn John (R-Shelby), regarding inmates' access to feminine hygiene products and showers by municipal and county correctional facilities and state correctional institutions. 
* House Bill 114 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Representative Adam C. Bird (R-New Richmond) and State Representative Kevin Ritter (R-Marietta), regarding age requirements for kindergarten admission and to correct a scoring error on the 2024-2025 science end-of-course exam. 
* House Bill 184 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Representative Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) and State Representative Ty D. Mathews (R-Findlay), prescribes limitations on intercollegiate athlete contracts and to make appropriations and to provide authorization and conditions for the operation of state programs.
* House Bill 246 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Representative D. J. Swearingen (R-Huron) and State Representative Tex Fischer (R-Boardman), to enact the E-Verify Workforce Integrity Act requiring certain construction industry employers to use E-verify and to sanction specified hiring practices in the industry.
* House Bill 247 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Representative Kevin D. Miller (R-Newark) and State Representative Meredith R. Lawson-Rowe (D-Reynoldsburg), to make changes to the laws governing dogs, including dangerous and vicious dogs, and to name this act Avery's Law.
* House Bill 440 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Representative Kellie Deeter (R-Norwalk) and State Representative Brian Stewart (R-Ashville), to revise the law governing the Board of Nursing and criminal records check results and to declare an emergency.
* Senate Bill 17 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and State Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus), to designate March 9th as "6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Day."
* Senate Bill 103 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Senator Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro), to allow for alternative rate plans for natural gas companies to serve large load customers and to make changes to the process of valuating property for certain public utilities.
* Senate Bill 148 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Senator Jerry C. Cirino (R-Kirtland), to designate a portion of State Route 2 in Lake County as the "Specialist Lloyd Andrew Sellers Memorial Highway."
* Senate Bill 217 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Senator Al Landis (R-Dover), to authorize the conveyance of state-owned land.
* Senate Bill 293 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) and State Senator Andrew O. Brenner (R-Delaware), to modify the law governing voter roll maintenance, provisional voting, the return of absent voter's ballots, and the membership of the Ohio Election Integrity Commission.

Governor DeWine signed Senate Bill 56 into law while issuing a line-item veto. 


* Senate Bill 56 [ [link removed] ], sponsored by State Senator Stephen A. Huffman (R-Tipp City), to revise specified provisions of the liquor control, hemp, and adult-use marijuana laws, and to make an appropriation, and to amend section 4506.01 of the Revised Code effective December 31, 2026, and to revise the law governing commercial driver’s licenses.

Governor DeWine's veto message said, in part:

"On November 12th, Congress and President Trump enacted H.R. 5371 into law. Among the many provisions of this continuing resolution was a provision enacting a federal ban on intoxicating hemp, beginning in November 2026. This ban includes a ban on THC beverages containing intoxicating hemp. Ohio is making good public policy by enacting its own intoxicating hemp ban earlier than federal law. However, a carve out to allow the further sale of intoxicating hemp beverages for most of 2026 will create confusion for consumers and a lack of conformity with federal law.

"Further, purveyors of intoxicating hemp often market their products as an alcohol substitute, even claiming health benefits. The facts are that THC is not analogous to alcohol, is metabolized differently than alcohol, and does not intoxicate in the same way alcohol does. This can mislead consumers into thinking these products will have the same effect on them as alcohol, when there is no way to guarantee such claims, thus creating safety issues.

"For these reasons, a partial veto is in the public interest."


*
* Line-Item Veto Boxed Text (PDF)
* Part 1 [ [link removed] ]
* Part 2 [ [link removed] ]

* Unsigned Line-Item Veto Message Text (PDF) [ [link removed] ]

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