Ohio Senate - 3-25-2026

The Senate will come to order. We invite our guests to please rise as we open with prayer. We'll be led in prayer by Pastor Brian Solomon from Capital Ministries, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation, God, and God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all

Senate Chamber, Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, March 24th, 9.30 a.m. Six bills were considered the second time one resolution was offered and adopted on the motion of Senator Reineke. The Senate adjourned until Wednesday, March 25th at 1.30 p.m.

Thank you, Mr. President. Okay, guys, line up like we did in rehearsal. Okay. Okay, you guys can get some more behind us here. Okay. Let's turn around. Okay. Just like we did at rehearsal, okay? Okay, let the coaches in here. All right. Thank you, Mr. President. It's my honor today to welcome the Kirtland High School football team to recognize their Division Six state championship victory. As a resident of Kirtland myself this team continued success is especially meaningful to me And no this is not half the population of Kirtland but pretty close We about a population of 7 in the city and this team has done a great job Kirtland won its eighth state championship in dominant fashion, defeating Hopewell Loudon 41-6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, capping off a perfect 15-0 season. Behind a historic performance, senior running back John Silvestro. Where is he? Where's John? You're supposed to be up here, John. Get over here. Okay. He rushed in this playoff game for 255 yards and scored four touchdowns. Not bad for a playoff game. He tied a Division VI state championship record and leading to a relentless running game throughout the course of his time with the team. The Kirtland Hornets controlled the game from the beginning, building a 14-0 halftime lead and erupting for 20 points in the third quarter to put the championship game out of reach of their opponent. This victory marks not only the program's eighth state title, but also another chapter in one of Ohio's most consistent and dominant high school football dynasties. Since 2011, Kirtland's football program has led the nation with 212 wins, the highest winning percentage at 95.5%, and just 10 losses. Over that same span, the Hornets have captured eight state championships and appeared in the title game in 13 of the last 14 seasons. Today, we recognize the players, head coach Tiger LaVertie, assistant coaches Ryan Beeler and Dean Morrison, superintendent Chad Van Arhem, families in the entire Kirtland community for their dedication, discipline, commitment to excellence both on the field and in the classroom. We are proud to congratulate the Kirtland Hornets for their 2025 Division VI State Championship. Let us give this great team a warm Senate welcome. OK, smile for a minute, guys. Congratulations. Congratulations. Thanks for saying that. Thanks for having me. Thanks for having me.

Thank you Mr President members of the Senate it's my honor to introduce Ohio's 2025 Mr. Football, Grady Kinsey, a senior from Indian Valley High School in Tuscarawas, Ohio, Tuscarawas County. With Grady today are his parents, Eric and Bobby Kinsey, Coach Matt Carroll, Athletic Director Zach Golick, and Hayden Wilson, special guests of the family. Grady is only the third Mr. Football Award winner from Eastern or Southeastern Ohio. Grady, a running back and linebacker, ranks first in the Ohio High School Athletic Association history with 133 career touchdowns, ranks second in total points, 840, is third in career rushing yards, 8,607 yards, and third in single-season touchdowns, 50. He led his team to a 2024 Division IV state championship and to the Final Four in 2025. Off the field, he ranks third academically of the 123 seniors in his class. And this is hot off the press. I had him at 4.25 grade point average. We are now at a 4.4 grade point average. And is a member of the National Honor Society. Grady is an outstanding student athlete that has brought an incredible accomplishment to Tuscarawas County. He will be continuing his academic and football career at the United States Air Force Academy, and I look forward to his continued success. If you would please help welcome Mr. Football Grady Kinsey, 2025. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. Thank you. The members of the Senate of the 136th General Assembly of Ohio are pleased, that's us, to congratulate the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine on the auspicious occasion of its 50th anniversary. Recognition of this prestigious milestone is a fitting tribute to the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, for since it was created when House Bill 229 was signed into law in 1975, it has played a valuable role in preparing numerous medical students to meet the challenges of the future. In preparing during his half century of existence as Ohio only osteopathic medical school OUHCOM has opened additional campuses in Dublin and Cleveland expanded its community health programs into more than 20 counties and graduated more than 5 physicians 60% of whom have stayed in our state to practice, and it has become Ohio's largest producer of primary care physicians. The school's accomplishments have gained the appreciation and esteem of many. Colleges of medicine serve as pillars of progress in advancing health, research, and compassionate care for the betterment of society, and we are confident that in years to come, the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine will continue its steadfast commitment to cultivating skilled, empathetic, and community-focused osteopathic physicians. Education is vital to our nation's continued economic and social well-being, and as the need for global learning and understanding increases, so do the demands placed on our system of education. OUHCOM has consistently and effectively met these challenges, and the school is truly deserving of high praise. So 50 years, and among those physicians was me. And my son just graduated there recently from the Dublin campus and is now an attending physician here at Riverside. I retired, but I had one come behind me and replace me. So please, a wonderful welcome from the Senate, and congratulations on 50 years of great work.

President McCauley with a point of personal privilege.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President. It's with a heavy heart today that I stand and remember Captain Curtis J. Angst of Wilmington, Ohio, one of six airmen who made the ultimate sacrifice when a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq on March 12, 2026 during Operation Epic Fury. Captain Angst did not start his military career as a pilot. He started as a vehicle maintenance technician. He enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard in May of 2015 with the 123rd Air Control Squadron. He had bigger dreams. He earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati, and he earned his commission in 2021. He completed undergraduate pilot training in 2022, and he achieved his KC-135R pilot initial qualifications in 2024, just two short years ago. In just a few years, he went from fixing trucks to flying a tanker aircraft in a combat zone. He deployed twice in 2015 in the support of Operation Spartan Shield and in 2026 in support of Operation Epic Fury. Curtis served as a KC-135R pilot for the 166th Air Refueling Squadron at the 121st Air Refueling Wing, Rickenbacker Air Base in Columbus. He is responsible for flying worldwide air refueling, aeromedical, cargo, and passenger operations. Captain Angst was 30 years old, just married. He had 10 years of service in the military. He was a young man who started turning wrenches on trucks and ended up in the left seat of the KC-135. This is the kind of determination that defines the best of our Air Force. I'd like to share his family statement, which captures the important impacts this young man had on the people around him. Quote, Curtis lived a life defined by service, generosity, and genuine love for people. He was dedicated to serving his country. He deeply valued the people he had the privilege to serve alongside. Those who knew Curtis remember his steady kindness and the joy he carried with him everywhere he went He was always ready to help someone else who needed help His constant smile and instantly recognizable laugh made people feel welcome, valued, and part of something bigger. He was deeply devoted to his wife Mary, his family, and his friends. Beyond his commitment to his country, Curtis had a profound passion for traveling, exploring the outdoors and music. Our hearts are with the family and friends of his fellow crew, and we share with their sorrow. Mr. President, thank you for the opportunity to let me stand and honor and remember Captain Curtis Angst. Would the Senate and guests please join me and rise for a moment of silence?

Next, for a moment of silence, the chair recognizes Senator Schaefer.

Thank you, Senator Schaefer. Would the members and guests please rise and join me in a moment of silence?

Next, the chair would recognize Senator Craig for a moment of silence.

Thank you, Senator Craig. Would the members and guests please rise and join in a moment of silence?

Next, with a moment of silence, the chair recognizes Senator Ingram.

Thank you, Senator Ingram. With the members and guests, please rise for a moment of silence.

Returning to points of personal privilege, the chair recognizes Senator Patton.

Welcome to the Senate.

Thank you, Mr. President. and I'm proud today to introduce, raise your hand, Sean, Councilman Sean Gallant to the Senate. Sean was appointed to the Heath City Council in July of 2024 and he's joining me today to shadow and just see what we do and how we do it. So I'm learning from him. Hopefully he's learning something from us. And Sean, we will give you a warm Senate welcome.

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to first recognize former Ohio State Senator Tom Roberts, who's here. He is here along with some phenomenal young men who will be participating in the Jack and Jill Botillion this Saturday as part of Jack and Jill of America Incorporated. Jack and Jill of America Incorporated is an organization founded in 1938 by mothers to come together and provide social, cultural, and educational opportunities for youth. Each chapter plans annual programming activities guided under a general five-point programmatic thrust. cultural awareness, educational development, health education and advocacy, civic and legislative advocacy and service, and social slash recreational areas. Today, these outstanding young men are focusing on civic advocacy by learning about the statehouse and how they can advocate for change both at the state level and in their communities. So please join me in welcoming these young leaders to the Ohio Senate. Thank you.

Next, with a point of personal privilege, the chair recognizes Senator Craig.

Welcome to the Senate With another point of personal privilege the chair recognizes Senator Craig Thank you very much Mr President You know I get the opportunity they will also stand Mike Bell and Cassidy Hayes of East High School

Thank you for your bravery and welcome to the Senate. Next, with a point of personal privilege, the chair recognizes Senator Romanchuk.

Welcome to the Senate.

Thank you, Mr. President. March is Bleeding Disorders Month in Ohio, and we are joined today by the Ohio Bleeding Disorders Council for their annual advocacy day. Please stand up. Bleeding disorders are a group of disorders defined by the inability to form a proper clot. In Ohio, we are lucky enough to have eight hemophilia treatment centers across the state, which reduces both death and hospitalizations for those with bleeding disorders by about 40%. 4,000 Ohioans have a bleeding disorder. These are lifelong conditions that require close monitoring, clotting factor treatment, and coordinated care from specialists, which can be very expensive. Clotting factor for someone with severe hemophilia can cost, on average, $300,000 a year, which is why advocacy groups like OBDC are so important. So thank you and all of our patient advocates for sharing your stories and raising awareness. Please join me in welcoming them to the Senate.

With a point of personal privilege the chair recognizes Senator Kaler Thank you Mr President It my honor today to welcome Clark State President Dr Joe Alice Blondin and members of our SOAR leadership program if they could all stand

Welcome to the Senate.

Thank you, Mr. President. As a segue, I would like to introduce Clark County constituent, Laura Rittenhouse, who's here with the Miami University folks today. It's important to know, and the Clark State folks are going over to the House to be recognized, but it's important for folks to know that she graduated from high school with a degree from Clark State, her associate's degree, and her mother as well graduated from Clark State and is now Clark County Commissioner. I would like you to welcome Laura Rittenhouse to the Senate.

With a point of personal privilege, the chair recognizes Senator Rogner.

Welcome to the Senate.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today with an equal amount of sadness and an equal amount of excitement. As you all know, we are only as good as our aides, and today I am here to say farewell to the best aide I have ever had, and I have some great aides. My aide, Joe Statton, will be leaving us. He won't be leaving Cap Square. He's taken a job with AT&T as a lobbyist, so we will still be seeing Joe around Cap Square Joe loves America Joe loves Ohio For Christmas this year he bought me a book called The Pioneers by David McCullough which is a book on the early history of Ohio. After I read it, he asked me who my favorite character was, and I told him, and I said, who is your favorite character? And he said, Putnam, of course. And I said, why? And he told me That was your great-great-grandfather? Yeah, so Joe is a direct descendant of the founders of the state of Ohio. He's been with me two and a half years. I've learned to rely on Joe. Those of you that know me know I am not good at details. Joe has been the one that has run my office, with Ruby, of course. Every meeting I have, I have come to love and rely on Joe's opinion so much and value him that a meeting doesn't go by that I don't ask Joe his thoughts. And at the end of the meeting, if he has not asked questions, Joe, do you have any questions? And then Joe and I discuss it, and he has almost as much input as I do on what we do at that meeting. One of the most exciting things is watching Joe's family grow. His beautiful wife, Sarah, is behind us over there. And while Joe has been my aide, They have had two beautiful daughters, Julia and Sarah is currently holding Sophia. Joe is in this order, a father of God, a husband, and then a father. I'm sorry, a child of God, a husband and a father. And then his professional career comes in shortly after that. Joe, I know that we have come to depend on you so much. Joe and I have been through health battles together. You all know the stage four colorectal cancer I'm fighting. What you may not know, Joe had to go to Taiwan for 90 days to fight a health battle of his own. While he was in Taiwan, he worked virtually full time, even though John Barron asked him not to. I was so dependent on Joe that he was working while overseas. And Joe, I just hope you know how much my wife, Debbie, and I love you. Sarah, we love you. You have become more than an aide. You have become a dear part of our family. And I am going to kick this battle that I'm going through because I want to live for the next 30 years to see the impact that you have on our country and our state. I know it will be positive. I know it will be profound. And I know that it will be powerful. I miss you. I love you. And I wish you all the best. Please join me in sending Joe off.

We wish you nothing but the best, Joe. Next, with a point of personal privilege, the chair recognizes Leader Antonio.

Thank you, Leader Antonio. Reports of reference and bills for second consideration.

Without objection, the report is agreed to.

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Thank you, Mr. President. So it wasn't too long ago that this chamber passed Senate Bill 244 out unanimously to recognize August 26th as Abbey Gate Remembrance Day. It was to recognize the 13 service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in Kabul, Afghanistan, when a terrorist detonated some explosives. The bill went from here to the House. They also passed it out unanimously, but they did make a change, and it was an important change. They recognized the service branch for each of the individuals who gave their lives. And so specifically, they added for Nicole G., the United States Marine Corps. For Johnny Rosario Picardo, United States Marine Corps. For Darren T. Hoover, United States Marine Corps For Corporal Hunter Lopez, United States Marine Corps For Dejan Page, United States Marine Corps Umberto A. Sanchez, United States Marine Corps For David Espinoza, United States Marine Corps Jared Schmitz, United States Marine Corps Riley McCollum, United States Marine Corps Dylan Marola, United States Marine Corps Karim Nikui, United States Marine Corps and for Petty Officer 3rd Class Maxton Soviak who is an Ohioan United States Navy and Ryan Knauss United States Army I like to thank my joint sponsor Senator Jane Timken for her work on this bill as well as Joe Burdick for bringing this to our attention To you, Mr. President, for bringing it to the floor and for the support of all of our colleagues today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in support of the concurrence vote. We cannot promise to never forget if we do not remember the names, the service, and the stories of those who gave their lives on August 26, 2021 at Abbey Gate. And I hope that you will all join me in honoring them by supporting this concurrence vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in support of Substitute House Bill 730. This bill reappropriates roughly $1.93 billion of previously approved capital projects, including Public Works Commission infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and water infrastructure, construction projects at institutions of higher education, ongoing school facility projects, community park construction, and other state agency facility projects, such as mental health facilities. While the budget is routine in nature, it carries out the important task of ensuring stability for projects across the state that previous General Assemblies started. In collaboration with the House, 34 amendments were added to the bill last week in the House Finance Committee. 26 were redirects, reappropriating funds from stalled projects to other current projects. These redirects came from both sides of the aisle in both chambers and will ensure the best use of our bonded dollars for community priorities. While there were a handful of redirects not included in the bill members should continue to work with staff so we can verify all necessary information and include them in the upcoming capital budget The other amendments adopted in the House include reappropriating two separate operating budget allocations from 26 and fiscal 27 a technical modification of the earmark for providing interpretive services for the deaf-blind community, restoring ODNR's ability to access 2% of community projects for administrative purposes, a technical change to the transfer language for helping JFS offices with implementation of Medicaid work requirements. It also includes an appropriation of $12.5 million, $10 million GRF, and $2.5 million federal match for county JFS systems administrative costs. A $500,000 allocation for fraud detection in programs at JFS and Medicaid. This is very important provision in our continuing effort to find and eliminate fraud and abuse in some of our major financial assistance programs. An appropriation of $14.1 million in GRF in 26 and $39.3 million in 27 for agencies who are still experiencing budget pressures for employee health care costs. costs. You may remember that we tried to deal with this to some extent in the operating budget last year, and we were waiting to see what the total numbers were going to look like. We now have a really good estimate on what those numbers are, and that is what that employee health care cost appropriation was for. Yesterday in committee, we adopted two additional amendments. One was another capital redirect in central Ohio. The second dealt with recent federally enacted rural health transformation program. As all of you are aware, the state applied for and was awarded $202 million for the state for fiscal 26 and 27, $404 million for the first two years of what is a five-year program. The Ohio Department of Health has been working with Health and Human Services on our state plan. Again, the intent of the federal legislation was to provide dollars to serve the residents of rural Ohio and produce better health care outcomes through transformative projects. The amendment adopted in committee is the General Assembly's appropriation authority for those dollars. 100% of these dollars are federal in nature. Since the program will start in fiscal 26, which ends in about three months on June 30th, it was imperative for us to authorize these dollars for programming and applications to begin as soon as possible. I would like to point out one key provision, which I know many members of this chamber have an interest in, providing dollars to help improve maternal health and provide accessible maternity units in our rural communities. The plan puts Ohio on the path to providing at least $30 million in each of the fiscal years for improved outcomes once applicants go through a competitive process. Some additional allocations from the state application include $42 million over two years for school-based health centers, $33 million over two years for healthier Ohio initiatives to prevent chronic disease, $50 million over two years for an expansion of the Ohio Sea Project. I would like to thank members of the Senate Finance Committee for their patience yesterday and for reporting HB 730 out of committee with overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle. I'd also like to thank my counterpart in the House, Chairman Stewart, for working together to deliver this bill to the Governor's desk. before March 31st, ensuring that the reappropriations go into effect by July 1st. I'd like to also thank the budget team and my staff as well, Ray DeRossi and Jake Neff, particularly for all the work they've done on these issues, and for our other friends in the House who worked with us on this bill. Mr. President, I urge passage.

Move to amend with an amendment AM 1362112.

This amendment is with regards to the appropriation for SNAP administration. So I suspect everyone in this room knows that I feel SNAP is really important, and this money is important. So my caucus will talk about some of the concerns we have related to the distribution, but truly trying to fill the gap in shortfall that we're going to see in administrative costs is important. But the amount is really penny-wise, but pound-foolish, right, cutting that number and not covering the entire shortfall. LBO tells us that we will have a $38 million shortfall in administering the SNAP program across the state. And this is without the significant administrative burdens that we have added related to increasing regulations on how SNAP funds are going to be used. This amendment fills that shortfall with GRF funds for the full amount. Here's why this is important, or some of the reasons it's important. I think others will maybe talk with additional ones. We know that federal SNAP payments are going to decrease based on our error rate in 2025 and 2026. So how well we administer the program for the end of this year and the next year makes a huge difference. With our current error rate, we would lose $321 million in federal funding. That's $321 million not going to the 10,000 businesses who receive this money from the families purchasing food. By only giving the $12.5 million, we risk hundreds of millions more. We have the ability to at least make sure that current SNAP administrative services are maintained and to try to prevent that error rate and thus cuts from getting even worse. Now, I've heard people talk about how the counties that may not be receiving much from this could use carryover balances. But we have that ability, too, right? Year-to-date, our state revenues in GRF tax receipts have come in at 3.3% overestimate. That yields $648.8 million in additional revenue. We have the ability to make the smart financial choice by filling that shortfall, and that is why I propose this amendment and suggest that everyone supports it. Thank you.

Mr. President, I move that the amendment be laid upon the table.

I rise to offer Amendment 136-2127.

I'll be very brief because my colleague gave the rationale as to why we need to fully fund this particular fund for the benefit of all Ohioans. What this bill does is to transfer from the budget stabilization $28,652,803, which would be the state's portion to also then trigger the federal portion for us to fill this gap. I won't belabor the fact because, as I said, my colleague laid out very clearly why this is something that we need to do. while you chose not to use the general revenue funds with the tax revenue coming in, we have $4 billion in the rainy days fund or the budget stabilization fund, and we cannot say that in our local communities, our local counties, that it is not raining. We know that the way that the current language in this bill is not going to cover the needs for all of the counties. We also know that while some counties are going to be made whole and other counties are going to have to have major labor and staff reductions, we know that at the end of the day that it's going to negatively impact all of Ohioans. As my colleague said, that will cause us to have more problems with our being able to maintain that error rate and receive the necessary federal dollars to make sure that no child, no veteran, no senior goes hungry because of the inability for us to be able to administer the SNAP program. So with this, I urge an acceptance of this amendment, not laying it on the table, and moving forward with really addressing the issues and giving us time to look at ways in which to prepare for next year. Thank you.

Mr. President, I move that the amendment be laid upon the table.

Excuse me. I rise and offer Amendment 136-21-28.

This amendment changes the, well, it will restore back the formula that is currently being used for the distribution of these funds, which is tied to caseloads and not to populations. And therefore, this is the current administrative code process that has been used. And we're asked that we use it again so that there will be equity, while the way that the current bill is distributing funds, it is not equitable, although it may seem like it makes sense, but it does not. Sometimes when we think about how we deal with programs, spreading the peanut butter either thick or thin, that's a term that is used oftentimes. What is happening is that it's being thick in some counties and very thin in others. And because of this disparity between the thick and the thin, the ones that need it more than the others, It is a problem that I think can be simply addressed by using the current formula or calculations that has currently been used by the state JFS. So I ask for support of this amendment. Thank you. Thank you, Senator Hicks-Hudson.

Mr. President, I move that the amendment be laid upon the table.

Thank you, Mr. President. I'm invoking my right to vote yes on this bill and talk trash, something I'm famous for. But here's the thing. This is actually going to appropriate $12.5 million for this, so we are getting something in the urban counties. So for me, as much as I don't like this, I will be voting yes. but there are some things that we need to point out on this and I don blame the General Assembly I don blame the governor I don blame the House for this state of affairs I blame the White House and Congress for putting us into this situation for they are the ones that are causing administrative costs to go to 75% for the states instead of 50%. They are responsible for losses on the administration cost of $38 to $50 million in Ohio. And they're also responsible for, frankly, what one of my colleagues mentioned with respect to the error rate. Ohio's error rate right now is 9%. If we don't get it below 6%, we could be losing, as my colleague also pointed out, over $300 million. For me, it was $350 to $400 million is what the losses were estimated to be. So let me get this straight. we are cutting administrative costs for our largest counties to get an error rate below 6%, and if we don't, the costs go up. Somebody explained to me how that is going to work. In fact, this seems like it is designed to fail. And frankly, I don't think this is about accountability and efficiency. It's about ending a popular program without having the stones to say so outright. Frankly, it sickens me that we can celebrate oligarchs increasing their net worth by $200 billion, and yet with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we can wipe away $186 million in SNAP dollars. But do you know where the SNAP program came from? It has its origins during the Great Depression. And in fact, this was something that Henry Wallace worked on. Excuse me. He was a former agriculture secretary, former vice president, very complicated relationship with the parties in those days. He was a Republican originally, became a Democrat, became a Republican again, and then back to a Democrat. But this is the way the early 20th century worked. But the idea behind that program was because farmers at the time during the Great Depression saw prices drop through the floor. It was very deflationary. And so you have that dynamic. They were struggling. At the same time, you had millions in poverty who couldn't afford this. And frankly, this seemed to fill the gap. All it was saying was, hey, look, we're going to buy the excess supply and feed people at the same time. Economists look at this as being a broadly, broadly popular program to fight poverty. But at the same time, there's a significant multiplier effect to this, such that every dollar spent on this brings in $1.50 or $1.80 in terms of economic activity. And, you know, look, I get it. You know, you can say, hey, urban counties get it together and make sure that the error rate is below 6%. Well, it's kind of difficult when it's spread equally amongst all the counties, irrespective, well, almost equally amongst all the counties, irrespective of population. but, you know, I get it. We could gloat. Ha, that's your problem, urban counties. Well, rural legislators, beware. If urban counties can't get it together to keep the error rates low, farmers will be severely impacted by this. Do not let the leopards eat your faces. If we want to make an attempt at inoculating ourselves from these massive losses to a program that has an approval rating of 70%, I have something that you guys probably should think. So we're looking at filling a delta here for the administrative costs of $38 to $50 million minus the $12.5 that we're appropriating, about $20, $30 million. Well, we are talking about Kratom right now. Did you know that the state of Mississippi has a 25% excise tax on Kratom? Why don't we do the same thing? I do have research from LSC that talks about how it would generate $10 to $40 million for the state of Ohio if we did just that. And we have excise taxes right now on beer. We have it on wine. We have it on marijuana. We have it on cigarettes. Don't have it on Kratom. To me, this seems like easy money that we could then use for these administrative costs to really ensure that our error rates don't spiral out of control and we don't have to fight these $350 million to $400 million losses for a very popular program. That is good economics because, again, you have a high excise tax on something like Kratom. It reduces the use of it, one. To the extent that it is harmful, it will save us on Medicaid costs in the long run, two. And three, it will fund something that we are going to desperately need to fund, that being those administrative costs for SNAP. So with that, yes, I am voting yes, but this is something that we definitely need to address in the coming weeks and months. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. President. It's weird. I'm following my colleague, Senator Blessing, who I think I gave a part of his speech to earlier in the chamber talking about Kratom. And most of what he said, I agree with, except I'm going to be a little more blunt and more, I guess, partisan on this. I'm sure you're all shocked by that. Most of House Bill 730 is good. But as a senator from Franklin County, this bill, I think, is an attack on my county. It's disguised as a budget relief, but I think it's a direct political attack that the lower chamber decided to put in this bill, punishing blue counties because Democrats represent them. It's hurting hundreds of thousands of Ohioans who rely on SNAP every single day to feed their families. It's hurting the public servants who work at county job and family services offices. People are already overworked and underpaid. People are now looking at either layoffs or having to do the work of three people. I know that a lot of my colleagues, I know this is rolling with your eyes because I'm going to go through some numbers and I'm not usually a numbers guy, but under Trump's big ugly bill, as my colleague said, although gave it the other name to it, the federal government cut to snap administrative funding and created a $38 million hole in our budget. We're putting in $12.5 million, leaving a $25 million gap. My colleagues tried to put a couple of amendments in to fix that gap, but they were both tabled. The more astute among us may realize that 12.5 million is obviously lower than 38, but the real issue is how that 12.5 million gets distributed. As my other colleague put in an amendment, 59 counties are getting fully funded. Those counties represent less than 25 percent of Ohio's SNAP population. The 26 counties that actually do 75 percent of the work, one of the ones I represent, are getting capped at $226,000 each. So Cuyahoga County loses million only receiving 3 of what they should be getting My county loses over million only receiving 4 of what they should be getting The six largest counties in Ohio that serve 47.2% of SNAP recipients, they get 10.8% of the money. When we have billions sitting in the rainy day fund with tax receipts, as one colleague said, coming in more than we predicted, that we can easily fix this hole, we want to penalize the large counties that represent almost half of the SNAP benefit recipients in the state. This bill abandons a normal funding formula, one that accounts for actual caseload and poverty levels, in favor of a formula designed to basically punish urban counties. The federal government requires how to keep SNAP errors rate by low 60%, as my colleague just said. When we'll face penalties, 350 to 400 and some million, as my colleague just said. So we're underfunding the 26 largest counties that process three-quarters of the SNAP cases, thinking that somehow the air rates are going to go down? That's not reasonable. We all know that when you shortchange the funding for the counties to do most of the SNAP benefits, those counties can't hire enough caseworkers. The workers they have are already stretched thin, and we expect rates to go down in these counties with less people doing the job to keep the air rate down. I can't believe I'm the only one that sees this as a little bit short-sighted. Think about the caseworkers in my county, in Senator Blessings County, in Cuyahoga County. They're already overwhelmed, already working mandatory overtime. They're already burning out, and now we're telling them, sorry, we can't afford to hire the more staff or keep the staff we need, but we expect you to be more accurate, process cases faster, keep air rates down. Oh, and if you don't, the state's going to lose hundreds of millions of dollars. That's the choice that this bill that we're going to vote on today creates. And while those caseworkers are drowning in overtime and drowning in work, what's actually happening is that real people are suffering. Applications are going to take longer to process. Renewals get delayed. who desperately need food assistance will fall through the cracks. A bill that makes 59 counties whole at the expense of the 26 counties that do three-quarters of the work. That's the choice that we're making here today. And I'm going to tell everybody, I'm going to forecast the future, that when the airs rates spike, when the federal penalties hit, we're paying $300 to $400 million in penalties because we wouldn't spend $25 million today. I want everybody to remember that I was the one that told you so. So with that, Mr. President, I urge a no on this bill. Thank you.

Thank you, President. I'm here to oppose this bill and ask you to vote no, and that's something I rarely do. But I think it's important. And it's not about SNAP benefits. It's about the rural health transformation. and particularly the $30 million that is directed to rural hospitals here in the state of Ohio. Yesterday, the definition was very broad and would have been entitled, the way it was originally written, about 40 hospitals, including about 10 behavioral health hospitals. and so it was redone and there been an agreement as the chairman said yesterday in committee there an agreement that million will go to 13 hospitals So 13 hospitals. And you would think out of the 210 or so we have in the state of Ohio, they would go to poorly performing hospitals. On that list, a hospital in Norwalk profited net assets, net revenue last year, $6.5 million, currently has $200 million in assets. one in St. Mary's, Ohio profit last year 7.5 million you say well where did you get this non-profit entities, hospitals are on the auditor's website you can search for that some of these are 24 numbers some are 23 numbers but it's the most recent one in central Ohio has positive a million dollars. There is one in Bowling Green is last year minus 2.1 million dollars. Now there's a hospital I think we need to help. Another hospital, it was positive at 1.8. But let's look at the hospitals we're not helping. Wyandotte Memorial last year lost $3.6 million. $3.6 million. Kshakton, $5 million. Henry County, $1.7 million. Trinity Hospital, Twin City, $2.6 million. They don't have an opportunity. This money is not competitive. It is, you know, there was a letter from the 13 hospitals from about a month ago that said, we don't want to have a competitive bid on this hospital. We want you to divide it evenly. And that really troubles me. Because if you look at what the Trump administration has said, is that the money has to be transformative. It has to change. And my concern going for the next four years of this program is we're not showing that we're being transformative. We're not, we're giving money out. And I have the map right here of the Ohio transformation. We're pretty much excluding the top 15 counties. And we have to start someplace because they're not considered by the federal government or Ohio Department of Health as rural hospitals. So we had to start someplace. So Senator Blessing, in Hamilton County, there isn't any. But my biggest concern is, you know, going forward. But I have two hospitals in particular on the list that is going to get this money without a competitive bid. In Hancock County, net profit last year, $94 million. They're currently sitting on $600 million of assets, according to their most recent financial report. We're also giving money to a Cleveland Clinic affiliate. I have nothing against the Cleveland Clinic. They seem to, they're the largest and it seems to be one of the most financially secure hospitals in the state of Ohio. One of their affiliates is going to get this money So for that reason for those reasons I think we should give this money should go to hospitals that we can demonstrate that need the money. And I didn't have time to look up every hospital. I'm sure there's others that are in the plus or in the negative. But we also got to remember, we lost three hospitals in the last year in the state of Ohio that went out of business. They went out of business. And could this money be transformational? and help these hospitals that are losing money? My personal opinion is we need to look at where that's going, and for those reasons, I urge a no vote.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Rise in opposition. Appreciate the comments from the senator from the 5th District. When the Rural Hospital Fund was initially created, My initial thought was, well, now everybody's going to claim to be a rural hospital. So I appreciate his expertise in this issue, pointing out some of the problems. I am troubled by the provisions regarding SNAP that have been added. Many of the numbers have been shared. House Bill 70 appropriates $10 million in state funds to draw down an additional 2.5 to help fund the gap that was cut by folks in Washington, D.C. The change in the funding formula leaves those needing the most receiving the least. And I am going to go into some detail on that. Again, some of the other statistics were already shared. But, you know, and again, our side proposed two different amendments. One to fully fund the SNAP administration cuts through the Rainy Day Fund, which has $4 billion in it. Another through the GRF positive balance, which has $648 million in it. So this is not a question of funding capacity. This is a question of just moral judgment, in my view. But let me go through some of the larger counties and how much money they're going to receive as a result of this. And you can think to yourself, the folks on the other side of the aisle, if you represent any of these counties. Stark County is only going to get 37% of what they need. Butler County is only going to get 32% of what they need. Lorain County is only going to get 29% of what they need. Mahoning County is only going to get 26% of what they need. Summit County is only going to get 14% of what they need. Montgomery County is only going to get 9% of what they need. Lucas County. is only going to get 8% of what they need. Hamilton County is only going to get 8% of what they need. Franklin County is only going to get 4% of what they need. And if you are one of two senators in the majority that represents part of Cuyahoga County, you're only going to get 3% of what you need. And the result of that, according to submitted testimony, is as a result of the funding formula shortfalls, many of the major counties are facing very difficult decisions. Lucas County, for example, may have to lay people off. I'm going to read to you from submitted testimony from the Lucas County commissioners. If the state replaced this, quoting them, if the state replacement funding does not adequately address the actual loss counties face, Lucas County would have no realistic option other than laying off as many as 70% of the eligible workforce. Again, Lucas County is only getting 8% of what they need. And regarding the error rate, what may surprise you, but what needs to be said in the course of Senate debate, is the urban counties sometimes have an error rate far below the state average. From Summit County, the concern about error rate is often solved by the larger counties when they are fully funded. Reading from County Executive Eileen Shapiro's submitted testimony about Summit County. She says, while our county has achieved an error rate of 3.48%, that's far lower than the state average of 9% and the national average of almost 11%. So again, when you fund, when you fully fund these agencies, they're actually able to get their error rate below the state average. So again, shortchanging where the caseload is the highest, I do not think is a prudent decision. But the fact of the matter is this is not about people who work in county government. Hunger benefits usually go to those who can't fend for themselves. In Cuyahoga County, for example, which has the greatest need of all 88 counties, according to caseload, there are over 180,000 residents that receive SNAP benefits. Of those 180,000 hungry residents, 71,000 are kids. 37,000 are elderly. That's who's going to get impacted by this funding shortfall. Many of those folks are disabled and unable to work for themselves. So I don't want to lose sight of that. And I would leave you with a quote from FDR, which I think should be our North Star in this debate. FDR said the test of our progress is not whether we add to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little. Mr. President, I would say the current version of House Bill 730 fails to meet that test, And I would urge a no vote on House Bill 730. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise for the purpose of a motion. Just allow our parliamentarian to return to his post.

I move to re-refer this bill to health to further evaluate the rural health expenditures. Slash appropriations. All right.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in opposition and I urge a no vote You heard my colleagues give statistics and you also heard on the other side the problem with this legislation as it currently exists The failure of my colleagues' request that it be returned to the health committee to review and to really examine how we can best address the needs of all Ohioans, rural and urban, is something that I think, as she said and others have said, is penny wise but pound foolish. When we think about what needs to happen in the state of Ohio to feed those who are less fortunate and to make sure that we are efficient in the application of benefits and use of state resources and federal resources, what we're doing today, I believe, is not that. In fact, I think it is something that we need to look at very carefully. When I think about the error rates that were just mentioned and the fact that our large urban counties are the counties that have been able to keep those error rates under control. In Lucas County, the error rate is 6.48% as of 2025, whereas we know that the overall state rate is 9 point some number. It has been said, I think, in testimony in the House that the large counties help to keep that rate down, but yet and still they're being penalized, as I said, the thin peanut butter versus the thick peanut butter being spread. I think that it is really important that we understand that when we have processes and procedures that really don't take into account and look at or get the expertise or the information from all of the counties, because I believe that this bill was done without input from the urban counties, without really looking at what is the impact will be on the urban counties. The fact that Senator, my colleague from the other side, is concerned about the distribution of the hospitals, and I'm not sure if there was much discussion with those in our chamber that are the experts in understanding the administration of how hospitals run. That's a problem that we're having here. And I would submit that we need to do better. We need to do better for those who are in need. We need to do better for those citizens and our children going forward. I'm going to end with this. I appreciate Senator Serino and his willingness and his ability to provide information to me as the ranking member and for me to be able to distribute it. I do appreciate that. But when we look at how information is being discussed and I'm not speaking about what the senator has said, we need to make sure that what we're saying is real clear and it pinpoints exactly the impact that's going to be done. We need to get down to the nitty-gritty, to the details of how these funds are being distributed and not have some large, I'll call it conclusory, which we lawyers hate. We always want to know what are the facts and the evidence that reaches that conclusion. And unfortunately for us, we're voting on legislation, a funding mechanism that could be better. And we're talking about just the SNAP benefits. and I'm doing a Midwestern ending where I've got another ending to say and that is that we appreciate the respect that is being done for those counties who have the redirect and the reallocation of funds and really looking to keep those within the districts that those funds are. And we also appreciate, and I appreciate the fact that there's going to be ongoing work to make sure that those projects that were not quite finished or not quite clearly identified are taken care of as we go forward in the capital budget. I think that in that respect, there's been some clarity and some really good movement forward between our sides of the aisle to work together for information to be shared. But that does not deal with the fact that millions of Ohioans are going to be impacted. And it's not just those beneficiaries. It's also going to be the workers who are going to have to face uncertainties as to whether or not they still have jobs once these cuts come into play. So with that, Mr. President, I urge a no vote.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today in support of the bill. This isn't a perfect bill. I think everybody has said that. I would agree. I think there's probably some metrics in here that could be changed for the rural hospitals. However, I represent a district where I've got basically three rural hospitals covering in each on an average of about 500 square miles. So if you need an emergency care, you're in an area where you've got one hospital. If that hospital were to shut down, you're in really deep trouble. like here in Franklin County you've got basically one hospital for every 31 square miles or basically one per township on average so you're at least close there are hospitals here you've got a lot more economies of scale to be able to keep those hospitals afloat and be able to get them to run more efficiently because you have a lot denser population and they'd be able to handle that it was also mentioned that some of these rural hospitals do have better maybe net worths. I think that would be taken into consideration probably the value of the hospital, but if the hospital disappears, nobody's going to want that building, so it would probably fall to zero. And then you have to take a look at probably what the cash flows are of those hospitals. The motor vulnerable ones, and this is where maybe down the road we could do a metric to fix it, would be to take a look at the vulnerable hospitals and see what is their actual cash balance and how much are those cash flows you know they 30 days or under are they 45 to 125 days are they greater than 200 days and then take a look at that I think that's something that could be looked at but for now for this appropriation for what is needed I believe we need to pass this bill get it out and I think we need to probably go back and relook at how we're handling this with a separate bill thank you mr. president I urge a passage of House

a lot of what's been said, but all the way through the debate, the discussion the past couple of weeks that we've had, well, the week and a half, I guess, whenever it was we finally found out and my colleague is very kind and appreciative of getting information but I will just say that the information we got was that conversations had already been had decisions had been made and we were we the minority caucus were being informed of those decisions. We were not participants in the discussions or the decisions. And that is clearly reflective in the way this formula has played out. Because all of the representatives in the minority caucus represent districts in these counties that were slashed when it comes to filling in the gap. Disproportionately to any kind of formula that's never ever been used before to fund SNAP benefits. My colleagues have given you the numbers. Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas, Montgomery, Summit Those counties represent more than 47% of all the caseloads And let's talk about caseloads They're real people These are real people Real people who depend on this benefit to feed themselves and their families And while my colleague told you the percentage that's children, out of those counties that I just listed for you, the six counties, 272,584 of those are children who are going to be told, Well, they cut us. They cut the benefit. But hey, the state came through. They decided to be benevolent. They decided to go for some money. They decided to put in $10 million, ask for another $2 million from the federal government to fund. And 13% is coming to you in Cuyahoga County. Not quite sure how we're going to figure out who gets, who doesn't. Because once again, we're talking about winners and losers. In this atmosphere of a scarcity mentality, we've just accepted all of it. We've accepted the fact that the federal government has made such a brutal cut to hungry, starving people. We've said that's okay. That's okay. We'll figure it out. And then, to add insult to injury, we're told this is fair. You should not be upset. You should be grateful. This is fair. Because a whole bunch of counties are getting 100% backfill, and they're going to be okay and made whole. It's just a few counties that aren't going to get... But, you know, y'all have so much need anyway. And then we're told, go talk to your county, about their carryover money. I've talked to a couple of counties, and they've said, well, you know, we have rules that we can't use all of the funds or whatever it is that people think for that. They have specific rules around their levy dollars or whatever. And so it's not as easy as just saying, well, just fill it in with some other money that you have somewhere else. My colleagues just tried to do that on the floor with state funds, and we were told no We're not doing that. So there isn't any fairness. I don't want us to fool ourselves or try to fool the people of Ohio and say, this is fair, we're being fair here, we're being benevolent, we're fixing this. The rural hospital issue that came in so last minute once again, I'm worried. I'm worried about our hospitals. And I'm worried about our rural hospitals as much as I'm worried about all of the hospitals in our urban areas as well. But rural hospitals are the lifeline for the people that many of you represent. And again, this bill, winners and losers. There are winners who are at least going to get temporary, a temporary Band-Aid. And then there are some that are getting nothing. And to my colleague, if there is a system, a world-class, world-renowned system that is getting a dime of this rural hospital help, that is a crime, is all I'll say. And they're in my district. That would be a crime. That would be such a slap in the face to the people in every rural district that depend on their hospitals for that lifeline. How far does a woman have to drive and her family have to go right now to deliver a baby? And it's just going to get worse based on these numbers. It's punitive. There isn't any fairness in the distribution. this is a recipe for disaster. And who loses? Farmers. Thank you for bringing that up. The rural hospitals, definitely recipe for disaster for some of them. For the large counties, we know it is. For poor people who are struggling to put food on the table, this is a recipe for disaster. once again this legislature is shifting the burden taking it from those who have putting it on the backs of those who have not and telling them you need to just accept this you just need to go forward lift yourself up get yourself out of it no matter that your children that you have a disability, that you're a senior on a fixed income. That doesn't matter. Everyday Ohioans. All of these folks. So the only thing I kept thinking the whole time we've been having this debate about the good intentions of these funds is the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. I urge a no vote.

Mr. President, I move that House Bill 730 be informally passed and retain its place on the calendar.

This is a very simple bill with a sometimes convoluted understanding of what we think of when we use the term dangerous ordinance. Senate Bill 214, in its simplest form, removes the words, quote, any firearm, muffler, or suppressor from the list of dangerous ordinance in the Ohio Revised Code. Just five simple words. If you look at the defined list of dangerous ordinance in Section 2923.11 of the Higher Revised Code, it contains a list of items like nitroglycerin, rocket launchers, mines, grenades, and torpedoes. As an owner of five suppressors, I can tell you that a suppressor is not even close to any of these items. Suppressors, sometimes erroneously called silencers, are very simple devices attached to the end of a rifle or a handgun to muffle the explosion at the end of the firearm. Simply put, it does not silence the gun like we see in the movies. While dampening the sound of the round firing, the bullet traveling well over the speed of sound still creates a loud cracking sound as it breaks the sound barrier. In reality, a suppressor is no more dangerous than these noise-canceling earbuds that I wear on my farm while using a chainsaw or shooting guns on my range. Like a suppressor, these earbuds reduce the decimals of the chainsaw, but they do not make it silent. Like a suppressor, they're not a dangerous ordinance. And like a suppressor, they protect my ears. What these earbuds don't do is protect the ears of the person on the range next to me. What they don't do is protect the ears of the pets on my farm, and what they don't do is protect the pets on my neighbor's farm or my neighbor's for that much. A suppressor does those things. It protects not only me, but those around me. I can tell you that many law-abiding gun owners have registered stamp suppressors that they use to prevent hearing damage and mitigate noise pollution. Like me, gun owners have purchased them, submitted to an ATF background check, provided two sets of BCI fingerprint cards, a passport photo, and until recently paid a $200 tax stamp for each one that they own. Because of recent changes to federal law and the reduction of the $200 tax stamp fee to $0, legal proceedings are moving forward to remove suppressors from the National Firearms Act of 1934, specifically because the fee was not removed but reduced to $0. The stage has been set for suppressors and mufflers to be deregulated from the National Firearms Act of 1934. Whether deregulated or not, Ohioans must still follow the federal law when purchasing a suppressor. If deregulated, they will still be required to submit to an instant background check like we do when purchasing a firearm. Again, federal law will continue to dictate how these are purchased and regulated. I want to thank Chairman Johnson for the four hearings on this bill and his Veterans and Public Safety Committee. While we had a number of proponents, I want to share that it had no opponent testimony. No written, no in-person, no opponents, period. It is supported by the NRA and Buckeye Firearms, and it passed out of the committee unanimously, which means it has bipartisan support. I want to thank my aides, Emily Haar and Sean Rhodes, for their hard work to make sure we got this bill right. And I asking that we move beyond the Bonnie and Clyde B idea of what a suppressor is and remove it from the list of items that contain rocket launchers grenades and torpedoes Thank you Mr President for bringing this bill to the floor I ask my colleagues to be in support of Senate Bill 214

Antonio? Blackshear?

Blessing.

Brenner.

Chavez.

Serino.

Craig.

Catrona.

DeMora.

Gaviron.

Hicks-Hudson.

Huffman.

Ingram.

Johnson.

Koehler.

Landis.

Lange.

Liston.

Manchester.

Manning.

O'Brien.

Patton.

Reinecke.

Reynolds.

Rogner.

Romachuk.

Schaefer.

Smith.

Timken.

Wilkin.

Wilson.

will call the name Serino. Serino.

President McCauley.

With 31 yeas and 1 nay, the bill is passed and entitled. A bill to amend sections of the revised code to remove firearm mufflers and suppressors from classification of dangerous ordinance. The question is, shall the title be agreed to? Any member who would like to add their name to the title, please do so now. The title is agreed to. Bills for third consideration. Senate Bill 254, Senators Craig Wilson and others to amend a section of their revised code to change the designation to Ohio Deaf History Month to the month of April. The question is, shall the bill pass? The chair recognizes Senator Craig. Thank you.

The chair recognizes Senator Wilson. Thank you very much.

The chair recognizes Senator Craig if you'd like to speak now. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Senator Craig. The question is, shall the bill pass? Will the clerk please call the roll?

Yes.

Blessing, Brenner, Chavez, Serino, Craig, Catrona, DeMora, Gaviron, Hicks-Hudson, Huffman,

How about pursuant to the rule, the roll will remain open for members who have not yet voted. President McCauley.

With 31 yeas and 0 nays, the bill is passed and entitled.

The chair recognizes Senator Johnson. Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today to encourage my colleagues to vote yes on Senate Bill 302. which will create the Land of U.S. Grant license plate. Back in the 134th General Assembly, I introduced legislation which designated April 27th as Ulysses S. Grant Day for the state of Ohio, commemorating the birthday of this renowned Ohioan, Civil War hero, and 18th President of the United States. Throughout the process of passing and enacting this legislation, I was closely supported by the Land of U.S. Grant organization. This historical organization is dedicated to the preservation of U.S. Grant's childhood properties. The resources and historical information they provided for my office were invaluable. The land of U.S. Grant encompasses three main properties within my district. Those are Grant's birthplace, his boyhood home, and his schoolhouse in Georgetown, Ohio. Each of these locations offer an in-depth look at the early life of the future Civil War general and U.S. president. By creating the specialty license plate, we're not only supporting the lasting legacy of Ulysses S. Grant, but also contributing to the ongoing preservation efforts at these important historical sites. The funds accumulated through the license plate will go back toward the land of U.S. Grant, so they may continue to maintain these properties, as well as educate future generations of passionate Ohioans and Americans from all over. I would also like to thank Senator Patton and his staff for their swift passage. of this bill and the Transportation Committee. And, of course, my aides, Caleb Stutzman and Brandon Mull, and all the folks down there in Brown County that are lending their support and their prayers for the efforts here. I appreciate the time you've given me to speak on this legislation, Mr. President, and I urge a yes vote.

Antonio?

Blackshare?

Blessing?

Brenner?

Chavez?

Serino?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Johnson?

Kahler?

Landis.

Lang.

Liston.

Manchester.

Manning.

O'Brien.

Patton.

Reinecke.

Reynolds.

Rogner.

Romanchuk.

Schaefer.

Smith.

Timkin.

Wilkin.

Wilson.

Pursuing to the rule, the roll will remain open for members who have not yet voted. President McCauley.

With 31 yeas and 0 nays, the bill is passed and entitled.

Mr. Lange, I'm sorry, Mr. President, thank you for the opportunity to speak to Senate Bill 306, a measure that seeks to update Ohio's insurance statute. Every General Assembly, we have a similar bill since I've been here. This bill merely modernizes the code. We've worked with both the industry as well as the Ohio Department of Insurance, and they both are in full agreement with the changes recommended in this code. Some of the things this code does. E-signature. Senate Bill 306 clarifies that any signature requirement placed on an insurer may be accomplished electronically. This provision was drafted, as I mentioned, in consultant with the Ohio Department of Insurance. This bill adds a variety of consumer protections, prohibiting repair shops from holding vehicles from customers, including preventing a repair shop from making a consumer sign a contract that restricts equitable and statutory mechanisms to retrieve the vehicle. Towing update. This bill also revises the towing statute with necessary technical changes regarding actions brought in consultation with the towing industry. Special Purpose Financial Captives. Senate Bill 306 codifies existing permitted practice to promote transparency. This language was also written in consultation with the Ohio Department of Insurance, and I believe this portion will attract more of these special-purpose financial captives to relocate to Ohio. Unaffiliated agent license. This update added in today's sub-bill will allow an unaffiliated agent to sell, solicit, or negotiate variable life and variable unity products without a line of authority under the agent statute and was again written in consultation with the Ohio Department of Insurance. Continued updates to the assigned risk plan. Lastly, Senate Bill 306 provides continued updates to this assigned risk plan, including strengthened anti-fraud measures, codified provisions of the plan manually to strengthen compliance, and certification that fraud against a plan is a violation of the insurance fraud criminal statute. In Ohio we are fortunate to have a very robust and competitive insurance marketplace that is critical to our overall economic production and competitiveness Important to note, an amendment was adopted in committee that updates permitted investments for insurance companies in consultation with the ODI to keep pace with benchmark states. These changes contained within this bill will help ensure that Ohio remains a premier state for insurance, which will continue to yield benefits for both businesses and consumers and help ensure Ohio is the most business-friendly state in the nation. I would like to thank Senator Wilson and his staff for guiding the bill through the committee, where the bill was voted out unanimously. I would also like to thank the insurance industry, the Ohio Department of Insurance, and Joe Statton and my staff who helped bring this bill forward. Mr. President, thank you again, and I urge passes.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I rise in support of Senate Bill 306. Certainly this piece of legislation is standard and important updates to Ohio insurance statute. As Mike Guthrie and Senator Lane noted, this bill includes key provisions that will help ensure our insurance market remain competitive, benefiting both business and consumers across our great state. Just to cite, I know he had cited and noted several provisions of the bill, but just an additional provision with respect to towing companies, making sure that there were specific provisions in the bill so that it does not deleteriously impact consumers relative to towing companies. I respectfully urge adoption of this bill today and certainly urge support. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Antonio. Blackshear, Blessing, Brenner, Chavez, Serino, Craig, Cutrona, DeMora, Gavron, Hicks-Hudson, Huffman, Ingram, Johnson, Kaler, Landis, Lang, Liston.

Manchester.

Manning.

O'Brien.

Patton.

Reinecke.

Reynolds.

Rogner.

Romanchuk.

Schaefer.

Smith.

Timken.

Wilkin.

Wilson.

President McCauley.

With 32 yeas and 0 nays, the bill is passed and entitled. A bill to amend sections of the revised code regarding changes to the Ohio insurance laws and certain toad vehicles and repair shop activities. The question is, shall the title be agreed to? Any member who would like to add their name to the title, please do so now. The title is agreed to. Bills for third consideration. Senator Bill 318, Senator Katrona to amend sections of the revised code to authorize

Thank you, Senator Katrona. The question is, shall the bill pass? The chair recognizes Senator Ingram.

Thank you, Senator Ingram. The question is, shall the bill pass? Will the clerk please call the roll?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

The Senate will stand at ease. The question is, shall the bill pass? The chair recognizes Senator Serino.

Thank you, Senator Serino. The question is, shall the bill pass? The chair recognizes Senator Smith.

Thank you, Senator Smith. The question is, shall the bill pass? The chair recognizes Senator Patton.

Thank you, Senator Patton. The question is, shall the bill pass? Will the clerk please call the roll?

The chair recognizes Senator Lang for a motion.

The question is, shall the motion be agreed to without objection? The motion is agreed to.

The chair recognizes Senator Reinecke for the purpose of a motion that is not a motion to adjourn.

The question is, shall the motion to go on recess for a period of 15 minutes more or less be agreed to without objection? The motion is agreed to. The Senate is in recess. Steward to the recess, the Senate will come to order. The chair recognizes Senator Reineke for a motion.

The question is, shall the motion be agreed to without objection? The motion is agreed to.

The question is, shall the bill pass? The chair recognizes Senator Serino for an amendment.

Hold on, Senator.

Your amendment is in order, and you may proceed to describe the amendment.

Thank you, Senator Serino. The question is, shall the amendment be agreed to without objection? The amendment shall be agreed to. The chair recognizes Senator Serino for the purpose of an amendment.

Thank you, Senator Serino. The question is, shall the amendment be agreed to? Will the clerk please, do you want to speak to the amendment or do you want to proceed with the roll call? No. You know what? Thank you.

Thank you, Leader Antonio. The question is, shall the amendment be agreed to? Will the clerk please call the roll?

The question is, shall the amendment be agreed to? Thank you.

Blackshear?

Blessing?

Brenner?

Chavez?

Serino?

Craig?

Catrona?

DeMora?

Gavron?

Hicks-Hudson?

Huffman?

Ingram?

Johnson. Yes. Kaler. Yes. Landis. Yes. Lang. Yes. Liston. No. Manchester. Yes. Manning. Yes. O'Brien. Yes. Patton. Yes. Reinecke. Yes. Reynolds. Yes. Rogner. Yes. Romachuk. Yes. Schaefer. Yes. Smith. Yes. Timken.

Wilkin.

Wilson.

President McCauley.

With 23 yays and 8 nays, the amendment shall become part of the bill.

Antonio?

Blackshear?

Blessing?

Brenner?

Chavez?

Serino?

Craig?

Catrona?

DeMora?

Gavron?

Hicks-Hudson?

Huffman Ingram Johnson Kaler Landis Lang Liston Manchester Manning O'Brien Patton Reinecke.

Reynolds.

Brogner. Rummichuk.

Schaefer.

Smith.

Timken.

Wilkin.

Wilson.

President McCauley.

With 24 yeas and 7 nays, The bill is passed and entitled. The question is, shall the title be agreed to? Any member would like to add their name to the title, please do so now. The title is agreed to. Announcement of committee meetings.

Thank you, Mr. President. Armed Services will meet in the South Hearing Room in 10 minutes.

Small Business and Economic Opportunity will meet in about 10 minutes in the grant hearing room.

Thank you, Mr. President. Sunset Review will meet in about 10 minutes, and we are going to begin with the consent of the vice chair from the House will begin without them because they're still meeting.

Mr. President, I move that the Senate, having completed its business, adjourn until Thursday, March 26th at 9.30 a.m.