Terra Goodnight · February 27, 2024

Statehouse Preview for Feb 26, 2024: Guns and abortion back on statehouse agenda

This week at the Statehouse, the Senate is preparing to vote on a measure (SB215) to block campaign contributions to statewide ballot campaigns by foreign interests. The bill is up for two committee hearings Tuesday and Wednesday, setting it up for a vote of the full Senate as early as Wednesday afternoon.

Another Senate committee is hearing a bill (SB159) this week to create state tax credits for voluntary donations to crisis pregnancy centers, anti-abortion advocacy organizations masquerading as clinics. 

Also happening this week: a GOP-sponsored bill (SB148) to prohibit credit card companies from tracking firearm purchases. Separately last week, House Democrats introduced a package of legislation to limit gun violence. See “New Legislation This Week”, below, for more on these proposals.

A full run down of the bills and hearings we are watching this week follows.

New Legislation This Week

We will be keeping an eye on the following bills, introduced in the last three weeks at the Statehouse:

House Bill 398 (Miranda, Abdullahi) – Salaries – to prohibit employers from seeking a prospective employee’s wage or salary history.

House Bill 400 (Callender, Sweeney) – Medicare – to provide Medigap policies for Medicare-eligible individuals under the age of 65.

House Bill 417 (Grim, Abdullahi) – Domestic Violence – to enact the Keeping Our Survivors Safe Act to prohibit a person who is charged with or has been convicted of first degree misdemeanor domestic violence from possessing a firearm or dangerous ordnance.

House Bill 418 (Brown, Isaacsohn) – Concealed Carry – regards a concealed handgun licensee’s duty to carry the license and notify a law enforcement officer if the licensee is carrying a concealed handgun and the rights of a qualifying adult to carry a concealed handgun in the same manner as if the person was a licensee, and to rename concealed handgun licenses as basic competency licenses.

House Bill 419 (Robinson, Isaacsohn) – Firearm Transfers – to require a firearm transfer to be made through a dealer, through a law enforcement agency, or pursuant to a specified exception, and to require a background check when a firearm is transferred.

House Bill 421 (Brewer) – State Task Force – to establish the Ohio Task Force on Gun Violence.

House Bill 427 (Jarrells, Lipps) – Minimum Wage – to phase out the subminimum wage for individuals with physical or mental disabilities and to name this act the Ohio Employment First and Greater Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Act.

You can always view the full list of the bills we are monitoring here.

Statehouse Meetings & Events

Tuesday

11:00am – Senate Small Business & Economic Opportunity – 2nd hearing (proponent) on SB198 (Inmates). Senate South Hearing Room or watch online.

2:15pm – Senate Finance – 2nd hearing (proponent) on SB159 (Pregnancy Resource Centers). Senate Finance Hearing Room or watch online. 

3:00pm – Senate General Government – 2nd hearing (all testimony) on SB215 (Ballot Issue Campaigns). Senate North Hearing Room or watch online. 

4:00pm – Senate Veterans & Public Safety – 4th hearing (all testimony & vote) on SB148 (Firearms Purchases). Senate Finance Hearing Room or watch online. 

Wednesday

10:00am – Senate General Government – 3rd hearing (possible amendments and vote) on SB215 (Ballot Issue Campaigns). Senate North Hearing Room or watch online. 

1:30pm – Senate Session – agenda TBD – webcast

Because schedules change, every weekday morning activities are planned at the Statehouse, we post an update on Twitter. Follow the #OHLeg hashtag for more updates.

Full House Committee Schedule
Full Senate Committee Schedule
Full Ohio Channel Broadcast Schedule

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