In the previous two-year session, a politically divided government set a modern record for legislative inactivity, passing just 58 bills. This session, with an aggressive agenda from Gov. John Kasich’s office and now-solid GOP majorities in the House and Senate, the legislature so far has passed about 150 bills.
There was serious partisan fighting over issues including collective bargaining, election laws and the drawing of new legislative and congressional districts. But Senate President Tom Niehaus highlights that 80 percent of the nearly 200 bills that passed his chamber got at least one Democratic vote. The Senate has 23 Republicans and 10 Democrats.
The House, which has 59 Republicans and 40 Democrats, passed 65 House-sponsored bills since March, 75 percent with 15 or fewer “no” votes.
“We’ve seen Democrats and Republicans standing together on landmark reforms, from the education plan brought to us by the Democratic mayor of Cleveland to the pension reform bills,” said Niehaus, R-New Richmond.
However, Democrats do not equate voting for some legislation with bipartisanship.
“Democrats generally have not been permitted an opportunity to meaningfully participate in the process of crafting major pieces of legislation, and Democrats’ suggestions have generally been ignored,” said House Minority Leader Armond Budish, D-Beachwood.
The past three months have seen a bevy of bills pass, affecting a wide variety of Ohioans. To learn how, and to read more of this story, click here.
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