2025 OH Legislative Scorecard

SB33 allows employers in Ohio to post certain mandatory labor-law notices online instead of displaying physical posters in the workplace. Before this bill, employers had to place labor-law notices (such as those about workers' rights and safety) in a conspicuous location at work; under SB 33, they can make them accessible electronically on the internet to their employees.

The Ohio State House of Representatives passed SB33 on April 2, 2025 by a vote of 75 to 20. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because government mandates requiring businesses to display labor-law posters interfere with private-property rights protected by the Bill of Rights and freedom of contract. Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution protects the obligation of contracts, and employers and employees should be free to negotiate terms without excessive regulatory intrusion. Labor regulations that burden lawful enterprise undermine the free market and impose unnecessary costs and burdens.

SB50 changes Ohio's child-labor rules by altering age and schooling certificate requirements and extending allowable work hours for minors under 16—particularly allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. during the school year with parental consent rather than being limited to earlier hours.

The Ohio State House of Representatives passed SB50 on November 5, 2025 by a vote of 62 to 30. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because this bill restores reasonable flexibility for families by allowing parents—not government regulators—to determine whether their 14- or 15-year-old children may work extended evening hours. When employment is voluntary, the state should not impose unnecessary restrictions that interfere with a young person's opportunity to gain experience, develop responsibility, and earn income. Parents have the primary authority over the upbringing and supervision of their children, and that authority is protected by longstanding constitutional principles of due process and freedom of association, which are retained under the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

HB21 would have defined and protected healthcare sharing ministries (HCSMs) in Ohio law—clarifying that these faith-based health-cost-sharing organizations are not considered insurance and are not subject to state insurance regulations.

The Ohio State House of Representatives passed HB21 on November 12, 2025 by a vote of 65 to 31. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because HCSMs are voluntary, faith-based associations protected by the First Amendment's guarantees of religious liberty and freedom of association. These organizations operate through private agreements among members who share medical expenses according to shared religious beliefs—not through state-mandated insurance schemes. Healthcare is not a legitimate responsibility of government, and lawmakers should not burden religious cost-sharing arrangements with regulations designed for commercial insurance corporations. By clarifying that HCSMs are distinct from insurance and shielding them from inappropriate oversight, HB21 protects religious freedom, respects private contracts, and allows individuals to pursue healthcare solutions without government interference.

HB134 would have created a "microenterprise home kitchen operation" registration program, allowing Ohio residents to legally prepare and sell certain homemade foods from their own home kitchens without needing a full commercial food-processing license. It sets up registration, food-safety training, inspection standards, and limits (such as a gross receipts cap for certain products) to help small food entrepreneurs operate safely while protecting consumers.

The Ohio State House of Representatives passed HB134 on November 19, 2025 by a vote of 88 to 2. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because this bill reduces government interference in voluntary exchange and lawful commerce. By lowering regulatory barriers, it empowers individuals to produce and sell directly to willing consumers without being forced into burdensome commercial licensing schemes designed for large-scale operations. Government's proper role is to protect God-given rights, not micromanage peaceful enterprise. Excessive interference in entrepreneurship undermines the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

HB303 would have established a statewide "Community Energy Program" to encourage development of local energy-generation projects—including solar, biomass, natural gas, and other small-scale facilities — and allow residents and businesses to subscribe to. The bill amends and adds sections to the Ohio Revised Code to set up the program's structure, define how electricity is measured, and let the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio regulate participating community energy facilities.

The Ohio State House of Representatives passed HB303 on November 19, 2025 by a vote of 77 to 8. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill, despite its free-market rhetoric, expands government control over energy production and distribution. By creating a new state-designed program, defining eligible energy sources, and empowering regulators to oversee and shape participation, HB303 moves electricity generation further under centralized oversight rather than leaving it to voluntary market competition. Such state-directed energy planning embraces the United Nations' Agenda 2030, invites regulatory favoritism, distorts price signals, and concentrates greater authority in unelected bureaucracies—undermining property rights and a truly free, competitive energy market.