Legislative update: House Republicans vote to override one of DeWine’s property tax vetoes

Ohio House Reps. Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Twp.) and Heidi Workman (R-Rootstown) recently voted with the Republican majority to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of a property tax provision in the state budget.

It’s one of three vetoes related to property taxes that Republicans are seeking to overturn, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. After the 61-28 House vote on July 21, the matter was sent to the Senate.

“We have real cases where property values have increased 117% in this district and seniors with cardiac difficulties sacrifice the purchase of medications in order to keep their homes … and many more are being displaced,” Workman shared on X. “This is unacceptable.” 

If senators also support the override, then taxing entities like local governments would be prohibited from seeking replacement levies. School districts would have additional levy restrictions, such as emergency levies.  

Replacement levies can replace an expiring levy with the same or higher tax rate, and emergency levies expire after a certain number of years. 

Republicans have contended that replacement or emergency levies are not properly understood by voters and often increase taxes, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. Democrats, however, have said it will not provide tax relief and is the result of decreased state support of local communities and services.

Bills brought forth (from June 29 to July 29)

Demetriou partnered with Rep. Tex Fischer (R-Boardman) to introduce the Ohio Right to Compute Act. It’s the first time since March that Demetriou has been the primary sponsor of a bill.

The bill, which was introduced on July 7, would limit additional regulation of computational systems and also require risk management policies for critical infrastructure controlled by artificial intelligence. It had not been referred to a committee, which is the next step in the legislative process, by mid-August.

House Bill 391, which Workman sponsored with Rep. Jack K. Daniels (R-New Franklin), would require tax bills and ballot measures to express tax rates as a percentage of true value in addition to mills. It was introduced on July 1 and had not been referred to a committee by mid-August.

U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes sponsored three bills — the Get Your Money Back Act, the HOMES Act, and an amendment to the Internal Revenue Code. All three were introduced to the House Committee on Ways and Means. 

The first act would require the treasury secretary to continue the free, direct-file tax return system established by the Internal Revenue Service. The HOMES act, which stands for Houses Over Middle-Class Exploitation Schemes, would amend the tax code to remove interest and depreciation deductions for those who own 50 or more single-family properties. The other amendment would provide a tax deduction for overtime compensation.

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Bainbridge Township) and state Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) were not the primary sponsor of any bills in July.

How they’ve voted

Sykes and Joyce cast their votes for several acts on the national level throughout the past month.  

They both supported the Communications Security Act, which directs the Federal Communications Commission to create a council for making recommendations related to security, reliability and other matters for communications networks. Sykes and Joyce also voted in favor of the Consumer Safety Technology Act that would order the Consumer Product Safety Commission to explore potential uses for artificial intelligence and blockchain technology in pursuit of its consumer protection work. 

Both bills passed the House in July and were sent to the Senate.

Sykes opposed the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 that passed the House on July 17 and was sent to the Senate. The bill would direct the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission to establish clear regulations for digital assets, such as cryptocurrency, and commodities.

She also voted against Department of Defense appropriations for fiscal year 2026. In a prepared statement, she cited the bill’s instruction to the department to find $7.75 billion in cuts.

“The FY2026 Defense Appropriations Bill is the latest example of the majority attempting to manipulate our budget process to cut taxes for the richest people in our country – and this time they want to sell out military readiness and the welfare of our troops,” Sykes said. “This bill is too extreme – I could not in good conscience vote for a bill that puts our servicemembers in harm’s way.” 

Joyce voted in favor of the Clarity Act and defense appropriations. 

“As a member of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, I am proud to see this legislation pass the House,” he said in a prepared statement. “With threats growing across the world, we must continue to invest in our troops and military capabilities. This bill modernizes our military, deters our adversaries, and enhances the well-being of our servicemembers and their families.”

Joyce highlighted a 3.8% increase in basic pay for military personnel next year and a $1.15 billion allocation for counter drug programs, among other research and defense appropriations. 

Committees

Joyce, who is chairman of the subcommittee on financial services and general government, led the subcommittee markup for the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill in late July. He is the primary author of the bill that funds financial services and general government.

“The Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) bill covers a broad swath of the federal government – including the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President, the Federal Judiciary, and more than 20 independent Commissions, Departments, and Agencies,” Joyce said in a prepared statement. “In drafting the Fiscal Year 2026 bill, I focused on three priorities: ensuring fiscal responsibility, leveraging new technology, and strengthening national security.”

The bill would allocate about $23.3 billion in discretionary spending, roughly $410 million less than in fiscal year 2025.  

Roegner, in a late July newsletter, provided an update on her work as chairwoman of the General Government Committee and the Higher Education Committee.

The Higher Education Committee held hearings on the state’s operating budget as it related to education and the Adjunct General’s Department, which oversees the Ohio Army National Guard, the Ohio Air National Guard and the State Defense Force.

Roegner reported that the General Government Committee held hearings on several bills and advanced Senate Bill 63, which would prohibit the use of rank choice voting; Senate Bill 86, which would regulate and tax “intoxicating hemp” and drinkable cannabinoid products; and Senate Bill 4, which would establish an Election Integrity Unit. 

“We also adopted my Senate Resolution 68, which urges the relocation of NASA’s headquarters to Ohio, as its current lease in Washington, D.C. is set to expire next year,” she wrote. “This is the perfect time to consider a new home for NASA, and we have formally sent our resolution to the White House for consideration. Ohio is a natural fit — we are the birthplace of aviation and have a proud legacy in both flight and space exploration.”

Community work

In early August, Joyce toured the Portage County Veterans Service Commission’s new building at 466 S. Chestnut St. and the T.J. Davies Company Inc. in Mantua to commemorate its 60th anniversary. 

Workman presented a commendation to Avit Flight Academy during the grand opening of its new location on July 31 at the Portage County Airport. 

“It was an honor to present a commendation and help welcome this exciting addition to our community,” she wrote on Facebook. “Avit is opening doors for future pilots and bringing opportunity and innovation to Portage County.”

Sharing stances on social media

Sykes fired back at statements made by Vice President JD Vance during a visit to Canton-based steel manufacturer Metallus. During the July 28 visit, he called out Sykes for not supporting President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and described Akron, Canton and Columbus as without laws.

“How many of you all have wanted to go to downtown Akron, or downtown Canton, or downtown Columbus for a meal, but you’re worried because the local authorities in these big cities have allowed lawlessness to run wild?” he said, according to News 5 Cleveland.

Sykes responded with multiple posts on X, saying Trump’s bill will lead to “job loss, higher costs, while adding trillions to our national debt.” She also shared that she lives in downtown Akron and loves her community.

“Instead of tearing us down, help us build up great American cities like Akron and Canton,” Sykes said. “We have the potential, grit, and the people to make it happen.” 

Workman and Demetriou highlighted efforts to eliminate the E-Check requirement on their Facebook pages, sharing their support for the end of vehicle emissions testing in Northeast Ohio. 

“I’ve heard from so many of you about the frustration with E-Check—and I agree it’s time for a change,” Workman stated. “That’s why I was proud to co-sponsor legislation and secure an amendment in the state operating budget that puts us one step closer to ending this outdated program in Northeast Ohio. This common-sense reform reduces unnecessary burdens on drivers while still protecting the quality of our air. Now, we’re urging the U.S. EPA to do their part.”

Demetriou shared a Cleveland.com article about Sen. Jon Husted criticizing the testing during a Senate confirmation hearing for Katherine Scarlett, Trump’s nominee to chair the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

“This is an issue I’ve worked on in the Statehouse, and it’s encouraging to see growing support for commonsense reform,” Demetriou wrote. “Ohioans deserve better than outdated mandates and wasted taxpayer dollars.”