State passes budget bill, Portage legislators vote with party

Ohio now has its fiscal year 2026-2027 operating budget, which Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law on July 1. Area representatives in the state House and Senate cast their votes along party lines, with not a single Democrat supporting it in either chamber. 

State Rep. Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Twp.), Rep. Heidi Workman (R-Rootstown) and Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) voted in favor of House Bill 96. 

Demetriou and Workman issued similar news releases that touted changes they said should provide tax relief for Ohioans while funding state operations for the next two years.

“With this budget, we delivered what the voters asked for,” Demetriou said in a prepared statement. “We have successfully balanced increased funding for education while providing much needed property tax relief for our taxpayers in addition to increasing government accountability and protections for children online.”

The bill included a provision that would’ve required county budget commissions to reduce rates of school district levies if the district had a carry-over balance greater than 40% of its general expenses in the prior year. It was expected to save Ohioans more than $2.5 billion in property taxes, based on data from 2024.

“We are dedicated to easing the property tax burden and ensuring sustainable school funding for Portage County,” Workman said in a prepared statement in late June. “I’m proud of the relief this budget delivers to families and homeowners, but there is more work to do. This budget is just the beginning of our continued efforts to address these issues.”

However, it was among several items vetoed by DeWine. 

“While the intention to save taxpayer dollars is understandable, this item would significantly limit the amount of funding that school districts can carry over year-to-year, resulting in more districts asking taxpayers to pass levies more often, which could very well exacerbate property tax increases instead of reducing them,” he wrote in his veto explanation. 

The Republican-led legislature’s flat income tax provision was upheld. It will reduce the tax for anyone earning more than $100,000 from 3.5% to 3.1235% in 2025 and then to 2.75% in 2026. 

Bills brought forth (from June 4 to June 29)  

U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes introduced two bills in early June, both of which were referred to committees.

Sykes’ Closing Bribery Loopholes Act is part of a joint legislative effort aimed at ending corruption and restoring public trust in government. It would expand the definition of an “official act” by public officials, which currently includes legislative actions like casting votes, to include any action, such as hosting a promotional event on public property, done in their official capacity.

She also introduced the Support for Quantum Supply Chains Act, which would amend the National Quantum Initiative Act. The amendments would promote partnerships with public and private entities to accelerate the development of domestic technologies and components needed for quantum computing, among other changes aimed at supporting the industry.

Roegner was the primary sponsor of two bills in June related to health and human services. She proposed that child care providers certified by a branch of the U.S. armed forces be exempt from state licensing in Senate Bill 218, which was referred to the Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee.

Roegner also proposed spending $5 million to audit the Aged, Blind, or Disabled Medicaid

eligibility group with Senate Bill 222. After the audit, the Department of Medicaid would “initiate a corrective action plan, designed to reduce spending in the Medicaid program for individuals in the aged, blind, and disabled eligibility group by $2.4 billion during the biennium,” according to the bill, which was referred to the Finance Committee.

Demetriou, Workman and U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Bainbridge Township) were not the primary sponsors of any bills introduced in June.

How they’ve voted

Demetriou voted for and announced the passage of his Ohio Blockchain Basics Act. It passed the House on June 18 and was referred to the Financial Institutions, Insurance and Technology Committee in the Senate. 

The bill would prevent local governments from charging taxes or fees for a person’s digital currency payments and would exempt transactions less than $200 from the capital gains tax. It also prohibits local rezoning of industrial areas to ban digital asset mining without public notice and input. 

“Blockchain is a newly evolving technology and it’s important to create some regulatory guidelines while at the same time keeping the laws open for innovation,” Demetriou said in a prepared statement.

Workman cast one of 70 votes in favor of the predominantly Republican-supported act.

In the Ohio Senate, Roegner voted for and announced the passage of her bill that would prohibit public officials from obstructing immigration-related arrests and providing other protections from enforcement action. It was introduced in the House on June 23 and had not been moved to a committee by mid-July.

“The United States is a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of law and order. To have a civilized society, laws must be respected, this includes immigration laws,” she said in a prepared statement.

Sykes’ votes included a “no” on the U.S. House’s final vote on the federal spending bill or the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. She has criticized the bill, which passed on July 3 in a 218-212 vote with all Democrats opposed and all but two Republicans in favor, for health care and food assistance cuts. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on July 4.

Among the bills Sykes supported was the Communications Security Act directing the Federal Communications Commission to create a council for making recommendations related to security, reliability and other matters for communications networks. She also voted for 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.

Joyce voted in favor of the federal spending bill and praised it as a “historic investment” in the nation’s economy and security.

“It prevents a devastating tax hike on American families, supports small businesses, boosts economic growth by making critical TCJA (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) tax provisions permanent, and increases border security resources to assist our frontline law enforcement agents and combat fentanyl trafficking,” he said in a prepared statement. “While this bill is not perfect, it is a crucial step in moving our country forward after four years of high prices and failed policies. I am committed to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress, on both sides of the aisle, and President Trump to safeguard critical federal programs, protect access to rural healthcare, and deliver tangible results for our constituents.”

He also supported the Consumer Safety Technology Act — the bill from the House regarding the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s exploration of AI and other technology — and a resolution condemning the attacks on Minnesota lawmakers.

Community work

Area representatives made several public appearances in June.

Workman’s public appearances included the Portage County Sheriff’s Office’s youth fishing derby, a tour of the new visitor’s center being built at Portage Lakes State Park and local government meetings where she provided updates on work at the Statehouse.   

Joyce welcomed attendees of the Northeast Ohio Elected Officials Conference to Washington in early June. The event was hosted by the Greater Cleveland Partnership, a nonprofit economic development organization.

“Working with these individuals is a critical part of my job, and I look forward to continuing our collaboration,” Joyce stated on X. 

He also spoke to the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber during the group’s Washington, D.C. Fly-In. Joyce “discussed bringing federal dollars back to the district, as well as setting up the region for continued economic growth” with business and community leaders from the Mahoning Valley, according to his post on X. 

Roegner gave a keynote speech at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and Chamber Professionals of Ohio’s annual Chamber Day event in Columbus. She also joined state Sen. Jane Timken and spoke at an Americans for Prosperity event in Massillon, calling it a “great conversation” on X. 

Sykes hosted a ceremony for the renaming of Wolf Ledges Parkway Post Office in Akron to the “James R. Williams Post Office” to honor the late judge. She introduced the legislation to rename the post office late last year, and President Joe Biden signed it into law in January.  

She also attended the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation Middlebury Festival and the annual StarkPRIDE festival in Canton. 

Sharing stances on social media

Area lawmakers expressed their concern and condolences after the June 14 killings of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and the shooting of Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.

Vance L. Boelter, of Minnesota, was later arrested and charged in connection to the politically-motivated attacks. 

“A gunman, impersonating a police officer, deliberately lured public servants to their own doorstep and opened fire,” Alvin M. Winston Sr., the FBI’s special agent in charge of the Minneapolis Field Office, said in a news release. “A Minnesota lawmaker and her spouse were murdered in cold blood, and others wounded, simply for serving as elected officials.”

Sykes was informed by U.S. Capital Police that her name was found among Boelter’s notes. In a statement three days after the killings, she called for an end to “vitriolic rhetoric” in politics. 

“Senseless violence claimed the lives of Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and left Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in critical care,” she said. “My heart breaks for their families, friends, and communities impacted by this tragedy. I commend the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies for apprehending the suspect.

Joyce issued a statement via X and Facebook expressing his thoughts.

“I am sickened by the news coming out of Minnesota this morning, and Kelly and I are praying for all those affected,” he wrote. “Actions like these only divide our nation. We must come together as a country and condemn the continued rise in targeted violence against lawmakers.”