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Fellow Ohioans, It is an honor to serve as your State Representative for Summit County. Over the past several months, we’ve hit the ground running with committee sessions, budget hearings, and legislative action. These early months of the General Assembly are critical in setting the direction for Ohio’s future, and I want to keep you informed on the progress we are making. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office. We are always here to assist you. Sincerely, Bill Roemer State Representative District 31

Legislation

House Bill 210 - Catalytic Converter Legislation

I'm pleased to announce that House Bill 210 – legislation that works to control and prevent issues with catalytic converters being stolen, passed the Ohio House and awaits consideration in the senate. 

This legislation would enhance penalties for theft when the stolen property is a catalytic converter, enhance penalties for receiving stolen property when the property is a catalytic converter, and require scrap metal dealers to comply with recordkeeping and reporting requirements, amongst other changes.

House Bill 96 - The State Operating Budget

I recently voted in support of Am. Sub. House Bill 96 –the State Operating Budget. The budget plan, which allocates funding for state programs and operations for the next two years, includes provisions that aim to protect freedom, family and fiscal responsibility – implementing a flat tax rate and providing a record amount of state funding for school districts.

A STRONGER ECONOMY WITH A FLAT TAX Republicans in the legislature have continued to phase down the state income tax in recent years, providing savings for Ohioans. The new budget plan takes the top tax bracket down from 3.5% to 3.125% in tax year 2025 and down to 2.75% in tax year 2026, and into the future. The move to a flat tax makes Ohio more competitive with surrounding states, simplifies the tax code, and spurs revenue.

BOOSTING FUNDING FOR OHIO SCHOOLS  The budget prioritizes the education and well-being of Ohio students, ensuring that school districts are funded through the final phase of the Cupp-Patterson funding model. Ohio public schools will receive nearly $700 million more for public education over the biennium than they received in FY25.

REVITALIZING LOCAL COMMUNITIES  House Bill 96 continues to invest in various state initiatives that help solidify Ohio as the best place in the nation to live, work, raise a family and start a business. The bill increases funding for Brownfield Remediation, provides funding to help with blight, continued investments for the All Ohio Future Fund, further expands the Welcome Home Ohio program, and helps address the housing shortage across the state through two new targeted initiatives designed to incentivize additional single family home construction.

SUPPORTING OHIO FAMILIES  To help families who need assistance paying for child care, the budget establishes the Child Care Choice program, providing $100 million for eligible families, helping more Ohioans cover the cost of needed child care services. The bill also increases funding for the Help Me Grow program, which is a system of supports for pregnant women, caregivers with new babies, and families with young children with developmental delays and disabilities.

BACKING THE BLUE This budget invests in supporting law enforcement and promoting public safety by providing $65 million over the biennium for local law enforcement training, $21 million over the biennium to support local costs of the MARCS program, which helps equip first responders to better respond to emergency situations and $27 million over the biennium for the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center. Additionally, the budget includes $8 million to provide grants to small county volunteer fire departments.

House Bill 96 was signed by the Governor on June 30^th.

House Bill 23 -The Escaped Convict Alert Program (ECAP) 

Representative Josh Williams and I recently announced the passage of legislation to create an alert program to increase public safety when a convict escapes from custody.

The Escaped Convict Alert Program (ECAP) would be used to alert the public to an incarcerated felon that has escaped from a jail, workhouse or correctional institution. Local law enforcement will be the controlling agency that would activate the ECAP once they are informed of the escape. 

The legislation will also provide the following:

• Allows for local or regional adaptations of the alert system, ensuring flexibility for jurisdictions with existing programs;
• Grants liability protections to broadcasters and systems that participate in good faith, regardless of whether an alert is ultimately broadcast, and
• Clarifies that ECAP does not permit use of the federal Emergency Alert System unless expressly allowed by federal law.

House Bill 23 will now head to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.

House Bill 335 Press Conference

In early June I held a press conference on House Bill 335, a property tax bill that Representative David Thomas and I have been tirelessly working on. 

You can watch the full press conference by clicking the button below. 

Constituency 

Ohio Aging Caucus

I recently joined the Ohio Aging Caucus, continuing my focus on issues that matter to Ohio’s seniors. In 2022, I passed the PACE Act, giving older adults more options to get the care they need while staying in their homes. That same year, I was honored by the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging for my work on behalf of seniors.  More recently, I attended a town hall on aging and voiced support for expanding the homestead exemption to help seniors stay in their homes longer. Joining the caucus is a natural extension of MY commitment to making Ohio a better place to age.

Property Tax Townhall Meeting

Representative Thomas and I were invited by Representative Jodi Salvo to speak with a group of school superintendents and treasurers from Tuscarawas and Stark Counties. The meeting included leaders from both the Kishman and Salvo districts. Since I have already met individually with nearly every superintendent in our Summit County District, I took the opportunity to support Representative Salvo by helping to address their concerns and alleviate some of the pressure. We spoke about inside/outside(or voted) millage, the 20-mil floor and property assessments as well as pending legislation before the House Ways and Means Committee.

House Ways and Means Committee Update

Since the start of the 136th General Assembly, the Ways and Means Committee has been committed to working on legislation that matters most to Ohioans. 

Stats:

• Number of Committee Meetings: 19
• Number of Committee Meeting Hours: Over 23
• Number of Bills heard: 28
• Number of Bills passed: 6

Thank you for your continued trust and support as we work together to make Ohio a better place for all. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office with any questions or concerns.