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SB4 ESTABLISH ELECTION INTEGRITY UNIT (GAVARONE T) To establish the Election Integrity Unit in the Office of the Secretary of State and to modify the law governing the prosecution of Election Law violations.
Comments: These cases should be investigated and prosecuted locally. Referrals from the current election integrity unit are often weak and lack investigation. Twelve month period for the prosecutor to proceed on a referral is inadequate for this reason. Attorney General should not be a forum for reviewing prosecutor charging decisions.
Position: Oppose
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-4

SB5 EXPEDITE REMOVAL-UNAUTHORIZED RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANTS (BRENNER A, HUFFMAN S) To provide for the expedited removal of unauthorized occupants from residential property and to prohibit the use and sale of fraudulent deeds.
Comments: Concerned that the legislation requires the sheriff to "verify" that the complainant is "the record owner" and is otherwise "entitled to relief." This is likely to fall to prosecutor as legal counsel for the sheriff. Also concerned that the legislation creates liability for the county for wrongful removal.
Position: Oppose
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-5

SB26 CREATE JOINT LAW ENFORCEMENT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (JOHNSON T) To create the Joint Law Enforcement Oversight Committee and to make an appropriation.
Position: Monitor
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-26

SB53 REGARDING CIVIL ACTIONS-VANDALISM, RIOTS (SCHAFFER T) Regarding civil actions by persons who suffer injury or loss due to vandalism or riot activity.
Position: Oppose
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-53

SB55 CHANGE OVI LAWS-MARIHUANA (MANNING N) To change the laws pertaining to operating a vehicle or watercraft while under the influence of marihuana and the admissibility of evidence for purposes of OVI statutes.
Position: Monitor
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-55

SB56 MARIJUANA-REVISE LAWS, LEVY TAXES (HUFFMAN S) To consolidate the administration of the marijuana control program and to revise the medical and adult-use marijuana laws.
Comments: Record expungement provision is not necessary. Duplicates current law.
Position: Amend
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-56


SB62 SCHOOL BUS SAFETY-PENALTIES, MONTH DESIGNATION (GAVARONE T) To authorize a civil penalty system related to drivers who illegally pass a school bus but cannot be identified, to designate the month of August as "School Bus Safety Awareness Month," and to designate this act as the School Bus Safety Act.
Comments: Generally supportive of increasing penalties for illegally passing a school bus and allowing school bus camera evidence to corroborate a report of illegally passing a school bus. Concerned with the civil penalty system in this bill.
Position: Amend
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-62

SB64 INCREASE PENALTIES-ANIMAL CRUELTY (CUTRONA A) To increase the penalties for violating companion animal cruelty offenses and to prohibit a felony animal abuse offender from owning a companion animal in certain circumstances.
Comments: Penalties in the bill are too high. Support prohibition on companion animal ownership.
Position: Oppose
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-64

SB82 DESIGNATE ELECTIONS OFFICIALS-PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS (DEMORA B, GAVARONE T) To specify that certain election officials are designated public service workers for purposes of the public records law.
Position: Monitor
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-82

SB86 REGULATE HEMP, CANNABINOID PRODUCTS (HUFFMAN S, WILKIN S) To generally prohibit the sale of intoxicating hemp products, except for sales at licensed dispensaries; to regulate drinkable cannabinoid products, and to levy taxes on drinkable cannabinoid products and other intoxicating hemp products that may be sold.
Position: Support
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-86

SB87 DEFINE ANTI-SEMITISM-INVESTIGATIONS (JOHNSON T) To define anti-Semitism for the purpose of investigations and proceedings by state agencies and to expand the offense of ethnic intimidation to include the offenses of riot and aggravated riot committed by reason of the race, color, religion, or national origin of another person or group of persons.
Position: Monitor
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-87

SB88 OHIO PROPERTY PROTECTION ACT (JOHNSON T) To modify the law that prohibits certain governments, businesses, and individuals from acquiring certain real property and to name this act the Ohio Property Protection Act.
Comments: Sheriffs and prosecutors do not have the resources to handle this at the local level. Should be handled by the attorney general.
Position: Amend
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-88

SB114 PROHIBIT LAW ENFORCEMENT QUOTAS (PATTON T) To prohibit law enforcement agencies from using quotas for arrests and citations.
Position: Monitor
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-114

SB124 PENALTIES-TRANSIT SYSTEMS (CRAIG H, PATTON T) To increase the penalty for assault when the victim is an operator of an Ohio transit system bus or rail car; to authorize Ohio transit systems to post a sign regarding abuse or assault of staff; and to increase the penalty for evading payment of the known fares of a public transportation system.
Position: Undetermined
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-124

SB133 ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY, COURT CHANGES (ANTONIO N, HUFFMAN S) To abolish the death penalty and to modify the number of jurors that may be challenged in cases where a defendant may be sentenced to life imprisonment.
Position: Oppose
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-133

SB134 ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY, PROHIBIT LETHAL INJECTION DRUGS (ANTONIO N, HUFFMAN S) To abolish the death penalty, to modify the number of jurors that may be challenged in cases where a defendant may be sentenced to life imprisonment, and to prohibit public funding for the use of lethal injection drugs in nontherapeutic abortions, assisting suicide, and executing a death sentence.
Position: Oppose
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-134

SB138 MODIFY ADAMH SERVICES LAWS (JOHNSON T) To modify various laws regarding boards of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services and to impose penalties for not registering recovery housing residences.
Position: Amend
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-138

SB143 PROHIBIT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND QUESTIONS-EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS (CRAIG H, BLESSING III L) To prohibit private employers from including on an employment application any question concerning the criminal background of the applicant.
Position: Undetermined
State Bill Page: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA136-SB-143