Ohio state legislature overrides governor’s property tax vetoes in special session
The Ohio state legislature recently held a special session in which both the Ohio Senate and House voted to override several property tax-related vetoes issued by Governor Mike DeWine. Earlier this year,DeWine had exercised 67 line-item vetoes on the state’s $60 billion budget,including measures concerning property tax levies. The legislature’s override specifically removed the local authority to place replacement and some emergency tax levies on election ballots, effectively preventing school districts and political subdivisions from levying replacement taxes.
Republican lawmakers argued that the change would simplify ballot language, making it clearer for voters to understand tax-related questions without confusing terms like “replacement” or “emergency” levies. However, both Governor DeWine and school districts expressed concerns about the potential loss of significant funding sources for education. The overrides passed by narrow margins amid some Democratic opposition, with Democrats criticizing the Republican majority for reduced state investment in local communities, which they say forces schools to either cut services or raise property taxes.
Even though lawmakers planned to override three vetoes, only one was overturned during the special session, with the possibility of revisiting the others in the regular legislative session.
Ohio state legislature overrides governor’s property tax vetoes in special session
The Ohio Senate joined the Ohio House on Wednesday in overriding Gov. Mike DeWine‘s (R-OH) veto on several property tax measures.
DeWine made 67 line-item vetoes in the state’s $60 billion budget bill earlier this year.
In a special session, the state legislature successfully overrode his veto on property tax levy restrictions. It removed the local authority to put replacement tax levies and some emergency levies on the ballot, ensuring that Ohio will no longer allow schools to place certain levies on the ballot.
School districts and political subdivisions will no longer be able to levy replacement levies.
Lawmakers, in the reasoning for overriding the governor’s veto, said the language surrounding emergency levies was confusing.
“When you go to the ballot, there will be simple questions,” Republican state Rep. David Thomas said. “Do you want to increase your taxes? Do you want to keep your taxes the same? That is what we’re faced with. You will not see confusing language like replacement and substitute, and inflammatory language like emergencies.”
However, school districts and DeWine expressed concern because these levies can be important revenue sources for schools.
The votes were narrow in the Ohio House and Senate due to member absence and some Democratic opposition.
DEWINE SIGNS BUDGET, ISSUES 67 VETOES
“Over the past two decades, the Republican majority in this state has repeatedly made a choice to invest less from the state level into our local communities,” Democratic state Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio said. “When the state invests less, our schools and communities either have to cut critical services or they have to ask community members to pay higher property taxes.”
The statehouse had planned to override three vetoes, but only managed to override one in the special session. Leaders said the other two could be revisited in the regular legislative session.
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