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We will be posting important information about legislation that you should be aware of and you may want to contact your legislators about. We will provide you with actions to take by calling or e-mailing your State Legislators or Congressmembers – along with Best Practices and scripts. You must let them hear your opinion on issues important to you! This is easy to do! Let’s get started!

You can send e-mails or make phone calls at any time – day or night! You can leave a message on their office answering machine when you call. Staff members will document your opinions and let your legislator know your point of view. Best Practice: A short, concise message; no venting. Best Practice: No matter how or when you contact your legislator, always let them know you are a voting constituent, your name and what your zip code is. If you would like for them to respond back to you with their position on issues, tell them you would like a response and give them your full name, address, city and zip code.

Even if Senator Brown, Congresswoman Beatty, Congresswoman Kaptur, Congressman Ryan or other Congressmembers have already signed onto a bill, please contact them to THANK them for supporting bills you also support! They always appreciate hearing from constituents – especially when on the right side of an issue!

HOW TO CONTACT LEGISLATORS:

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH):

By E-mail:

• Click here for link

By Phone:

• Cincinnati: (513) 684-1021
• Cleveland: (216) 522-7272
• Columbus: (614) 469-2083
• Lorain: (440) 242-4100
• Washington DC: (202) 224-2315
• Toll Free Ohio only: 1-888-896-6446 (OHIO)

Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH):

By E-mail:

• Visit here to share your opinion.

By Phone:

• Washington DC: (202) 224-3353

Find Your Ohio – U.S. House of Representatives Member

ISSUES

U.S. Senate:

• Message: My name is _____, my zip code is _____.
• I am calling about (the name of the issue or number of the bill)
• Issues will be posted once 2023 session begins.

U.S. Representative:

• Message: My name is _____, my zip code is _____.
• I am calling about (the name of the issue or number of the bill)
• Issues will be posted once 2023 session begins.

Governor Mike DeWine:

• DeWine signed HB458 into law on Friday, January 8, 2023.
  • Implements new restrictions and requirements on voting.
  • Visit here for more information.

Ohio Senate:

Find your Ohio Senator and contact information here:

• District Map
• Message: My name is _____, my zip code is _____.
• I am calling about (the name of the issue or number of the bill)
• Issues will be posted once 2023 session begins.

Ohio House:

Find your Ohio House Representative here:

• District Map
• HB1 – This bill would replace Ohio’s graduated income tax with a top rate of 3.99% on income over $115,300.00/year; create a flat income tax rate at 2.75% for all earners, except those who make less than $26,050.00/year; would reduce from 35% to 31.5% the amount of a property that can be taxed; would freeze the amount people pay in property taxes, even when the value of the home increases; would pay for the tax reductions by no longer sending $1.2 billion in ‘rollbacks’ to local agencies, such as funding for schools, libraries and parks; this would potentially undermine institutions that local voters have overwhelmingly supported through levy approvals; under the ‘rollback’ system, the state government has paid 10% of property tax collections to local governments. For more information, view this YouTube video here.
  • Message: My name is _____; my zip code is _____.
  • I’m calling about HB1.
  • If this bill passes, local schools, libraries and parks will be forced to ask for additional new taxes through levies to make up for the lost funding.
  • The tax reduction disproportionately benefits Ohio’s higher earners.
  • This is not tax relief, but another tax handout to the people who need it the least.
  • It will provide less than $3.00 in tax savings to many middle-income Ohio families. (NOTE: Families making less than $30,000/year will get nothing from this bill; families making $50,000/year will see a tax cut of $3.00 or less; an individual making half a million dollars per year could see a tax cut of more than $5,000.
  • Ohio may have a strong balance sheet now to fund this tax giveaway, but it would weaken state finances in the future.
  • I’m asking you to vote NO on HB1.
  • Thank You for considering my voice and the importance of my vote.
• HJR1 – Referred to House Constitutional Resolutions Committee. This bill would increase the voters required to enact new constitutional amendments to 60% threshold, up from the current simple majority of 50% plus 1; would require signatures equaling five percent of the gubernatorial vote in all 88 counties, up from 44 counties currently; would remove the “cure period,” the window after signatures are turned in when a campaign is allowed to go back out and collect more to try to make up for a shortfall.
  • Message: My name is _____; my zip code is _____.
  • I’m calling about HJR1.
  • Ballot initiatives allow us to exercise our freedom to decide on issues that matter most to Ohioans.
  • This bill is a direct attack on Ohioans freedom to make decisions that affect our lives by putting issues on the ballot for Ohioans to decide.
  • If this amendment passes, it will mean more power for special interests and less power for Ohio voters.
  • I’m asking you to vote NO on HJR1.
  • Thank You for considering my voice and the importance of my vote.
    • NOTE: Common Cause Ohio has provided an HJR1 Letter to the Editor Toolkit for additional resources
• HB11 – Known as the ‘Backpack Bill’ would make every Ohio kid eligible for an Education Savings Account (ESA). These accounts could be used for private school tuition, tutoring, textbooks, fees for advanced placement exams and other education-related expenses. Each student – whether being home schooled or attending a private school or currently attending a public school – in K-8 would receive $5,500 per year and high school kids would get $7,500 annually.
  • Message: My name is _____; my zip code is _____.
  • I’m calling about HB11 – The ‘Backpack Bill’.
  • This bill could cost taxpayers up to $1.13 BILLION per year – just based on providing non-public and home schooled students at this point.
  • Public education has continuously been short-changed on funds as more of our tax dollars are being spent on private schools and now home schooling.
  • Local communities will continue to see more public school levies on local ballots which will affect local property taxes which has been found to be illegal funding of public education three times by the Ohio Supreme Court.
  • I’m asking you to vote NO on HB11. (NOTE: Currently, there are several House Representatives children who are home schooled; will they abstain from voting on this issue since his/her family stands to benefit financially from this bill?)
  • Thank You for considering my voice and the importance of my vote.
• HB23 – The Transportation Budget) WITH the rail safety items included.
  • Message: My name is _____; my zip code is _____.
  • I’m calling about HB23 – The Transportation Budget.
  • This bill would maintain the current crew size of two in Ohio. (The second member of the crew – the conductor – is the mobile member of the crew and is vital for identifying issues and mitigating damage in situations like we experienced in East Palestine earlier this month. The conductor is also responsible for much more mundane safety tasks like separating the train over road crossings to let emergency vehicles and the general public pass.) 
  • This bill would establish guidelines for wayside defect detectors in Ohio, to be managed by PUCO. (These devices detect issues with rolling equipment and notify the crew to stop and visually inspect – identifying problems before they become catastrophic. There is currently no State or Federal Regulation on these detectors, so railroad operators are free to ignore critical alarms, rolling the dice with the safety of the train and crew, but more importantly – with the general public.)
  • Rail safety must be a bipartisan priority.
  • I’m asking you to vote YES on HB23 with the rail safety items included as these are common sense safety driven measures that protect the general public.
  • Thank You for considering my voice and the importance of my vote.
• SB30 – Allowing 14- and 15-year olds to work till 9pm year round. Passed the Senate; now goes to House.
  • Message: My name is _____; my zip code is _____.
  • I’m calling about SB30 – The child labor bill.
  • Teens primary focus should be on school homework and activities – not working.
  • Having teens work after school will not alleviate the workforce shortages.
  • The Ohio Department of Education board was just gutted over concerns about children’s test scores; SB 30 will not help that problem.
  • Improving access and affordability to childcare would be more effective because it would encourage more women into the workforce.
  • I’m asking you to vote NO on SB30.
  • Thank You for considering my voice and the importance of my vote.