Ohioans could soon see prices at the pump fall temporarily after state lawmakers passed a 90-day pause of the state’s gas tax on Wednesday.

The Ohio House and Senate passed House Bill 519 on Wednesday in a pair of bipartisan votes. The bill will suspend Ohio’s assessment of its 38.5-cent-per-gallon tax on gas and its 47-cent-per-gallon tax on diesel. The bill also pulls $725 million out of the state’s reserve accounts to cover the lost road and bridge maintenance funding that will occur as a result of the tax holiday.

The bill now heads to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk for his signature. Normally, laws take effect 90 days after they are passed. But the gas-tax bill will take effect immediately if and when DeWine signs it, since it got enough Democratic support to add what’s called an emergency clause. 

Last week, DeWine voiced skepticism about an earlier version of how to fund the tax break. But now that it’s funded via general budget dollars and not those earmarked specifically for road repairs and construction, DeWine plans to sign the bill, his spokesman said on Wednesday afternoon. 

Ramaswamy revives stalled tax holiday idea

Republicans have debated suspending the state’s gas tax since earlier this year, after the U.S. attacks on Iran in February. This led to a disruption in global oil shipping and a spike in gas prices. But the measure failed to advance. Legislative leaders said Wednesday some Republicans thought at the time that perhaps prices had spiked temporarily. 

But the idea landed on the Republican-controlled legislature’s front burner last week after it became a top issue in the governor’s race. 

Nine days before Wednesday’s vote, both gubernatorial candidates – Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton – called for passage of a gas tax holiday within hours of one another. 

The same day, Midwest diesel prices reached an all-time high of $6.68 a gallon while regular gas prices reached their highest levels since May, according to federal data. Republicans’ polling numbers, meanwhile, have plunged as gas prices have started to go up.

Republican legislative leaders heeded the call, calling members back to Columbus on Wednesday for an unexpected vote. The resulting legislation was added to an unrelated bill that previously had to do with deterring auto theft. 

At times the legislative process grew contentious. Senate Republicans invoked a rarely used procedural maneuver to squash debate on the bill and block Democrats from proposing amendments on unrelated, politically charged subjects. And in the House, GOP Speaker Matt Huffman repeatedly cautioned Democrats that their floor speeches could be cut off if they deviated too far from the bill.

“We tried to offer amendments. Obviously, they won’t let us,” said Rep. Munira Abdullahi, a Columbus Democrat.

Republican Senate President Rob McColley, Ramaswamy’s running mate, described the restrictions as needed to keep debate on the topic.

“If we would have gotten bogged down with a lot of other stuff solely for political theater …, it would have, quite frankly, been a disservice to Ohioans,” McColley said.

The idea to suspend gas taxes was dusted off and then passed within nine days – a breakneck pace by typical legislative standards. Speaking with reporters following the vote, Ramaswamy called the episode a preview of how he’d govern the state.

“We’re going to be focused. We’re going to be substantive. And we’re going to be fast,” Ramaswamy said.

Tax holiday splits Democrats

Democrats took two major tacks on Wednesday when it came to the gas tax holiday legislation. Regardless of how they voted, most said in floor speeches and in interviews that they believed between 30% and 60% of the savings would not be passed on to customers and instead stay with the oil and gas industry or retailers. 

Those who voted for the bill credited Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton for helping come up with the idea, since Acton called for her own gas tax holiday hours before Ramaswamy did. After the bill passed Wednesday, the Acton campaign released a statement praising the vote’s outcome.

“As the first candidate in this race to propose a gas tax holiday, Dr. Acton is glad the Statehouse has voted with bipartisan support to establish a gas tax holiday and provide Ohioans much needed relief at the pump,” the statement said.

Some Democrats also quibbled with aspects of the bill, criticizing it for not dealing with broader issues like property taxes or data centers, or for pulling from state reserve funds instead using $600 million the state previously agreed to use to build a new Cleveland Browns football stadium.

Other Democrats more critical of the Republican proposal called the tax holiday a gimmick that would only save Ohioans a few dollars while politically benefitting Ramaswamy and other Republicans ahead of the election. They also said it ignores the real culprit of surging gas prices – the U.S. war on Iran. 

“This is a stunt,” said state Rep. Allison Russo, who’s also the Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. “It’s a stunt because you’re worried about what’s going to happen in 35 days.”

Rep. Terrence Upchurch, a Cleveland Democrat, said in an interview he’s confident he can explain what looks like a tough vote against the always-popular idea of a tax break. 

“This is temporary relief, there are no guardrails for consumers, and this is just irresponsible,” he said. 

Still, enough Democrats voted for the bill to hand Republicans a crucial victory – to attach the emergency clause that allows the law to take effect immediately, which could lead to a drop in gas prices before early voting starts on Oct. 6.

Some Democrats described their belief that Acton’s team wanted the bill to pass and urged Democratic caucus leaders to vote for it. 

“A lot of Democrats are a  frustrated ‘yes,’” said Abdullahi, who voted no. 

Dani Isaacsohn, the House Democratic Minority Leader, told reporters Wednesday that he spoke to Acton about the gas tax holiday proposal “at length.” He then laid out the sequence of events – Acton’s proposal followed by Ramaswamy’s legislative push hours later.

“She is centering the relief that people need, and she recognizes even before she’s in office that it’s time to start taking people’s needs seriously,” Isaacsohn said. 

This story originally appeared at signalohio.com.

The post Gas tax in Ohio suspended for 90 days after politically charged Statehouse vote appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Ohio Republicans held a call to action over the weekend – urging voters to show their support for President Donald Trump by approving Issue 3.

At an event in suburban Columbus, Republicans compared Issue 3, the only statewide question on Ohio’s ballot this November, to the SAVE America Act, a federal bill that would require all Americans to prove their citizenship in order to register to vote. The federal bill, which also has a voter ID component, is Trump’s top legislative priority and is being blocked by Democrats in the U.S. Senate. 

“They can’t pass the Save America Act. OK, fine,” Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou said at a pro-Issue 3 Saturday event that also featured Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Sen. Jon Husted. “But you know what we can do in Ohio? We can pass Issue 3.”

The event highlighted the wide GOP backing for the proposed amendment. Issue 3 also has support from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, though she does not tie her stance to President Trump or the SAVE Act. Other Democrats, including those running for statewide office this fall, do not back Issue 3. 

While arguments over Issue 3 might get heated – and used for political gain as GOP leaders did recently – Signal Statewide is offering a nonpartisan explainer about the issue and what voters need to know about it, including an explanation of the current voting law. 

What is Issue 3? 

Issue 3 is an amendment to Ohio’s state constitution, the legal document that sets up the government and is the supreme law that trumps state and local rules that conflict with it.

What would Issue 3 do?  

Mainly, it would enshrine in the constitution a requirement that Ohio voters have to show a photo ID to vote in person. Issue 3 only involves voter ID and touches on no other issues, such as proof of citizenship. 

Doesn’t Ohio already require voters to show an ID when voting?

Yes. Ohio has required a photo ID to vote in person since 2023, under a law signed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. As such, Issue 3 wouldn’t have any immediate effect if voters approve it.

Approving Issue 3, however, would make it harder to undo the voter-ID requirements in the future because changing the constitution requires voter approval, unlike changing a regular law. 

What forms of ID are acceptable in current law and under the proposed amendment? 

Like current law, Issue 3 lists seven documents as acceptable IDs for voting: an unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state ID card, a U.S. passport or passport card, a U.S. military ID card, an Ohio National Guard ID card or a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card.

Among the notable examples of IDs that still won’t be accepted: out-of-state driver’s licenses and student IDs. 

Like current law, Issue 3 also preserves an existing exemption for people with a sincere religious objection to being photographed. 

Does Issue 3 require ID for mail voting?

No – even though the state’s official ballot language for Issue 3 references ID requirements for mail voting. 

Voters might find this section confusing, because it seems to say Issue 3 would require that “voters who do not vote in person provide an approved form of government-issued photo identification.” 

But it goes on to say that voters casting ballots by mail could provide their signature instead, as well as “one other specified unique indicator if authorized by law.” 

This references how current Ohio law allows voters to provide an alternate ID – including the last four digits of their Social Security number – on the state’s official absentee ballot request form.

In other words, Issue 3 basically states that the legislature can decide whether or not to require a photo ID for voting by mail. 

Didn’t lawmakers already pass ID requirements for voting by mail?

The Republican-led state legislators passed a law last June that would have required photo ID for mail voting. But the law was blocked from taking effect after Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed it. So it is not the law at this time. 

How did Issue 3 get put before voters? 

Republican state lawmakers voted in June to put the amendment on the ballot in a coordinated public effort that began the previous month with an op-ed by Ramaswamy, the Republican governor candidate.

Citizen groups also can put amendments up for a vote through a process that involves collecting hundreds of thousands of voter signatures, but that’s not what happened here.

So if Issue 3 won’t have any immediate effect, why did Republicans put it on the ballot?

Republicans, who have supported tougher photo ID requirements for years, argue that putting Ohio’s voter ID language in the state constitution will protect it from being repealed by future legislatures. 

They point to examples like Virginia, where Democrats repealed a photo ID law in 2020 after taking control of the state government a few years before. 

Why do Issue 3 supporters say it’s necessary?

They argue that putting a photo ID law in the state constitution will give it extra protection in the event it’s challenged in court. 

In general, Republicans call voter ID requirements a commonsense way to secure elections with widespread support among the general public.

Ohio Republicans aren’t alone on this one.  GOP-controlled state legislatures in Arizona, North Carolina and Oklahoma also have put voter ID measures on the ballot this year, according to Ballotpedia. Citizen groups put them on the ballot in California, Colorado and Nevada.

Will Issue 3 drive voter turnout? 

Republicans, guided  by President Trump’s calls for stricter voting laws, could use it to mobilize their voters.

In an interview with Signal Statewide following last Saturday’s event formally launching the “Yes on 3” campaign, Triantafilou, the state Republican Party chairman, acknowledged as much. 

“There’s no hiding it. We think this is an issue that animates conservatives,” he said. “But really, it animates everybody. This is a 75% issue.” 

Democrats argue that firing up their lagging base is the main reason Republicans put Issue 3 on the ballot. 

Why do they think that?

Polling and Republican operatives have warned a significant portion of the party’s voters are demoralized as concerns remain about the rising cost of living. 

There’s also an historic trend in American politics in which the party that controls the White House loses ground in the midterm elections, in part because their supporters can become complacent about lower-profile state races after their party wins the presidency. 

What are the arguments against Issue 3?

There are a few main sets of arguments. 

Many Democrats, progressives and voting-rights advocates oppose strict voter ID laws. They say such laws can disenfranchise eligible voters. Certain groups of voters are more likely to not have valid ID, including members of racial minorities, students and elderly people. 

Democratic lawmakers opposed Ohio’s voter ID law when Republicans passed it in 2023, saying the old system was secure and worked well. That system allowed voters to provide their Social Security number or a copy of a recent utility bill with their current address to prove their identity. 

Democrats also have opposed new election restrictions in general, saying documented voter fraud is extremely rare.

There’s also an argument more specifically tailored against Issue 3. Critics say it needlessly locks Ohio’s current list of valid IDs into the constitution. One part of the state’s official arguments against Issue 3, written by Democratic lawmakers, says this leaves other forms of identity unusable, such as county-issued veteran IDs and digital IDs.

“Today in Ohio you can use your digital wallet to fly but not to vote. This amendment locks out future technology that will be both more secure and more available,” reads one of the official “no” arguments. 

Finally, some on the political right opposed Issue 3 while it was being debated in the legislature because they argued it didn’t go far enough by not requiring ID for mail voting.

Who is backing Issue 3? 

The Ohio Republican Party is effectively running the “yes” campaign for Issue 3. The state party has printed up “Yes on 3” fliers, and state party officials plan to promote the measure at all upcoming campaign stops. They’re not saying whether Republicans have set aside money for a bigger PR campaign, including TV commercials.

More broadly, Issue 3 has top-to-bottom support among the rest of the Republican Party, including the entire statewide candidate slate – including Robert Sprague, the candidate for Ohio Secretary of State – and President Trump. 

While no Democratic legislators voted with Republicans to put Issue 3 on the ballot, it does have one high-profile Democratic supporter: Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor.

Who opposes Issue 3?

There is not yet a group or coalition leading the official opposition to Issue 3.  But the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the group representing Black state legislators, and Ohio Citizen Action, a left-leaning government watchdog group, have announced their opposition to Issue 3. Allison Russo, the Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State, and Tom Pruss, the Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State, also oppose it. 

A trio of Democratic state lawmakers authored the official “no” arguments – state Sen. Bill DeMora of Columbus and state Reps. Terrence Upchurch of Cleveland and Desiree Tims of Dayton.

But none of the three had heard of an official “no” campaign when they were asked by Signal Statewide.

“Much to my chagrin, since our governor candidate came out for Issue 3, I don’t see any organized opposition from the Democratic Party to oppose it,” DeMora said.

Tims also described a low-profile campaign. She said Democrats currently are saving their resources for other priorities, although she said a more robust “no” campaign might emerge.

“The ‘vote no’ campaign is pretty much going to be us talking to voters, telling them to vote no on something that’s already the law,” Tims said. “I think that it’s sad that Republicans are spending money on something that’s not an issue when they could be working on solving the high cost of electric bills.”

Ohio Democratic Party officials call voter ID settled law in Ohio. Party spokesperson Marisa Nahem said even Republicans like DeWine and Secretary of State Frank LaRose have said Ohio’s elections are secure.

“While Statehouse Republicans spend their time pushing an unnecessary ballot initiative that doesn’t change the current law, the Ohio Democratic Party will continue our work to ensure that every eligible Ohio voter is able to cast their ballot free from unnecessary barriers,” Nahem said.

This story originally appeared at signalohio.com.

The post What is Issue 3? Ohio’s voter ID amendment, explained appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

State officials have finalized the language voters will see on the ballot this November when they decide whether to add Ohio’s existing voter ID requirement to the state constitution.

The Ohio Ballot Board approved the ballot language for Issue 3, the measure’s official name, during a meeting at the Statehouse on Monday. The vote was 4-1, with Democratic state Sen. Bill DeMora joining the board’s Republican members, including Secretary of State Frank LaRose, in approving the language.

For instance, the ballot language’s title describes Issue 3 as requiring “voters to present photo identification in order to vote.” The approved language also includes four bullet points that describe what the amendment does.

The seemingly banal process of writing and approving ballot language for proposed state constitutional amendments has been a major political battleground in Ohio in recent years. That’s because research has shown voters can be swayed by ballot language, since many only learn about a proposed ballot issue when they show up to vote.

Democrats accused Republicans of writing biased ballot language intended to defeat a citizen-proposed abortion-rights amendment that voters approved in 2023, and have said the language Republicans wrote for a redistricting reform amendment in 2024 contributed to its defeat.

But on Monday, the discussion around Issue 3 was relatively muted.

Democrats pushed for minor technical revisions to the language and an accompanying issue summary. Republicans accepted two of them – including adding the word “unexpired” to a section describing Ohio driver licenses and Ohio state IDs as acceptable forms of government ID.

Republicans also agreed to add the phrase “one of the specific types of government‑issued photo identification listed” to a section with the official explanation of Issue 3 describing how voters could only present certain types of photo IDs.

This story originally appeared at signalohio.com.

The post Ballot language set for Issue 3, the Ohio voter ID amendment appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde used a baseball metaphor to describe the scenario facing Democrats this November.

Addressing attendees at the state party’s annual fundraising dinner in Columbus Saturday night, she said the upcoming election is like a Cleveland Guardians player stepping up to the plate in the ninth inning with a chance to be a hero.

“We haven’t won yet. But we’re at bat and the bases are loaded,” Clyde said, addressing hundreds who filled a ballroom in the Columbus Convention Center. “Let’s hit a grand slam.”

Like the long-suffering Guardians, Ohio Democrats are in the midst of a prolonged period without much success. Unfortunately for the metaphor’s sake, the Guardians also have a long history of falling short in the biggest moments. Still, the notes Clyde and other Democrats sounded Saturday night were the most convincingly optimistic the party has sounded in years as they hope to benefit from voter dissatisfaction over the rising cost of living and the traditional mid-term backlash against Republican President Donald Trump.

Democrats are trying to rebound from their lowest point: the 2024 presidential election. Longtime party standard-bearer Sherrod Brown lost his U.S. Senate seat to Republican Bernie Moreno that year as Donald Trump was reelected to the White House while winning by double digits in Ohio. Brown’s the party’s Senate nominee again this year, and was among the speakers Saturday night.

“There’s so much excitement in this room tonight,” Brown said to cheers from the audience. “I feel the same enthusiasm in our cities. I feel the same enthusiasm in our suburbs. I feel it in farm country, and we see people showing up like never before.” 

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner is the only remaining Democrat to hold a statewide office. Serving as a warm-up speaker Saturday, she described her lonely status on the court. 

“I have been holding my finger in the dike,” said Brunner, “and I’m waiting for my colleagues to get here.”

Brunner is being challenged this November by Republican Colleen O’Donnell, while Democratic appellate judge Marilyn Zayas is challenging Republican Justice Dan Hawkins.

Ohio Democrats digging out of a hole

Since Trump emerged as the country’s dominant political force a decade ago, Ohio has shifted from the quintessential presidential swing state to a Republican stronghold. 

But polling shows Brown and governor nominee Amy Acton running head-to-head with their Republican opponents this year. Even though political polls have consistently undermeasured Republican support in Ohio over the past decade, Democrats have been encouraged nonetheless, especially as nonpartisan analysts have reassessed Ohio’s governor and U.S. Senate races as toss-ups rather than likely Republican wins.

In her own speech Saturday, Acton, the former state health director under outgoing Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, said Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and his allies have spent tens of millions of dollars on attack ads targeting her since March. 

They “haven’t moved the needle,” Acton said, alluding to polls that suggest the race is tied. 

“It’s actually driven his negatives up more,” Acton said, using political polling jargon that references how positively or negatively voters view a political candidate. “And right now guys, the gloves are definitely off.”

Acton went on to rip Ramaswamy as a self-interested billionaire, criticizing him for spending tens of millions of his own money on his campaign and referencing the tens of millions a pro-Ramaswamy political action committee has raised from Elon Musk and other billionaires. 

“All of us in this room, and everyone we know, we’re linking arms. We’re pushing back. And we are going to tell Mr. Ramaswamy in no uncertain terms: You cannot buy this state,” Acton said.

The pro-Ramaswamy ads have portrayed Acton as erratic and unqualified, saying she made incorrect statements about the COVID-19 pandemic during the early months of the 2020 pandemic as DeWine’s health director. DeWine, who has endorsed Ramaswamy, has said Acton provided him with good advice, and that he alone is responsible for his administration’s decisions.

In line with the attacks, Ramaswamy’s campaign manager, Jonathan Ewing, mocked Acton on social media Saturday night over a photo that showed her reading off a teleprompter. In another post, he referenced a 2019 incident in which police were called to Acton’s home after she got in an argument with her husband, an episode that has been a staple of the anti-Acton attack ads this year. The Ohio Republican Party chimed in: “Wow. Amy Acton won’t take public questions and can’t speak without a teleprompter.”

Possible 2028 contender stumps for Brown

The headlining speaker on Saturday was Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, who spent the weekend campaigning with Brown. Kelly, a former NASA astronaut and Navy pilot who was reelected in 2024, has expanded his national profile since Trump called for his arrest and execution over a post in which Kelly encouraged military members not to follow “illegal orders” – which the president and his allies viewed as treasonous.

“Donald Trump said I should be hanged, executed, prosecuted,” Kelly said. “I mean, this guy can’t even get the order right. And then, and then he tried to indict me and put me in jail. But really, all of the bull—t was not about me. It’s about silencing people who are willing to speak out.”

Kelly appeared with Brown in Cincinnati and Cleveland over the weekend, and told the audience he hopes his “friend” will return to the Senate. 

“He’s always fought for better health care, for fair wages, and protections for Ohio families with courage and conviction. God knows we need more of that in Washington right now,” Kelly said.

National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Nick Puglia issued a statement about Kelly’s visit:  “Sherrod Brown fought for open borders alongside radical leftists like Mark Kelly for 32 years in Washington, and now they want to raise Ohioans’ taxes to give free healthcare to illegal aliens.”

This story originally appeared at signalohio.com.

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