The Ohio Statehouse is back in Session, and they’re diving in headfirst. Several important bills are scheduled for hearings on Tuesday (5/12) and Wednesday (5/13).
Do you have some free time this weekend? Pick a bill or two (or three!) from the list below and write some testimony!
Check out TakeActionOhio.com for lots more key bills that need testimony and phone calls!
Here are a few key bills that most urgently need public testimony:
HB 698 — the SB 1 Compliance Act
Remember SB 1, AKA the Higher Education Destruction Act? It’s only been in effect since last Summer, but it’s already radically altering how Ohio public colleges and universities operate.
HB 698 is a new SB 1 “compliance” bill that would force even more big government, nanny-state nonsense onto our colleges and universities.
This ridiculous legislation is based on a far-right internet conspiracy theory featuring strange, grainy videos claiming to “catch” Ohio professors saying no one is complying with SB 1.
The bill would be laughable if it weren’t so dangerous. Anyone with any real connection to higher education in Ohio knows that colleges and universities are not only complying with SB 1, they’re severely over-complying.
I’ve personally spoken with students whose professors/lecturers are terrified to touch subjects such as climate change or immigration for fear of being accused of violating the new law. And I’ve personally attended peaceful protests at OSU that were surrounded by police who threatened to break up the event if anyone used amplified sound, sidewalk chalk, or any other basic protest tool banned by the university’s shameful new SB 1 policies.
HB 698 is also pretty obviously illegal. The Ohio Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled since at least 1939 that legislatures can’t force future legislatures to do anything (they can’t “obligate” future legislatures). This bill forces all future governors to include money in their proposed budgets that will only be given to Ohio’s public colleges and universities if they comply with SB 1.
The governor’s proposed budget is always introduced as a bill in the Statehouse. So HB 698 is an obvious effort to obligate future legislatures. It cannot be allowed to pass.
Ways to help stop HB 698:
- Testify in-person on Tuesday 5/12 at 10 am. Use this template to guide you.
- Can’t be there in-person? Use this template to submit written-only testimony against HB 698.
- Attend the HB 698 hearing to show politicians we’re paying attention. We need as many Ohioans there as possible.
- WHEN: Tuesday 5/12/26 at 10:00 am
- WHERE: Ohio Statehouse — Room 017
SB 127 — Allow the state to close certain public schools and/or turn them into private schools
SB 127 would not only be terrible for our kids, it’s also a direct attack on parents’ rights, local control, and workers’ rights.
This bill:
- Expands reliance on problematic standardized test scores
- Expands criteria for labeling schools as “underperforming”
- Forces the “underperforming” districts to take drastic actions such as closing schools, transferring control to private operators, replacing staff, and more
- Will likely lead to mandatory school closures that squander prior investments in school buildings
- Will likely force Ohio school districts to transfer control of schools to external, private operators that have no link to the community
- Could lead to mass job losses for school staff, which would have a major impact on local communities
- Overrides collective bargaining law and local collective bargaining agreements
- Read the full bill analysis here
Ways to help stop SB 127:
- Testify in-person on Tuesday 5/12/26 at 3:30 pm. Use this template to guide you.
- Can’t be there in-person? Use this template to submit written-only testimony against SB 127.
- Attend the SB 127 hearing to show politicians we’re paying attention. We need as many Ohioans there as possible.
- WHEN: Tuesday 5/12/26 at 3:30 pm
- WHERE: Ohio Statehouse — South Hearing Room
SB 160 — Ban insurance companies from forcing patients to switch medications
A good bill! A genuinely good bill!
Ohio SB 160 is a bipartisan bill that would ban insurance companies from forcing patients to switch medications in the middle of the year without a medical reason.
What the bill does:
- Bans health insurers from taking certain actions with respect to drugs during a health benefit plan year, including:
- Increasing cost-sharing
- Reducing coverage
- Forcing patients to switch medications by removing drugs from plan formularies
- Full bill analysis here
Ways to support SB 160:
- Testify in-person on Tuesday 5/12/26 at 4:00 pm. Use this template to guide you.
- Can’t be there in-person? Use this template to submit written-only testimony in support of SB 160.
SB 163 — Require AI watermarks, ban AI child porn, ban AI-based identity fraud
It’s true! ANOTHER good bill!
Ohio SB 163 needs to become law as soon as possible. This crucial bill would:
- Ban child pornography made using artificial intelligence (AI)
- Ban identity fraud using an AI replica of a person’s persona
- Require content generated by AI to have a watermark. That way, you wouldn’t always have to wonder whether images you see online are real or AI fakes.
- Read more here
Ways to support SB 163:
- Testify in-person on Wednesday 5/13/26 at 9:45 AM. Use this template to guide you.
- Can’t be there in-person? Use this template to submit written-only testimony in support of SB 163.
