COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio lawmakers have a busy month ahead as the year comes to an end. There are only a handful of Ohio House sessions left as lawmakers try to push bills through the legislature before 2024.

The Ohio House and Senate have some priorities they hope will lead to results prior to the new year. House Speaker Jason Stephens and Senate President Matt Huffman said one urgent matter is recreational marijuana that's set to go into effect on Dec. 7, 2023. 

What You Need To Know

  • Recreational Marijuana is an urgent matter of discussion 

  • The Senate says Senate Bill 83 is a major push on their end 

  • The House says property taxes and infant care are some priorities 

Stephens says he respects the decision of the voters who passed Issue 2 earlier this month, but he wants to make sure there are guardrails in place prior to the legalization of recreational marijuana, and understanding of how the industry works. 

“You know, so whether it’s market structure,” said Stephens. “Whether you’ve got wholesale retail, all of these types of factors in any economy are extremely important. We want to make sure we get those right so that we have a really strong system in Ohio. That is what I think the voters voted for. And so we’re working on that.” 

Stephens says they are still deciding their exact next steps, but hoping to get enough support for an emergency clause to pass if needed prior to Dec. 7, 2023. 

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 83, the higher education bill, has been discussed in the Senate and House. Stephens says the bill won’t have enough votes to go through the legislature. The bill passed the Senate in May. It would ban mandated diversity, equity and inclusion training at public universities and colleges.

“With two sessions left, the Senate remains hopeful Senate Bill 83 will pass the house, and the efforts to amend parts of the recreational marijuana law will be complete and ready for a floor vote next week. Then, moving forward to 2024 the capital budget, and the one time strategic community investment fund are top priorities,” said John Fortney, Director of Communications, Ohio Senate Majority Caucus. 

Stephens hopes House Bill 7, a bill that aims to help mothers with their infants’ health, passes. He says the state needs to help struggling moms in Ohio reach their full potential. Stephens also added property tax legislation is critical for lawmakers to discuss.

The House will be in session on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Senate could potentially meet three more times over the next couple weeks.