The infighting caused a ripple effect of fewer Ohio House sessions in 2023. This led to a delay in passing legislation. Including a stalled budget-process affecting dollars to programs statewide. But, researchers on the ground say although it was delayed, Ohio passed one of the best budget’s they have ever seen. 

“I think what we saw from our perspective is a very good budget that had a lot of very good policy and it was a very expensive budget,” said Greg Lawson a researcher at the Buckeye Institute. 

“We didn’t see the elimination of the income tax,” Hannah Halbert a researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, said. “Really bad property tax provisions that were originally in the budget were removed because they would have harmed local schools.” 

In April, the state passed a strict law House Bill 458 that required Ohioans to vote with a photo ID. That law took effect prior to two big elections in the buckeye state. 

“It may have increased some vote by mail usage just because of that ID requirement,” Thomas Sutton a Political Science Professor at Baldwin Wallace University, said. “Where it really got into controversy had to do particularly with younger voters particularly college students. Many of whom could be living out of state, but decided to register in the state of Ohio because it’s a 30 day residence to register, but were perhaps present prevented from doing so because they have out-of-state licenses planned to vote in person, didn’t really understand how to vote by mail.” 

Thomas Sutton a Political Scientist told Spectrum News despite the new law impacting students; minorities, the homeless, and older people, there was a large voter turnout in November. In the midst of the August Special Election, Ohio leaders agreed to new statewide redistricted maps until 2030. But, House and Senate Democratic leaders have continuously said they still believe the districts are not completely what they expected. Now, leaders saying they hope Ohioans will vote in favor of a citizen-led redistricting process. 

“We also have another initiative process currently in process around banning partisan-gerrymandering, and if that wins next November, that will certainly change the political map going forward,” said Atiba Ellis, a Professor of Law at Case Western Reserve University. 

This November, Ohioans voted on enshrining abortion-rights into the constitution, and recreational marijuana has become legal. Sutton explains that the abortion-rights initiative passed with overwhelming support statewide. Although, it failed in the eyes of Republican lawmakers. 

“Issue one failed by a 57% to 43% vote, Sutton said. “Largely, it failed because of two things. One, it was done primarily to make it much more difficult to pass a constitutional amendment to reestablish the right to access to abortion services, and other reproductive rights, and to it was seen, I think, by voters as a limiting of their right to vote on issues.” 

“What we see in Ohio is a national trend, at least in states controlled by Republican legislatures. But, the willingness to go so far as to attempt to change the majority required to vote, and the fact that a supermajority of Ohioans rejected that move is an important point to remember as we think about the not just the content of the next election, but what the rules ought to be for the next election,” Ellis said. 

In 2024, Ohio lawmakers are expected to challenge the marijuana provision that took effect in 2024. Lawmakers tried to amend the statute prior to their holiday break; however, those provisions are still being discussed in a House committee.