The Ohio House of Representatives will return Monday, July 21, for a rare summer session to vote on overriding three line-item vetoes Gov. Mike DeWine issued for House Bill 96, the state’s two-year, $60 billion operating budget.
Lawmakers will focus narrowly on vetoes 55, 65, 66, three property‑tax provisions DeWine nixed:
- County budget commission authority that would have empowered county budget commissions to unilaterally reduce certain voter-approved school and local levies.
- A 20‑mill floor calculation requiring emergency, substitute, conversion, and other levies to count toward the “20‑mill floor” for school funding.
- Replacement levy powers that restrict school districts’ and local governments’ ability to levy replacement property taxes.
An earlier proposal to cap school districts’ carry‑over balances at 40% of their operating budgets will not be on the table.
Republican leaders initially embraced the carry‑over limit as a tool for immediate property tax relief, but widespread opposition arose. Critics, including school districts and the Ohio Education Association, warned it could “send districts into financial chaos.”
DeWine echoed these concerns, warning the cap would force school systems into perpetual levy campaigns. Lawmakers appear to have dropped it to avoid a repeat of that backlash, choosing instead to pursue reforms seen as less disruptive.
Rep. David Thomas, R‑Jefferson, the House’s point person on property-tax reforms, emphasized urgency.
“We have to get these reforms in for January’s tax bills,” he told the State News Bureau. “This is something we have to do.”
Sen. George Lang, R‑West Chester Township, reinforced the GOP’s message: his constituents are “shouting from the rooftops” for relief.
“I strongly disagree with the Governor’s decision to veto much‑needed property tax reform,” Lang told Fox 19.
Speaking with Ohio.News, Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania Township, said, “We have studied this issue long enough. It is time for action, not more work groups. Ohioans are demanding property tax relief, and they deserve a legislature that delivers it.”
Rep. Brian Lorenz, R-Powell, offered a similar perspective.
“These overrides are about standing up for Ohio families who are being crushed by skyrocketing property taxes,” Lorenz told Ohio.News. “The reforms the governor vetoed were developed with input from local leaders and taxpayers across the state. We need to act and override these vetoes now so residents see meaningful changes in their January 2026 tax bills.”
In a statement, House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, told News Channel 5 in Cleveland that he’s “talking with members of our caucus,” many of whom “have already expressed an eagerness to return to consider veto overrides.”
DeWine defended his vetoes as protective of Ohio schools, libraries, and public services.
“Collectively, they created a problem for the schools,” he said at a July 1 press conference. “I felt that the provisions in this budget would put an undue, very abrupt, great, significant problem for our local school districts.”
“Everybody has a turn to make a move, so I made my move,” the governor added.
DeWine stressed that property-tax reform is needed, but not at the expense of students or fiscal stability.
“We do have Ohioans who are hurting,” he said, “and that’s very, very clear,” modestly proposing a state task force as an alternative.
Legislative procedure requires a three-fifths vote in each chamber, meaning at least 60 House members and 20 senators, to override any veto. With 59 Republicans in the House, one Republican swimmer could make or break the effort.
If the House succeeds, the Senate will follow with its own vote, though a date has not been set.
Last year, the General Assembly did override DeWine twice, once on men identifying as transgender competing in women’s sports and once on so-called “gender affirming care” provisions, and an override in 2017.
Supporters argue that the targeted veto overrides offer meaningful tax relief without destabilizing public education. Opponents remain wary of unintended consequences and want more comprehensive, bipartisan solutions.
“If Republicans were serious about real property-tax relief, they wouldn’t pass the buck,” Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn, D‑Cincinnati, told Fox 19 News. “We’re ready and willing to work together to get that done, but it isn’t the choice they have made.”
Americans for Prosperity–Ohio State Director Donovan O’Neil lauded the special session.
“The legislature’s decision to return and override these vetoes shows a commitment to putting Ohio taxpayers first,” O’Neil said in a statement. “These commonsense reforms were crafted to stop the unchecked growth of property taxes and restore a stronger voice for voters. Lawmakers are doing the right thing by fighting to get them back on the books.”
