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Ohio Senate Overrides DeWine Veto to Curb School Levy Options

The vote marks a shift toward limiting levy mechanisms, with a separate task force urging targeted relief designed to ease homeowner costs without undermining essential local services.

A woman walks past a home in downtown on July 23, 2024, in Middletown, Ohio.
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Overview

  • The Senate voted 21–11 to join the House in overriding Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto, ending future use of replacement, substitute and certain fixed‑sum emergency school levies after a statutory waiting period, with current November ballot measures unaffected.
  • Republican leaders framed the change as clarifying ballot language and starting broader property‑tax relief, while Democrats and school officials warned it could create serious funding pressures and reduce local control.
  • The governor’s 11‑member Property Tax Working Group released 20 recommendations, including a 100% cap on carryover balances, tighter county budget commission rules, and closing the LLC property‑transfer loophole.
  • Targeted homeowner aids in the report include expanding the homestead exemption, exploring a circuit breaker, and creating a tax‑deferral program for qualifying seniors and disabled homeowners; the group favored limiting, not abolishing, emergency levies.
  • GOP leaders signaled additional veto overrides and statutory changes are likely in the coming weeks, even as analysts note the eliminated levy types currently generate more than $1.3 billion annually for Ohio schools.