COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio House lawmakers came back from winter break early, and after voting to take away gender-affirming care from trans youth — they are gone, dismissing their other priorities like marijuana policy, handling inflation and hosting capital budget hearings.
This leaves people like AJ Caraballo with Amplify Dispensary in limbo with customers.
"With no action from the legislature, there is no place for those patients, those customers to purchase," Caraballo said.
Both he and Gov. Mike DeWine would like to get moving on recreational marijuana policy since it's legal for Ohioans to smoke it, but nowhere to legally buy it.
"We are ready for sales in 90 days," Caraballo added.
But more than just marijuana, the lawmakers passed the fewest amount of bills in 2023 than they have in decades, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission. This was the least amount since 1955, Cleveland.com found. Yet, the lawmakers came back for this veto override that impacts about 1% or fewer youth in the state, according to the UCLA School of Law.
"There are many critical issues, important issues, that we could and should be addressing here in the legislature," House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said.
Russo is exasperated with the GOP.
She said there is a surplus of items the lawmakers could be addressing instead of just focusing on transgender children.
"We've got one in five Ohio children who lives in poverty; many Ohio children who are facing income insecurity, facing gun violence in our communities, facing mental health needs in our communities," she said, listing out the items that need to be answered. "Housing, public education, dealing with common sense gun safety, in addressing food insecurity in our communities."
There is also the capital budget, which provides money for construction of infrastructure and schools. It is due by the summer, yet lawmakers won't be able to have hearings on it if they don't return.
Diving deeper into housing costs, as inflation increases and people are struggling to pay their rent, there are bills to give tax cuts to vulnerable people — but the Senate and House can’t reach an agreement.
She believes House lawmakers came back early to override the veto to rally the Republican base. House Speaker Jason Stephens’ allies have contentious primary elections in March.
In case you missed it, there is an ongoing saga of Republican infighting in the House that has now trickled its way over to the Senate. Read more about the squabbling here. Plenty of money is being spent against lawmakers who supported Stephens for speaker.
The timing of the override clearly isn't a coincidence, Russo added.
Stephens was asked if the override now was a way to help out his clique.
"The primaries are still 10 weeks away," the speaker said. "I think most members have voted on this bill at least twice."
This was important legislation for his base, he added.
"I don't know that it's so much a primary issue, so much as it is an issue that people care about," Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said.
But the governor argued that people also care about marijuana.
"If you wait a couple, few weeks or a month or two to get it right — it's going to be better than to hurry up on this issue," Stephens answered.
There is no room for discussion when he dismisses the House for another month.
But Caraballo said he doesn’t mind the wait, since he wants a good program that doesn’t thwart the will of the voters.
"Waiting the nine months to make sure we have a sustainable program, I think that's more important than rushing and starting in 90 days," Caraballo said.
