Tell Ohio lawmakers: Leave our schools alone

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TAKE ACTION TO STRENGTHEN OHIO'S DEMOCRACY

TELL OHIO LAWMAKERS: LEAVE SCHOOLS ALONE

Last week, Governor DeWine vetoed 67 provisions in Ohio’s 2026-27 main operating budget— many of those line-item vetoes were the direct result of the emails and calls directed to his office by democracy heroes like you.

But now, lawmakers in the General Assembly have scheduled a July 21 session to try to override three of these vetoes, and we need your help to stop them!

These three budget provisions have something in common: each one is a poorly thought out attempt to fix Ohio’s property tax crisis. But not only would they do nothing to help property owners, they would prevent local communities from solving their own problems by taking funding and local decision-making power away from them. Here’s what Ohio lawmakers are being asked to restore to the budget:

Veto #55: This law would grant county commissioners new authority to reduce a levy passed by voters for a school district or other taxing authority.

This would allow politicians to go against the will of the majority of voters when they vote in favor of a levy to support their community: it undermines basic democratic principles of honoring voter choice.

Veto #65: This law would change how the tax rate gets calculated in a way that would result in schools getting a lower guarantee of tax revenue.

This would automatically cut funding for all school districts across the state: it would be devastating to every community in Ohio.

Veto #66: This law would take away local authority to decide what kind of property tax levies work best in their communities.

This eliminates home rule and prevents voters from having a say if an emergency in their community demands a new tax levy: it would hurt school districts, emergency responders, libraries, and other local authorities who should be able to decide whether or not to put a levy on the ballot.

Ohio needs real property tax reform, not more bad laws that take power away local communities and cut more funding for schools.

Tell Ohio lawmakers: leave our schools alone.

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Ohio State Senators

Subject: Protect local communities and pass real property tax reform

Message:

At a time when you should be back in your district meeting with constituents or enjoying some time with your family, you shouldn’t have to get dragged back to Columbus to vote on what should be a done deal, the FY 26-27 main operating budget. The line-item vetoes issued by Governor DeWine concerning property taxes were sensible and necessary, and it is vital to the future success of our schools and communities that these provisions do not return to the budget. I urge you to vote NO on these overrides: VETO #55, Property Tax: County Budget Commission Authority & Procedure: This would allow politicians to go against the will of the majority of voters when they vote in favor of a levy to support their community and undermines basic democratic principles of honoring voter choice. VETO #65, 20-Mill Floor Calculation: This would automatically cut funding for all school districts across the state and would be devastating to every community in Ohio. VETO #66, School District Property Tax Levy Restrictions: This would eliminate home rule and prevent voters from having a say if an emergency in their community demands a new tax levy; this provision would hurt school districts, emergency responders, libraries, and other local authorities who should be able to decide whether or not to put a levy on the ballot. These so-called property tax reforms would take power away from voters and rob communities of both school funding guarantees and the chance to support their schools at the ballot box. The provisions Governor DeWine rightly vetoed are poorly thought out and offer no real solution to the very real property tax crisis. Please vote against these overrides and get to work with your colleagues to find some real solutions. Thank you for your service to Ohio.

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Senate President McColley

Subject: Protect our local communities and pass real property tax reform

Message:

The line-item vetoes issued by Governor DeWine concerning property taxes in the FY 26-27 operating budget were sensible and necessary, and it is vital to the future success of our schools and communities that these provisions do not return. I urge you to vote NO on these overrides: VETO #55, Property Tax: County Budget Commission Authority & Procedure: This would allow politicians to go against the will of the majority of voters when they vote in favor of a levy to support their community and undermines basic democratic principles of honoring voter choice. VETO #65, 20-Mill Floor Calculation: This would automatically cut funding for all school districts across the state and would be devastating to every community in Ohio. VETO #66, School District Property Tax Levy Restrictions: This would eliminate home rule and prevent voters from having a say if an emergency in their community demands a new tax levy; this provision would hurt school districts, emergency responders, libraries, and other local authorities who should be able to decide whether or not to put a levy on the ballot. These so-called property tax reforms would take power away from voters and rob communities of both school funding guarantees and the chance to support their schools at the ballot box. The provisions Governor DeWine rightly vetoed are poorly thought out and offer no real solution to the very real property tax crisis. Please vote against these overrides and get to work with your colleagues to find some real solutions. Thank you for your service to Ohioans.

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House Speaker Huffman

Subject: Protect local communities and pass real property tax reform

Message:

The line-item vetoes issued by Governor DeWine in the FY 26-27 operating budget concerning property taxes were sensible and necessary, and it is vital to the future success of our schools and communities that these provisions do not return. I urge you to vote NO on the following overrides: VETO #55, Property Tax: County Budget Commission Authority & Procedure: This would allow politicians to go against the will of the majority of voters when they vote in favor of a levy to support their community and undermines basic democratic principles of honoring voter choice. VETO #65, 20-Mill Floor Calculation: This would automatically cut funding for all school districts across the state and would be devastating to every community in Ohio. VETO #66, School District Property Tax Levy Restrictions: This would eliminate home rule and prevent voters from having a say if an emergency in their community demands a new tax levy; this provision would hurt school districts, emergency responders, libraries, and other local authorities who should be able to decide whether or not to put a levy on the ballot. These so-called property tax reforms would take power away from voters and rob communities of both school funding guarantees and the chance to support their schools at the ballot box. The provisions Governor DeWine rightly vetoed are poorly thought out and offer no real solution to the very real property tax crisis. Please vote against these overrides and get to work with your colleagues to find some real solutions. Thank you for your service to Ohioans.

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Ohio State House

Subject: Protect local communities and pass real property tax reform

Message:

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THANK YOU FOR TAKING ACTION!

Thank you for taking the time to stand up for local communities!

Want to keep going? Call your Ohio representatives and urge them to reject these veto overrides! Go here to find your Ohio State senator and House representative.

Here are some tips for effective communication with our lawmakers.

Have a clear and concise message: Write or speak briefly about the issue and finish with your ask ("vote no/yes on x", "increase funding for x", "create legislation that will x"). If you are communicating about a specific bill, be sure to provide the bill number and sponsor. Elected officials and their staff are often dealing with a high volume of calls, so a focused message makes it easier for them to understand and respond to.
Use the message you just sent as a script: Adapt it to make it shorter or more personal, or read it as-is.
Personalize your message: Why is this important to you? What is your connection to the issue? Make it a story so you stand out.
Identify yourself as a constituent: Most lawmakers will immediately disregard someone who is outside of their district, so be sure to let them know you are a potential voter.
Why phone calls? Person-to-person communication is the most effective. They show effort and passion, and give you and the legislator (or their staff) the chance for an actual conversation.

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TAKE ACTION TO STRENGTHEN OHIO'S DEMOCRACY

TAKE ACTION TO STRENGTHEN OHIO'S DEMOCRACY

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