March 19, 2026
Introduction
As March moves forward, G2G is engaged at the Statehouse, meeting with Legislators and staff regarding Capital Budget priorities while closely tracking bills moving through the committee process, and identifying opportunities to testify, shape and craft legislation that will impact our clients’ work.
Activity in Columbus is being shaped by three major dynamics: the ongoing State Capital Budget process, a fresh round of recently introduced bills, and a rapidly intensifying 2026 gubernatorial race.
The March 12 deadline for community project submissions for the State Capital Budget has now passed, and legislative leaders are shifting from intake to review and negotiation as members prepare to advance their project requests to finance leadership later this month though we likely will not see a public bill or passage until late May. The legislature will have their final week of work before the primary the week of March 23rd and it is sure to be a busy one!
More on elections, Capital Budget, and bills we are following below.
Statehouse Leadership and Capital Budget Negotiations
The May 5th primary election is now firmly taking shape. The governor’s race is becoming more defined as new March polls show Democrat Amy Acton ahead of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the general election. The Republican primary remains structurally tilted toward Ramaswamy given his early Ohio GOP endorsement, large ad buy, and stronger campaign infrastructure. However, Casey Putsch remains on the ballot and is continuing to campaign as an outsider alternative in the GOP primary.
A new EMC Research poll conducted February 10–22 and reported in March found Amy Acton leading Vivek Ramaswamy 53% to 43% among likely general-election voters. At the same time, broader polling averages appear more mixed: RealClearPolling’s Ohio governor page shows a much tighter overall picture, while Race to the WH’s aggregate currently shows a narrower Acton advantage. Taken together, the polling suggests that while Acton has recent momentum, the general election remains fluid rather than settled. This is especially true among Independent voters which Acton is currently leading.
On the Republican side, the race still appears to favor Ramaswamy, though Casey Putsch is actively trying to frame himself as the anti-establishment alternative. The Ohio Republican Party endorsed Ramaswamy last year, and recent reporting shows he has launched a $10 million statewide ad buy, underscoring both his fundraising strength and his intention to lock down the nomination early. Putsch, meanwhile, remains active on the campaign trail. Publicly available recent polling specifically measuring Ramaswamy versus Putsch appears limited, but the race currently, along with recent polling, shows a divided GOP with many Republicans indicating their intention to stay home depending on who wins the primary.
Additionally, the earlier mentioned EMC Research poll concluded that Sherrod Brown is leading Senator Jon Husted 51%-47%. However, this poll is seen as an outlier as many analysts and polls rate this seat as “Lean Republican”. This poll does follow the general trend of Vivek Ramaswamy running behind Jon Husted as Vivek has yet to sure up the Republican Party primary voters.
Bills to Watch
A number of bills introduced in late February have the potential to receive committee hearings and advance further in the legislative process in the coming weeks.
Senate Bill 362 - Ohio Defense and Space Commission
Introduced on February 10 and referred to Senate Workforce Development on February 11, Senate Bill 362 would establish the Ohio Defense and Space Commission. The proposal fits into a broader legislative theme around advanced industry recruitment, aerospace, defense-sector growth, and regional economic development.
Senate Bill 328- Regards Education and Workforce Return on Investment Initiative
This bill sponsored by Senator Koehler heard proponent testimony on March 3rd. The bill brought in education providers across the state, and there appears to be wide consensus that this bill is needed
House Bill 704 - Promised Land Act
Introduced on February 17 and referred to House Ways and Means on February 18, House Bill 704 would create a nonrefundable, transferable tax credit for charitable organizations that construct owner-occupied housing.
House Bill 650 - Frontier Technologies and Quantum Computing Commission
Although introduced earlier, House Bill 650 has become newly relevant this month because it advanced to the Senate and focuses on emerging technology policy. The bill would establish the Frontier Technologies and Quantum Computing Commission, signaling continued legislative interest in positioning Ohio within advanced computing and next-generation innovation sectors.
House Bill 679 – Increases criminal penalties for buyers of prostitution including enhanced felony penalties for repeat violations. The bill will be receiving hearings in the coming months with much interest from organizations around Ohio involved in the Anti-Human Trafficking arena.
House Bill 742 – Requires behavioral health screenings during the perinatal period to improve early identification and treatment of maternal mental health conditions. The bill is currently in the insurance committee and looking to get its first hearing.
House Bill 220 – Establishes requirements for insurers and Medicaid to implement standardized prior authorization processes, including timelines and transparency measures. It was favorably reported by the House Insurance Committee with a unanimous vote and will go to the House floor for a vote before being sent to the Senate.
House Bill 271 – Expands access to breast examinations and screenings by updating coverage requirements and patient notification provisions. It has currently had 5 hearings in the House Insurance Committee and is currently being reviewed for a potential vote in the committee.
House Bill 141 – Authorizes and regulates pediatric extended care centers to provide specialized services for medically complex children. After passing unanimously out of the Ohio House last year, this bill has now received its proponent testimony during its second hearing in the Senate Health Committee. The Committee will now be expected to hear from interested party or opponent testimony on this bill.
House Bill 84 – Establishes the Innocence Act which seeks to protect minors from explicit material by requiring age verification. It also makes each violation of this act a $100,000 fine. This bill was favorably reported with a unanimous vote by the House Technology and Innovation Committee and will be heading to the House floor for a vote.
House Bill 730 – This bill reappropriates $1.93 billion in capital funds for the FY 2027-2028 biennium. The bill makes supplemental appropriations to H.B. 96, the main operating budget that passed last year, totaling $14.2 million in FY 2026, and $52.3 million in FY 2027 for 21 different state agencies. The bill also earmarks $10 million from the GRF and $2.5 million in federal funds to be allocated to county departments of Jobs and Family Services to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This bill has now passed the Ohio House in a largely party line vote with Representatives Rachel Baker (D-Cincinnati), Derrick Hall (D-Akron), Crystal Lett (D-Columbus), and Joe Miller (D-Amherst), joining Republicans to vote for the bill, while Representative Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) voted with Democrats against the bill.
Outlook
G2G remains actively engaged in the Capital Budget process and continues to meet with legislators to discuss priorities while also continue to follow the upcoming elections to gauge best practices for advocacy moving forward for the ever-evolving political landscape. For guidance or advocacy with upcoming legislation, please reach out to our Ohio team.
Becky Watts: bwatts@G2Gconsulting.com
Andrea Harless: aharless@G2Gconsulting.com
Nicholas J. Boggess: nboggess@G2Gconsulting.com
Griffin Tullis: gtullis@G2Gconsulting.com