CA: Increase the membership of the General Assembly
| Number |
S. J. R. No. 1
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| Type |
Senate Joint Resolution
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| General Assembly |
136
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Government Link
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Legislative Analysis Report CA: Increase the membership of the General Assembly
1. Primary Purpose of the Bill
This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Ohio Constitution to increase the size of the Ohio General Assembly. If approved by voters, the number of state senators would increase from 33 to 51, and the number of state representatives would increase from 99 to 153, starting January 1, 2033. The resolution also sets up transitional rules for senate terms and redistricting to accommodate the larger legislature.
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2. Changes to Existing Law
Ohio Constitution Art. II, Sec. 2 Increases the size of the General Assembly to 153 representatives and 51 senators starting January 1, 2033, and outlines transitional term lengths for senators during the expansion.
Ohio Constitution Art. XI, Sec. 1 Removes specific references to 99 house districts and 33 senate districts regarding the redistricting commission's public plan releases.
Ohio Constitution Art. XI, Sec. 3 Changes the redistricting formula to divide the state population by the actual number of representatives and senators rather than the fixed numbers of 99 and 33.
Ohio Constitution Art. XI, Sec. 4 Changes senate district numbering from a fixed 1-33 range to consecutive numbering starting at 1.
Ohio Constitution Art. XI, Sec. 5 Requires the 2032 redistricting plan to designate specific districts for existing senators and determine which new districts will have transitional two-year or four-year terms.
3. Key Information for Citizens
🗳️ What You Need to Know
- Ohio voters will decide on this constitutional amendment during the general election on November 3, 2026.
- If passed, the Ohio Senate will expand from 33 to 51 members, and the Ohio House of Representatives will expand from 99 to 153 members starting in 2033.
- The expansion will require the Ohio Redistricting Commission to draw more legislative districts during the 2032 redistricting process.
- Special transitional rules will apply to state senate terms, and certain short two-year terms will not count toward term limits.
4. Entities Affected
- Ohio voters
- Ohio state senators and representatives
- The Ohio Redistricting Commission
- Candidates for state legislative office
5. Regulatory Impact & Enforcement
Agency Authority: The Ohio Redistricting Commission is authorized to draw the new, expanded legislative districts for the 153 house seats and 51 senate seats.
Penalties & Mandates: Not applicable
Implementation Timeline: The proposal will be put to voters on November 3, 2026. If approved, the constitutional changes take effect immediately, with the expanded legislature taking office on January 1, 2033.
6. Estimated Fiscal Impact
State Revenue Impact
Not applicable
Local Government Impact
Not applicable
Implementation Costs
Not applicable
Net Annual Fiscal Effect
Not applicable
Policy doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Meet the representatives and senators who introduced this bill and are pushing it through the chamber. Click on any sponsor to see their district, party affiliation, and what other legislation they’ve championed this session.
Primary Sponsors
Louis W. Blessing, III
District
8
Chamber
Senate
Party
Republican
Co-Sponsors
Related Topics
To make your research more efficient, this bill has been assigned to one or more Topics. These custom labels group related legislation together, ensuring you can find all of the bills related to a specific topic, regardless of which committee they are in.
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Elections & Voting
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Business & Commerce
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Local Government
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Most legislative decisions are made in committee rooms, not on the chamber floor. Here, you can track which committees have been assigned to review, amend, or report on this bill. Stay informed on where the bill is currently being debated and which chairpersons hold the power to move it forward.
Status Changes
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Senate |
Governor |
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Referred to committee
Jan 29 2025
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Documents
Access the primary source. This section hosts the full, unedited text of the legislation alongside every official document produced during its journey. From the initial draft to the final enrolled version, you can review the exact language being proposed for state law.
