Legislative update: Ohio Sen. Kristina Roegner puts in bid for state treasurer, backs SB 1 and Ramaswamy

March 14, 2025

Ohio Sen. Kristina Roegner. Photo via Ohio Senate

Isabella Schreck
The Summiteer

Ohio Sen. Kristina Roegner, who serves Portage County and part of Summit County, announced she is running for state treasurer, endorsing Trump-backed Vivek Ramaswamy for Ohio governor and continuing the fight for Senate Bill 1 approval – all in February.

Other Summit County public servants have brought forth new legislation, voted on partisan and bipartisan bills and shared their opinions on President Donald Trump’s executive orders and proposed budget.

Roegner plans state treasurer run

Roegner, who served as a state representative before becoming a state senator, is running for state treasurer. She announced her bid in mid-February.

“I'm very proud of what we have accomplished, from lowering our state income taxes to common-sense regulatory reform. Together we’ve put Ohio on the right track …” Roegner said in a video on her campaign page. “The mission of the Ohio treasurer is to be the trust steward of Ohio’s treasury, a wise investor in Ohio’s future and bold innovator committed to improving people’s lives. That’s who I am at my core, and that is what I'll do.”

The state senator earned her MBA in finance and strategy from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and currently serves as chair of the Higher Education Committee, vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee and chair of the General Government Committee.

Roegner has also become a loud supporter of Ohio gubernatorial candidate Ramaswamy, a 2024 Republican primary presidential candidate and former co-lead of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency that is now solely headed by Elon Musk.

Current Gov. Mike DeWine is finishing his second term and can not run again due to term limits. The election will be held Nov. 3, 2026. Ohio’s Attorney General Dave Yost and former president of the Morgan County School Board (southeast of Columbus) Heather Hill are the only other declared Republican candidates in the race so far. Amy Acton, who served as the state’s health director during the COVID-19 pandemic, has announced her plans to run on the Democrat’s side.

Ramaswamy, a Cincinnati-native who was the youngest Republican presidential candidate, ran his presidential campaign with the promises to end birthright citizenship and have those under 24 and under pass a civics test to vote, among other ideas. He has also said he is against Roe v. Wade and is in favor abortion being left up to the states.

Roegner spoke about her faith in Ramaswamy at a rally Feb. 24.

“In order for Ohio to be No. 1, we need a leader that is bold, is innovative, has vision, is charismatic, is an unapologetic patriot – and that is who he is through and through,” Roegner said. “I met Vivek a little over two years ago … and when I listened to him speak, he spoke the truth boldly. He was so bold and brave, and he was right on. I've been watching him carefully since then, and he has not waived, he has not faltered – if anything he is even stronger. We need him.”

Bills brought forth (Jan. 23 - Feb. 27)

Emilia Sykes, a Democratic United States Representative serving Summit County in the 13th district, and Ohio Rep. Bill Roemer (R-Richfield) have certainly been the busiest this month in terms of new legislation.

Since the start of February until Feb. 27, Sykes has introduced these bills:

Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation (SAD) Act: This bill would “to crack down on the use of misleading advertising and disinformation by crisis pregnancy centers.” According to the press release about the bill, crisis pregnancy centers, which aim to counsel pregnant women to not get an abortion, “often falsely and deliberately advertise themselves to potential clients as comprehensive reproductive health care providers.”
Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act: This act aims to improve train safety, requiring at least two people to be working on all railroads making more than $250 million, among other initiatives.
Taxpayer Data Protection Act: Directly addressing Musk leading Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, this would “stop people with conflicts of interest or without a security clearance from accessing the highly sensitive Treasury Department payment system,” which handles Medicare and Social Security.

All Sykes-back bills currently still sit in the House.

Along with U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce from Portage County and two other congressional figures, Sykes also brought forth the East Palestine Health Impact Monitoring Act of 2025, which would help fund a long-term study on the health impacts of the February 2023 train derailment. This sits in the House, as well.

In support of one of Syke’s legislative efforts, Ohio State Sen. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) introduced a resolution, urging Congress to pass Sykes’ RAIL Act on Feb. 25. Before his election as state senator in November 2024, Weinstein held the role of an Ohio State Representative.

The congressman brought forth a bill of his own titled Senate Bill 98, which would prohibit people who have first-degree misdemeanor for domestic violence, which a person commits if they attempt or do commit serious injury or harm to a partner, on their record from possessing firearms in Ohio, according to the bill’s language. This sits in the Senate.

Roemer has brought forth several pieces of legislation since the start of the month, all still sitting in the House. These include:

House Bill 79: This would increase the penalty put on a person for committing assault against a sports official while they are working a sporting event or if the incident occurs during or immediately before or after said event
House Bill 41: This would establish a set budget of $10,250,000 from the state treasury for certain child grant programs through the Ohio Department of Children and Youth
House Bill 23: This would establish an “escaped convict alert program,” which law enforcement can use to alert an area through radio, television or other broadcast methods of an escaped convict, hopefully aiding in the ability for authorities to identify and locate the perpetrator

Roemer also worked alongside Ohio State Rep. Heidi Workman, who serves Portage County, to sponsor House Bill 14. This piece of legislation will ensure Ohio tax law matches the protections made in the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023.

The 2023 act provides tax relief for taxpayers harmed by federally declared disasters, such as wildfires or the East Palestine train derailment. Under this bill, those who received a settlement because of the East Palestine train derailment will not have to pay taxes on it. This bill was signed by the governor in early March.

Along with her newly-announced campaign and endorsement, the state Senate passed Roegner’s first bill of the year Feb. 21.

Senate Bill 6, now in the House, would create “expedited appeals when contractors disagree with changes recommended by building inspectors,” according to a press release from the senator’s office. Under the bill, appeals would need to begin within one day of a request and a hearing must be held in five days. Boards deciding on appeals would then be able to meet virtually to further speed up the process.

Roegner also introduced Senate Bill 128, which discusses policy surrounding ABLE accounts, which provide tax-advantaged help for people with disabilities wanting to save and invest money. According to a copy of the legislation, there are little changes at stake if the bill is approved. This sits in the Senate committee.

Ohio State Reps. Jack K. Daniels (R-New Franklin), Derrick Hall (D-Akron) and Veronica Sims (D-Akron) did not bring forth any legislation in February. Sims and Hall have yet to introduce any bills since the start of the year.

How they’ve voted

Roegner has been a very vocal supporter of the DEI-eliminating Senate Bill 1, which passed the Senate in February. She voted in favor of the bill, which still sits in the House.

The chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee is a co-sponsor of the bill and spoke at a news conference Feb 12.

Senate Bill 1 would prevent higher education instructors from striking, eliminate tenure for faculty, prohibit schools from sharing positions on “controversial” topics and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion training, offices and scholarships in Ohio higher education, in addition to other goals.

"As chair, I am committed to ensuring that our universities are offering the highest caliber education, where students are able to reach their full intellectual potential, where research and critical thinking are promoted, free speech is encouraged, where innovation is nurtured, and performance is rewarded,” she said in a press release. “We want Ohio’s students to be educated, not indoctrinated.”

Weinstein, an outspoken opponent to Senate Bill 1, voted against it Feb. 12.

In a press release from Jan. 22, he said the bill silences diverse voices and undermines the integrity of the state’s education system.

“Senate Bill 1 is a misguided attempt to micromanage higher education in Ohio, imposing unnecessary restrictions on our universities, faculty, and students,” he said.

On the federal level, Sykes has voted on 16 pieces of legislation, including bills and resolutions, since Jan. 23. Within that time frame, she has recorded six “No” votes and 10 “Yes” votes.

Sykes supported the HALT Fentanyl Act, which aims to classify fentanyl-related substances into a category of drug that has the highest potential for abuse within the federal government's drug policy system, along with the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, a bill that would prevent an illegal immigrant who flees from U.S. Border Patrol from ever legally becoming a U.S. citizen.

The congresswoman voted against the Protecting American Energy Production Act, which would prevent a president from banning hydraulic fracking. She also is against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would penalize healthcare providers who do not “comply with the degree-of-care requirements” for children that remain alive outside the womb after an abortion or an abortion attempt.

These bills have yet to be signed into law.

Sykes also voted against the House Republicans’ budget resolution for the 2025 fiscal year, which also is also “setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels” for the 2026-2034 fiscal years.

According to the blueprint budget’s language, the Republicans plan to allow for $300 billion in spending for military and border security and to make $2 trillion in spending cuts, among other actions. The U.S. debt would also increase from its current $36 trillion to $43 trillion by 2028 under the new budget.

The resolution narrowly passed 217 to 215, with only one Republican joining all Democrats in voting against the resolution. It now needs Senate approval.

The budget states Congress would continue to find ways to eliminate “the burdens of overregulation” in government, while promoting Federalism and a reduced government bureaucracy.

Sykes, however, had different thoughts about the budget.

“It is not good for the people of #OH13,” Sykes wrote on X. “It would kick children, pregnant mothers, and those with disabilities off their healthcare, all while destabilizing our local economy by pulling funding from our community's largest employers, hospitals.”

Community work

Sykes held meetings with elected officials and faith leaders across her district to discuss current issues, with many topics revolving around Trump’s recent executive orders, at the end of January and early February.

The congresswoman ran an Expressions of Empowerment event, where she brought together middle school girls from across her district as they discussed the opportunities they can have in S.T.E.A.M. fields. She also attended and showed her support for the launch of the Black Chamber of Commerce Summit County Feb. 20.

“As we are seeing an increase in attacks against DEI across the country,” she wrote on X, “this chamber is vital in ensuring that diverse voices in #OH13 are uplifted and heard.”

Committees

Sykes announced she was elected to two caucuses, serving both in top leadership positions, in February.

The congresswoman will work with a group of Democrats and Republicans to ensure their communities are not harmed by “unfair trade efforts” as chair of the nonpartisan Tariffs, Trade, and Strategic Competition Working Group in the Problem Solvers Caucus, according to a release.

She is also now co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Women’s Caucus, which has a “longstanding mission of advancing bipartisan policies that improve the lives of women, girls, and families across the country,” according to a Feb. 13 press release.

As announced Jan. 31, Sykes will also maintain a vice-ranking position on the Transportation and Infrastructure committee and a ranking position on the Science, Space and Technology committee.

Taking stances on social media

Sykes has been nearly the only Summit County representative active on X in February, aside from Rogener updating constituents about her endorsement of Ramaswamy and her state treasurer run.

In response to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spotted near an Akron elementary school in late January, Sykes shared information on how community members, no matter their immigration status, can prepare themselves if they interact with these officials, encouraging them to “#KnowYourRights.”

The congresswoman, who had also been highlighting important Black figures in history throughout the February for Black History Month, also praised her Democratic party, saying they were working to protect citizens from “cuts that Trump, Musk & DOGE are making to essential services.”

On Feb. 26, Sykes addressed Trump’s current federal government employee firings, in an attempt to cut budget costs, that began in February and even in the days following his inauguration. She tweeted that she, along with the American Federation of Government Employees that represents over 800,000 federal workers, will help protect the 6,000 or so federal employees in Sykes’ 13th district.

“They are our family members, friends, and neighbors who keep our communities safe, ensure we have access to the benefits of our government, and keep our local economy running,” she wrote.