Mike DeWine’s 2025 Decisions: Ohio Property Tax, Voting Rules, and Budget Shake-Up

Property Tax Reforms: Addressing Homeowner Anxiety and School Funding

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine entered the final weeks of 2025 with a stack of property tax bills on his desk—each one a response to mounting public outcry. Homeowners across the state, facing tax spikes as high as 35%, demanded relief. Grassroots activists pushed a citizen initiative to abolish property taxes altogether, arguing they were being priced out of their homes. Lawmakers, meanwhile, grappled with balancing tax relief against the vital role property taxes play in funding local services, especially public schools.

DeWine signed five property tax measures, aiming to cap increases at the rate of inflation. Ohio House Bill 335 and House Bill 186 specifically limited the growth of inside and outside millage, respectively. These technical but impactful changes mean that tax rates now rise only with broader economic inflation, not unchecked property value surges. Another, House Bill 129, adjusts how school emergency levies count toward minimum funding, potentially lowering overall rates. Two additional bills give county officials more authority over tax valuations and the ability to reduce levies deemed excessive or unnecessary.

Despite these reforms, DeWine warned that abolishing property taxes entirely would be “a great mistake.” He acknowledged the pain felt by many Ohioans, but stressed that funding for schools and local services must remain stable. The governor’s creation of a property tax working group—whose recommendations he weighed heavily—demonstrates his preference for incremental, consensus-driven change over radical overhaul.

Reluctant Voting Law Changes: Certainty Over Flexibility

One of DeWine’s most controversial decisions was signing Ohio Senate Bill 293, which eliminates the grace period for absentee ballots. The move came “reluctantly,” with DeWine citing an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case on similar voting rules in Louisiana. He explained that a late-summer ruling could leave Ohio scrambling to harmonize state and federal election laws, risking confusion or chaos ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

House Speaker Matt Huffman echoed these concerns, noting that emergency legislative fixes require supermajority support—a tall order in Ohio’s divided House. DeWine’s calculation: better to ensure voters and officials know the rules now, even if he personally preferred a veto. Not everyone agreed. The Ohio Voter Rights Coalition slammed the bill’s additional provisions, warning they would increase provisional ballots, purge eligible voters, and overburden election officials. They argued the changes punish voters, leaving valid ballots uncounted due to postal delays.

The Budget: Tax Cuts, Stadiums, and Vetoes

2025’s two-year, $60 billion state budget was a battleground in the legislature. While more than 900 bills were introduced, only a handful made it to DeWine’s desk. The budget’s most headline-grabbing feature: a flat 2.75% income tax for Ohioans earning over six figures, costing the state over $1 billion by 2027. Every legislative Democrat opposed the budget, citing concerns over priorities and spending. DeWine himself issued a staggering 67 vetoes on budget items, a sign of both executive assertiveness and legislative contention.

Amid the wrangling, House Bill 96 earmarked $600 million for the Cleveland Browns’ new domed stadium—funded by unclaimed assets from dormant bank accounts and uncashed checks. This move drew attention both for its scale and for the creative use of state resources. The budget also reflected ongoing tension between the governor and the legislature, with vetoes overridden and compromises struck.

Higher Education and Energy: Culture Wars and Bipartisan Action

Senate Bill 1 marked a major shift in Ohio’s higher education policy. Motivated by a “crisis of confidence” among conservatives, lawmakers eliminated most diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training at public universities. The bill mandated “intellectual diversity,” banned faculty strikes, and added a civics course focused on U.S. history and free markets. Faculty, students, and Democrats protested the changes, arguing they undermined academic freedom and equity. Yet the bill’s passage showcased the legislature’s resolve to reshape institutional culture.

Not all legislation was divisive. House Bill 15, signed in May, united parties with its overhaul of Ohio’s energy generation system. It requires utility distributors to justify their rates before the Public Utilities Commission every three years, aiming for greater transparency and accountability. The bill’s passage was a rare moment of consensus in an otherwise polarized year.

Avery’s Law: Responding to Tragedy

Among the bills DeWine signed was Avery’s Law, inspired by the harrowing experience of 11-year-old Avery Russell, who survived a brutal dog attack. The law imposes criminal penalties on negligent owners of dangerous dogs and mandates liability insurance for owners of dogs previously deemed dangerous. Courts must now order the euthanization of any animal that kills or seriously injures a person. DeWine praised Avery’s courage in sharing her story, using it as a rallying point for legislative action.

Political Dynamics: The Push and Pull of Ohio Governance

Throughout 2025, DeWine’s actions reflected a delicate balancing act. He sought to address voter and homeowner anxieties, often choosing practical certainty over idealism. Legislative gridlock, party infighting, and citizen activism shaped the year’s agenda. DeWine’s willingness to sign, veto, and override reflected both responsiveness and restraint—aiming for incremental progress while avoiding what he saw as “untenable” solutions.

• The property tax reforms offer relief to many but stop short of structural change.
• Voting law changes prioritize clarity for election officials, at the expense of flexibility for voters.
• The budget’s tax cuts and spending decisions highlight deep partisan divides and creative fiscal management.

Mike DeWine’s 2025 record is marked by cautious adaptation rather than bold transformation. His choices reflect the realities of governing in a politically divided, economically anxious state—where the best path forward is often the one that keeps options open, stakeholders engaged, and chaos at bay. The coming year will test whether these incremental steps satisfy Ohioans’ demands for relief, fairness, and stability.