Rep weighs in on veto override

TIFFIN — The Ohio House of Representatives voted Tuesday to override Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of Item 66. Item 66 addresses the use of emergency and replacement levies, said state Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery. Such language can be deceiving, he said: "The key word is transparency." In the future, Click said, a levy cannot be labeled "emergency" or "replacement," and voters must "know if and why" their taxes could be increased if a levy is approved. A proposed levy, he said, must contain clear language explaining the need for the funding. "Just inform people," he said. Item 66 is one just component of property tax concerns in Ohio. Click said his office receives "lots of contact about property taxes," and he wants his constituents to know "we are hearing them." "We are not done yet," he said. In a statement released by his office, state Rep. McClain, R-Upper Sandusky, of District 87 said, "Property taxes are out of balance and must be addressed. Multiple provisions in the budget that were vetoed began the process of doing so. The override this week simply addresses transparency on future levies. There are other vetoes that we are continuing to work towards an override on and I'm confident we will do so." The Advertiser-Tribune reached out to District 83 Representative Ty Mathews, but had not received a response by press time. The override of DeWine's veto of Item 66 now awaits Senate review. SAFE Act update Click also gave an update on the Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act (SAFE) Act, which he introduced in 2023. The SAFE Act, which bans gender-affirming care for minors in the state, was passed in 2023 and quickly vetoed by Gov. DeWine. The Ohio House and Senate voted to override that veto, and the SAFE Act then was challenged by the ACLU. The Ohio Supreme Court announced Tuesday it will review the constitutionality of the state's ban gender-affirming care for minors, Click said.