Ohio Senate Ways and Means Committee Chair Louis Blessing, R-Colerain Township, told Gongwer that lawmakers are unlikely to pursue major tax policy changes in 2026, pointing instead to a year focused on smaller, procedural measures rather than sweeping reforms. Of the 29 bills before the committee, Blessing said proposals with significant state costs are unlikely to advance, with attention centered on first hearings and limited-impact bills, including measures affecting nonfilers and agricultural land converted to conservation use. He said lawmakers may also revisit a proposal allowing partial property tax deferrals for eligible homeowners, though he noted fatigue after an intense property tax debate in 2025.

While major legislative action appears unlikely this year, attention is already shifting to a potential ballot initiative that would abolish property taxes entirely. A new legal analysis warns that eliminating property taxes would trigger defaults on local government debt, eliminate key economic development tools such as tax increment financing, and put school funding, public safety and infrastructure at risk without a replacement revenue source. 1/27/2026