Ohio Government

Government/Mr. Renner

Ohio Government History

In 1803, Ohio was admitted to the Union as the 17th state.

Chillicothe (chil’i-koth’e) comes from the Shawnee word “Chalahgawtha” for “principal

town.” It was both the first and third capital of the newly formed state of Ohio. A replica of

the first statehouse stands on the original site and serves as the main office of the

Chillicothe Gazette.

The capital was moved to Zanesville as part of a political negotiation in 1810.

The capital returned to Chillicothe from 1812-1816 before finally being located at its

permanent site of Columbus, which was considered a more central location.

Background of Ohio GovernmentOhio’s state government contains three branches elected by Ohio voters. The legislative branch makes laws, the

executive branch administers laws and the judicial branch interprets and enforces laws.

1. The legislative branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, collectively called the General

Assembly.

2. The executive branch includes the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor of State,

Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, State Board of Education, the governor’s cabinet, and boards and

commissions whose members are appointed by the governor.

3. Ohio’s judicial branch of government is comprised of the Supreme Court of Ohio and lower courts that all

perform judicial functions for the people of Ohio.

The following are brief descriptions of the elected offices in Ohio government. These descriptions are not

intended to be complete lists of responsibilities, but to give a broad overview of their duties.

Ohio’s Legislative Branch

Discussed in Article II of the Ohio Constitution

Consists of the General Assembly (Ohio’s Congress)

Ohio’s House of Representatives has 99 members; the Senate has 33 (three House Districts within each Senate District).

The main responsibility of the General Assembly is to make laws:

• The General Assembly debates bills proposed for adoption as laws. • Most bills require a majority vote in both the Senate and the House to pass. If a bill passes one chamber

and is amended by the second chamber, the first chamber must concur with the changes. • When both chambers approve a bill, it is then presented to the governor to be signed into law, vetoed or

allowed to become law after 10 days without the governor’s signature. The Legislature can override a governor’s veto with a three-fifths vote of both chambers.

• When laws are finally adopted, they become part of Ohio Revised Code, and are known as “statutes.”

Ohio’s Legislative Branch

Requirements:

Senators elected to a four-year term, with a term limit of two consecutive four-year terms

Representatives elected to a two-year term, with a term limit of four consecutive two-year terms

Ohio Statehouse

Ohio’s Executive BranchDiscussed in Atricle III of the Ohio Constitution:

Consists of the Governor, Lt. Governor, and other elected officials

The main responsibility of the Executive Branch is to enforce or carry out the laws created by the General Assembly.

Ohio’s Executive BranchGovernor  Current Governor: John Kasich

Elected to a four-year termTerm limit: two consecutive four-year terms

The governor is the chief executive officer of state government. The governor is responsible for proposing the state budget, appointing state department directors and members of boards and commissions (except for the state school board, whose members are elected) and signing into law or vetoing bills passed by the Ohio General Assembly.

Lieutenant Governor  Current Lieutenant Governor: Mary Taylor

Elected to a four-year term as a running mate to the governorTerm limit: two consecutive four-year terms

The lieutenant governor is also a member of the governor’s cabinet and presides in the absence of the governor. The governor may appoint the lieutenant governor to be the director of one of the departments.

Ohio’s Executive BranchAttorney General  Current Attorney General:Mike DeWine

Elected to a four-year termTerm limit: two consecutive four-year terms

The attorney general is the lawyer for the state and all its departments. The attorney general has enforcement authority as empowered by the General Assembly. The attorney general also provides support to local law enforcement agencies.

Auditor of State  Current Auditor of State:Dave Yost

Elected to a four-year termTerm limit: two consecutive four-year terms

The auditor of state is the constitutional officer responsible for auditing all public offices in Ohio, including cities and villages, schools and universities, counties and townships, as well as the many departments, agencies and commissions of state government. The auditor’s office also has the responsibility of making monthly distributions of state revenues to these entities.

Secretary of State  Current Secretary of State:Jon Husted

Elected to a four-year termTerm limit: two consecutive four-year terms

The Secretary of State is the chief election officer for the state, appointing members of the 88 county boards of elections and ensuring the integrity of the Ohio voting process. The Secretary is also charged with safely keeping the laws and resolutions passed by the Ohio General Assembly. The Secretary of state’s office grants authority to companies to do business in Ohio and provides the public access to a wide variety of records and documents.

Ohio’s Executive BranchTreasurer of State  Current Treasurer of State:Josh Mandel

Elected to a four-year termTerm limit: two consecutive four-year terms

In general, the treasurer serves as the state’s banker. The state treasurer manages the state’s multi-billion dollar investment portfolios. Using sophisticated security measures and procedures, the treasurer maintains an accurate account of all state and custodial funds, including those of the state’s five public pension systems.

State Board of Education  Members elected or appointed to four-year termsTerm limit: two consecutive four-year terms

 

The Ohio State Board of Education regulates every school in the state, whether tax-supported or not, from preschool through high school. The board also sets standards for education and certifying Ohio teachers. The board provides leadership toward the continuous improvement of Ohio schools by making legislative and budgetary recommendations to the governor and the General Assembly. There are 19 board members, 11 elected and eight appointed by the governor.

Extra credit:What State Board of Education District do we live in?Who is our State BOE representative?

Governor’s Mansion

Ohio’s Judicial Branch

Discussed in Article IV of the Ohio Constitution

Consists of the State Supreme Court, 12 District Appeals Courts, and 88 County Trial Courts (Court of Common Pleas)

-Why 88 Trial Courts?

The main responsibility of the Judicial Branch is to interpret the laws.

Ohio Supreme Court

Supreme Court of Ohio

7 Justices elected to six-year terms Term limit: None Age limit: Must be elected before age 70

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the state. Most of its cases are appeals from the 12 district courts of appeals. The Supreme Court

also has appellate jurisdiction in cases involving questions arising under the Ohio or United States Constitutions, cases originating in the courts

of appeals, and cases in which there have been conflicting opinions on the same question from two or more courts of appeals. The Supreme

Court, which is made up of the chief justice and six justices, hears all cases in which the death penalty has been imposed, unless waived by the

prisoner.

Ohio’s Judicial Branch

Ohio Appellate Courts

Judges elected to six-year terms Term limit: None Age limit: Must be elected before age 70

As intermediate level courts, the Ohio Appellate Courts’ function is to hear appeals from the common pleas, municipal and county courts.

Each case is heard and decided by a three-judge panel. The state is divided into 12 appellate districts. Each district is served by a court of

appeals that sits in each of the counties in that district. The number of judges in each district depends on a variety of factors, including the

court’s caseload and the size of the district.

Ohio’s Judicial BranchCommon Pleas Courts County Courts of Claims Municipal Courts

Each county in Ohio also has a common pleas court, which hears criminal and civil cases and also decides probate, juvenile and domestic (divorce)

cases. Counties also have county and municipal court systems.

Stark County Courthouse