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Portrait of Sandy O'BrienPhoto: legislature.ohio.gov

OH · Officeholder

Sandy O'Brien

RState Senator · District 32

Votes by issue

Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Republicans voted. How topics are assigned

  • Jobs & cost of living21 with · 0 against21 votes

    Most contested

    • Yes

      Make state operating appropriations for FY 2026-27

      This analysis is arranged by state agency in alphabetical order. Items that do not directly involve an agency are located under the agency that has regulatory authority over the item or otherwise deals with the subject matter of the item. After the last agency (the Department of Youth Services), separate chapters address the following: 1. Election Law, addressing the replacement of the Ohio Elections Commission and other elections matters; 2. Sports facilities and unclaimed funds; 3. Boards and commissions; 4. Local government; 5. Low-income utility assistance and block grants; 6.

      Oct 1, 2025 · Passed 21–11 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    • Yes

      Limit ability to reallocate certain school property tax millage

      Requires that current expense fixed-sum levies be included in the calculation of a school district’s 20-mill floor or a joint vocational school district ’s 2-mill floor for property tax purposes, as follows:  Includes existing emergency and substitute levies in the first tax year, beginning in tax year 2026, in which a county in which the district has territory undergoes a reappraisal or triennial update.  Includes existing growth and conversion levies and fixed-sum property taxes levied with a school district income tax beginning in tax year 2026.

      Nov 19, 2025 · Passed 23–10 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    • Yes

      Regards budget commissions, property tax, and certain funds

      County budget commissions. Limits a requirement that county budget commissions (CBCs) approve all properly authorized voted property tax levies without modification to only the first year of a levy’s collection. Authorizes CBCs to reduce property tax levies, provided they are not otherwise required to approve them without modification, to avoid unnecessary or excessive collections.

      Nov 19, 2025 · Passed 23–10 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    All jobs & cost of living votes
  • Rights & public safety21 with · 0 against21 votes

    Most contested

    • Yes

      Enact Advance Ohio Higher Education Act

      DEI and intellectual diversity Policy. Requires state institutions of higher education to adopt and enforce a policy requiring the institution to:  Prohibit: ❖ Any orientation or training course regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), unless the institution submits a written request for an exception; ❖ The continuation of existing or establishment of new DEI offices or departments; ❖ Using DEI in job descriptions; ❖ Contracting with consultants or third parties whose role is to promote admissions, hiring, or promotion on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual…

      Mar 26, 2025 · Passed 20–11 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    • Yes

      Waive ID, birth certificate fees for homeless individuals

      Absent voting by mail. Would have required an elector to provide photo identification ( ID) to vote by mail beginning with the November 2027, general election. Would have exempted certain electors from that requirement and provided alternative ID procedures for them. Would have allowed an elector to fulfill the photo ID requirement by providing it either when applying for ballots or when returning voted ballots to the board. Would have permitted an elector to show photo ID at the board’s office instead of making a copy.

      Jun 10, 2026 · Passed 23–10 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    • Yes

      Revise deadline to return absent voter ballots

      Absentee ballot deadline. Requires all regular absentee ballots that are returned by mail to be delivered to the appropriate board of elections by the close of the polls (7:30 p.m.) on Election Day to be counted, eliminating a four-day grace period for those ballots under prior law. Electors’ U.S. citizenship. Changes the process the Secretary of State (SOS) must use to review the Statewide Voter Registration Database to identify non-U.S. citizens.

      Nov 19, 2025 · Passed 23–10 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    All rights & public safety votes
  • Education & families15 with · 0 against15 votes

    Most contested

    • Yes

      Enact Advance Ohio Higher Education Act

      DEI and intellectual diversity Policy. Requires state institutions of higher education to adopt and enforce a policy requiring the institution to:  Prohibit: ❖ Any orientation or training course regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), unless the institution submits a written request for an exception; ❖ The continuation of existing or establishment of new DEI offices or departments; ❖ Using DEI in job descriptions; ❖ Contracting with consultants or third parties whose role is to promote admissions, hiring, or promotion on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual…

      Mar 26, 2025 · Passed 20–11 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    • Yes

      Limit ability to reallocate certain school property tax millage

      Requires that current expense fixed-sum levies be included in the calculation of a school district’s 20-mill floor or a joint vocational school district ’s 2-mill floor for property tax purposes, as follows:  Includes existing emergency and substitute levies in the first tax year, beginning in tax year 2026, in which a county in which the district has territory undergoes a reappraisal or triennial update.  Includes existing growth and conversion levies and fixed-sum property taxes levied with a school district income tax beginning in tax year 2026.

      Nov 19, 2025 · Passed 23–10 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    • Yes

      Enact the Historical Educational Displays Act

      Requires public schools that receive donations to display at least four from a list of nine founding documents in each classroom in which students in any of grades 4-12 are provided instruction in history or social studies. Requires schools to determine the amount of funds necessary to comply with the bill ’s provisions and permits them to accept donated funds or displays. Permits a school to erect on any school grounds or premises a monument inscribed with one or more of the documents.

      Nov 19, 2025 · Passed 23–10 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    All education & families votes
  • Climate & energy5 with · 0 against5 votes

    Most contested

    All climate & energy votes
  • Health & care5 with · 0 against5 votes

    Most contested

    • Yes

      Urge Presidential support for Medicaid work requirements

      On the version voted May 14, 2025: Urges the President to support the Ohio Department of Medicaid's request to impose work requirements on certain Medicaid recipients.

      Mar 26, 2025 · Passed 21–10 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    • Yes

      Revise medical and adult-use marijuana laws; levy marijuana taxes

      Overview. Repeals the Cannabis Control Law and combines regulations concerning the cultivation, processing, dispensing, use, and home grow of adult-use and medical marijuana into one chapter, referred to in this analysis as the Marijuana Control Law. Condenses the operations of the Division of Cannabis Control ( DCC) and the Division of Marijuana Control (DMC) into DCC. Product regulations. Prohibits possession or use of marijuana that is not acquired from a licensed Ohio dispensary or cultivated at the adult-use consumer ’s primary residence in accordance with the Marijuana Control Law.

      Feb 26, 2025 · Passed 23–9 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    • Yes

      Regards school policies on administering overdose reversal drugs

      School policy on overdose reversal drugs. Requires any public or nonpublic school that elects to keep a supply of an overdose reversal drug for an emergency situation to adopt and implement a policy regarding the supply’s maintenance and drug’s use. Permits a school to accept monetary donations for purchasing overdose reversal drugs. Requires a school superintendent to report any emergency use of an overdose reversal drug to the school’s governing body and the parent or guardian of the student to whom the drug was administered as soon as practicable after that use.

      Oct 1, 2025 · Passed 28–4 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    All health & care votes
  • Transportation2 with · 0 against2 votes

    Most contested

    • Yes

      Prohibit specified actions with intent to steal a motor vehicle

      Gas and diesel fuel tax. Reduces the tax on gasoline and diesel fuel for a period of three months, from 38.5 ¢ per gallon for gasoline and 47¢ per gallon for diesel to 0.01¢ per gallon for either. Prohibits a licensed retail dealer or licensed motor fuel dealer from selling motor fuel during the temporary reduction period without passing the full benefit of the reduced tax onto the consumer or other purchaser. Provides that violation of the prohibition may be considered in any licensing determination made by the Tax Commissioner and referred to the Attorney General (AG).

      Sep 30, 2026 · Passed 28–3 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    • Yes

      Enact the School Bus Safety Act

      Criminal penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus. Increases the criminal penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus that is loading or unloading passengers by setting required minimum fines, increasing the maximum fines, increasing the length of the driver ’s license suspension, and imposing higher penalties and points on a driver’s license for repeat offenders.

      Jun 10, 2026 · Passed 31–2 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗

    All transportation votes

Where they stood out

Voted with most of their party on all 33 party-divided votes on file.

How this is counted

Their votes on the most contested roll calls

The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank

See all their split votes

Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.

HB 519 · OH SENATE

Prohibit specified actions with intent to steal a motor vehicle

YesVOTED

Gas and diesel fuel tax. Reduces the tax on gasoline and diesel fuel for a period of three months, from 38.5 ¢ per gallon for gasoline and 47¢ per gallon for diesel to 0.01¢ per gallon for either. Prohibits a licensed retail dealer or licensed motor fuel dealer from selling motor fuel during the temporary reduction period without passing the full benefit of the reduced tax onto the consumer or other purchaser. Provides that violation of the prohibition may be considered in any licensing determination made by the Tax Commissioner and referred to the Attorney General (AG).

Official summary — read the bill text ↗
Passed 28–3·Substantive·Sep 30, 2026Roll call ↗
HB 105 · OH SENATE

Revise non-recourse litigation funding agreement regulations

YesVOTED

Overview. Repeals the law governing nonrecourse civil litigation advance contract s and replaces it with two subsets of regulations: one for commercial litigation financing agreements (“commercial agreements ”) and another for consumer legal funding agreements (“consumer agreements”). Contract requirements. Retains the majority of the contract-related requirements under former law, but limits application of those requirements to consumer agreements, i.e., contracts with an individual that resides in Ohio for less than $400,000.

Official summary — read the bill text ↗
Passed 31–2·Substantive·Jun 10, 2026Roll call ↗
HB 173 · OH SENATE

Regards entities providing behind-the-meter utility services

YesVOTED

Regulates companies that resell electricity to tenants through submetering: requires registration with the Public Utilities Commission, disconnection protections, and a tenant bill at least 3% below the utility's standard service offer bill, and limits building conversions to submetering.

AI summary — read the bill text ↗
Passed 24–9·Substantive·Jun 10, 2026Roll call ↗
HB 210 · OH SENATE

Regards the sale of used catalytic converters

YesVOTED

Requires scrap metal dealers and other persons who purchase used catalytic converters to comply with certain additional recordkeeping, reporting, and process requirements. Imposes a penalty not to exceed $7,500 on a business entity that violates the above requirements. Expands the investigatory authority and noninvestigatory responsibilities of the Director of Public Safety relating to scrap metal dealers and other persons purchasing used catalytic converters. Prohibits a motor vehicle salvage dealer from purchasing or accepting catalytic converters.

Official summary — read the bill text ↗
Passed 32–1·Substantive·Jun 10, 2026Roll call ↗
HB 251 · OH SENATE

Regards drone use by law enforcement; aviation facilities

YesVOTED

Criminal evidence derived from a UAV. Generally, requires a peace officer to obtain a court-issued search warrant to collect surveillance data using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) if the peace officer otherwise would need a warrant to physically enter the house or place in person to conduct the search. Prohibits surveillance data and any information obtained from that data from being admitted as evidence in a criminal proceeding if it was gathered under circumstances that required a warrant and the warrant was not obtained.

Official summary — read the bill text ↗
Passed 31–2·Substantive·Jun 10, 2026Roll call ↗
HB 3 · OH SENATE

Enact the School Bus Safety Act

YesVOTED

Criminal penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus. Increases the criminal penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus that is loading or unloading passengers by setting required minimum fines, increasing the maximum fines, increasing the length of the driver ’s license suspension, and imposing higher penalties and points on a driver’s license for repeat offenders.

Official summary — read the bill text ↗
Passed 31–2·Substantive·Jun 10, 2026Roll call ↗
HB 455 · OH SENATE

Regards the operation of public schools and the DEW

YesVOTED

State Board of Education. Increases the number of appointed State Board of Education members from five to seven. Requires the State Board, in some circumstances, to add additional grade levels to alternative resident educator license holders ’ licenses as requested by the educator ’s employing school district. Requires the State Board to automatically revoke or deny the renewal of any license issued to an individual who pleads guilty to, is found guilty of, or is convicted of domestic violence, strangulation, or grooming.

Official summary — read the bill text ↗
Passed 24–9·Substantive·Jun 10, 2026Roll call ↗
HB 472 · OH SENATE

Waive ID, birth certificate fees for homeless individuals

YesVOTED

Absent voting by mail. Would have required an elector to provide photo identification ( ID) to vote by mail beginning with the November 2027, general election. Would have exempted certain electors from that requirement and provided alternative ID procedures for them. Would have allowed an elector to fulfill the photo ID requirement by providing it either when applying for ballots or when returning voted ballots to the board. Would have permitted an elector to show photo ID at the board’s office instead of making a copy.

Official summary — read the bill text ↗
Passed 23–10·Substantive·Jun 10, 2026Roll call ↗
HB 492 · OH SENATE

Prohibit interfering with motor vehicle-related arrests

YesVOTED

Expands the offense of interfering with an officer who is arresting an offender for a violation of a criminal traffic or vehicle equipment law. Increases the penalty for this offense from a minor misdemeanor to a second degree misdemeanor. Creates a new offense that generally prohibits a vehicle operator or passenger from refusing to disclose the person’s name, address, or birthdate when requested by a peace officer who reasonably suspects that the person has committed a violation of certain offenses related to the laws governing motor vehicles and other modes of transit.

Official summary — read the bill text ↗
Passed 24–9·Substantive·Jun 10, 2026Roll call ↗
SB 230 · OH SENATE

Authorize pharmacists to test, treat certain health conditions

YesVOTED

Authorizes a pharmacist to conduct screenings, order and administer laboratory and diagnostic tests, evaluate the results of screenings and tests, and provide treatment to people who are at least five years old for specified health conditions. Requires the State Board of Pharmacy to develop a protocol for pharmacists to use when providing these services. Requires coverage of these pharmacist services by health insurers and Medicaid.

Official summary — read the bill text ↗
Passed 31–2·Substantive·Jun 10, 2026Roll call ↗

Showing 10 of 53 votes in this collection. Coverage may be incomplete; each entry links to the official record.