A Republican state lawmaker from Steubenville has introduced a resolution that would ask Ohio voters to lower the bar for overriding a governor's veto from a three-fifths majority to a simple majority in both the House and Senate. The move comes just days after Amy Acton won the Ohio governor's race, making her the state's first Democratic governor in 20 years, and after Ohio House Republicans lost the veto-proof supermajority they previously held.
House Joint Resolution 11, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Ron Ferguson of Steubenville, proposes a constitutional amendment that would lower the legislative threshold to override a governor's veto to a simple majority, according to Cleveland.com. Ferguson told the outlet the bill is a passion project for him, saying he supports strengthening the legislative branch and letting Ohio voters decide the matter themselves. He said he is currently the only lawmaker listed on the bill, though he said he has begun discussing the proposal with other lawmakers and has received positive reactions so far.
How Ohio's Current Override Math Works
Ohio currently requires a three-fifths majority in each chamber to override most governor vetoes. In the 99-member Ohio House, that means 60 votes are needed, while the 33-member Ohio Senate requires 20 votes, per the same report. Ohio House Republicans will not have the 60 votes needed to hit that three-fifths threshold next year, even though Ohio Republicans will still hold 20 votes in the Senate.
That shift traces back to the election results Cleveland.com cites: Democrats, labor unions and other allies worked over the past year to break the GOP supermajority in the House, and Republicans will have to negotiate with Acton and Democrats rather than simply overriding her vetoes outright. Under the Ohio Constitution, any proposed constitutional amendment like HJR 11 must itself be agreed to by three-fifths of the members elected to each house before it can move forward, according to codes.ohio.gov.
No Governor's Signature Required
Because HJR 11 is a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment, it would not require the governor's signature to advance, the article notes. If it clears both chambers, Ohio voters would then need to approve the amendment by a majority vote at the ballot box. Ferguson said he would like the proposal placed on the ballot in May if it passes.
The Ohio Constitution also preserves a separate check on lawmakers: the people reserve to themselves the power to propose laws and amendments to the constitution directly to the General Assembly, and to adopt or reject them at the polls, according to a codes.ohio.gov excerpt describing Article II.
Funding Fight And Political Opposition Ahead
Ferguson acknowledged he has not really talked with conservative organizations or business groups about campaign support, even though Ohio Republicans will need outside organizations and individuals to help finance a campaign if the proposal actually reaches the ballot, Cleveland.com reports. Democrats, labor unions and other groups are expected to oppose the ballot proposal, the outlet says. Meanwhile, Gov. Mike DeWine has said he would not support legislative attempts to weaken the executive branch, according to the article.
How Other States Handle Veto Overrides
Ohio's current three-fifths threshold puts it in the company of most states, which require a supermajority in one or both chambers to override a governor's veto, the Cleveland.com report notes. By contrast, Indiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee all allow a simple majority to override a governor's veto, per the same reporting. West Virginia allows a simple majority to override vetoes of ordinary bills but requires a two-thirds majority to override vetoes of the state or supplementary budget. At the federal level, the U.S. Congress requires a two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto. A National Conference of State Legislatures snippet confirms that override thresholds vary by state, with requirements set at one-half, three-fifths or two-thirds of members depending on the jurisdiction, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
For now, HJR 11 remains in its early stages, with Ferguson as its sole listed sponsor and no confirmed timeline beyond his stated hope for a May ballot slot. Whether the resolution can clear the three-fifths hurdle required of its own passage, in a House where Republicans no longer hold a supermajority, will shape whether Ohio voters ever get the chance to weigh in at all.
