Washington, D.C. – The Club for Growth Foundation released its 2025 State Economic Scorecard for Ohio, offering Buckeyes a detailed review of how state legislators in Columbus approached limited-government policies.
The Scorecard analyzes policies and votes to assign an Economic Growth Score from 0 to 100, with 100 representing the highest support for pro-growth policies. In 2025, the Foundation’s study examined 321 floor votes and ultimately included 13 Ohio House and 10 Ohio Senate votes.
“Lawmakers in Ohio delivered meaningful reforms for their constituents in 2025 to limit government and boost freedom,” said Club for Growth Foundation President David McIntosh. “The legislature stopped cities and counties from enacting replacement property taxes after reducing property taxes by at least $1.7 billion over the next three years while also passing additional tax entity limitations that will save taxpayers upwards of $760 million. These wins, however, were diluted after an 8.5% increase to the Ohio Department of Transportation budget and a 6.3% increase to general fund spending that included $600 million in corporate welfare for the Cleveland Browns. While this session was an overall success, these spending binges risk future economic prosperity.”
Click here to read the full 2025 Ohio State Economic Scorecard from the Club for Growth Foundation.
Key Highlights from the 2025 Ohio Scorecard:
Ohio House:
- Average Republican Score: 81%
- Average Democrat Score: 28%
- Highest Rated Republican(s): Reps. Levi Dean (HD-71) and Ron Ferguson (HD-96): 100%
- Highest Rated Democrat(s): Reps. Chris Glassburn (HD-15) and Bride Sweeney (HD-16): 74%
- Lowest Rated Republican(s): Rep. Jason Stephens (HD-93): 53%
- Lowest Rated Democrat(s): Rep. Terrence Upchurch (HD-20): 15%
Ohio Senate:
- Average Republican Score: 74%
- Average Democrat Score: 33%
- Highest Rated Republican(s): Sen. George Lang (SD-04): 80%
- Highest Rated Democrat(s): 6 Democrats scored 37%
- Lowest Rated Republican(s): Sen. Louis Blessing III (SD-08): 46%
- Lowest Rated Democrat(s): Sens. Paula Hicks-Hudson (SD-11), Catherine Ingram (SD-09), and Kent Smith (SD-21): 24%
Notable Pro-Limited Government Policies:
HB 28 – CURBING MUNICIPAL PROPERTY TAXES
- Eliminates the authority of cities and counties to enact replacement property taxes, beginning with elections held on or after October 1, 2025
- Ensures that local governments cannot continue an underhanded revenue-grab scheme
HB 186 – SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF
- Limits school district revenue growth from the 20-mill floor to the rate of inflation, curbing automatic tax hikes during reappraisal
- Creates a property tax credit for homeowners equal to the difference between the millage floor and the amount it would have raised under specified inflation rates, with the new cap reevaluated whenever a county undergoes a reappraisal
- Reduces property taxes by at least $1.7 billion over the next three tax years
HB 335 – ADDITIONAL TAX ENTITY LIMITATIONS
- Limits the ability of taxing authorities to juice tax revenue from the 10-mill “inside millage” property tax, which does not require voter approval under the Ohio Constitution
- Accomplishes this by tying such levies to the gross domestic product deflator over the previous three years
- Requires county budget commissions to adjust the 10-mill limitation so the increase in current taxes does not exceed base taxes charged and the inflation factor certified by the tax commissioner
- Estimates say reforms will save taxpayers between $620 million and $760 million over the next three tax years
Notable Anti-Limited Government Policies:
HB 54 – BIG-SPENDING TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS PACKAGE
- Appropriates $11.5 billion to DOT and related agencies–an 8.5 percent increase over previous biennium baseline spending levels when excluding the “one-time” Brent Spence earmark from 2023
- Authorizes a 15.4 percent increase in spending in the Ohio Public Works Commission transportation improvement program from FY2025 levels and a 7.4 percent increase in gas tax funds to boost spending on local government projects
HB 96 – PROFLIGATE BUDGET AGREEMENT
- Authorizes $91.8 billion in general fund spending for the FY2026-2027 budget cycle
- A 6.3 percent increase in general fund spending from the previous biennium
- Incorporates an 11 percent increase in total Medicaid spending, a 19.6 percent increase in subsidized government pre-K spending over FY2025 spending levels, two new subsidized government child care programs, $140 million in new higher education spending, a new $100 million revolving loan program for rural housing developments, a significant expansion of broadband infrastructure boondoggles, and expansion of numerous crony grant programs including $600 million in corporate welfare for the Cleveland Browns
Note: This Scorecard is based on selected votes and does not reflect a legislator’s entire voting record. The Club for Growth Foundation does not endorse or oppose any legislator for public office.