Budget & Taxes

To amend section 1546.04 of the Revised Code to require the ODNR Chief of the Division of Parks and Watercraft to establish a discount program for veterans and service members for park services and rentals.

To amend sections 3501.01 and 5747.502 and to enact sections 3505.011, 3513.141, 5747.504, and 5747.505 of the Revised Code to generally prohibit the use of ranked choice voting and to withhold Local Government Fund distributions from a municipality or chartered county that uses ranked choice voting.

SB 2 creates a tax exemption program for developers building on former coal mines or brownfield sites in Ohio, offering five years of property tax relief to encourage investment in these economically distressed areas. It also clarifies that small renewable energy projects (under 50 megawatts, like solar farms, wind farms, and biogas digesters) can be regulated by local zoning boards without changing their tax classification as public utilities. The bill directly affects local governments, developers, and small renewable energy operators by streamlining approvals for these projects while preserving existing tax treatment. These changes aim to support grid reliability and affordability by facilitating new power generation in targeted communities.