Today marks the beginning of the 131st General Assembly. There will be a lot of excitement surrounding the kickoff of the legislature with new leadership taking over in the House and several new members in both the House and Senate. As things get underway, what can we expect from this new General Assembly?

In the House, Rep. Cliff Rosenberger, who has a 100% pro-business score through his first two terms, is taking over leadership duties as the new Speaker of the House. There are also 30 new representatives being sworn in today. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (OCCPaC) endorsed 15 of those 30 in last year’s General Election. Of the 69 returning from the last General Assembly, 48 have a lifetime pro-business score of 70% or higher and 26 have a perfect 100% score. All signs point to a strong pro-business majority in the lower chamber.

On the Senate side, 27 returning senators have a 70% or higher lifetime pro-business score. Additionally, there are four new senators – Cecil Thomas, Sandra Williams, Kenny Yuko, and Jay Hottinger. OCCPaC endorsed Sens. Williams and Hottinger last year, who both had strong pro-business records while serving in the House (Hottinger was previously in the Senate as well). As far as leadership, the Senate will be in good hands as Senate President Keith Faber returns, although he is term-limited at the end of this session. He has an outstanding 95% lifetime pro-business score spanning a total of 92 votes.

There is a lot to look forward to as we begin the New Year and the new legislature. If past performance is any indication, it appears this General Assembly will be focusing on the right things – a stronger business climate and a growing economy.