Public Service Attorneys Committee

Can someone please explain to me how an amendment to ORC 9.66 to remove ALL records regarding private parties seeking tax breaks from public oversight snuck its way into a bill Rep. Brian Stewart co-sponsored to "prescribe limitations on intercollegiate athlete contracts" with no pushback from public sector attorneys or the Ohio News Media Association? And now he has co sponsored a new bill to prohibit NDAs for local officials due to data center pushback!

Is Rep. Stewart's logic that it's now unnecessary to have NDAs because it's all secret anyway! Now no one has the right to know what kind of agreements public officials are negotiating with private enterprises - every application for economic development "assistance" is automatically exempt from RC 149.43 - but who proposed that amendment when the bill got to the Ohio Senate? Because it wasn't in the version first passed by the House. 

Section 9.66 - Ohio Revised Code | Ohio Laws

House Bill 184

House Bill 695

Bricker has an advisory out for public sector attorneys warning them their clients face criminal penalties for disclosing such information as the bill took effect March 20, 2026. Economic Development Project Information Now Confidential: New Risks for Public Officials & Employees

How does that comport with the First Amendment and the public's right to know? NDAs and RC 9.66 as amended automatically suppress accountability and undermine public trust in local officials. That's completely contrary to public policy. 

------------------------------
Breanne Parcels
Logan County Prosecutor's Office
Bellefontaine OH
------------------------------

Yes, thank you for noting that background, Yosef. It's true that legislation can take on a life of its own during the process, and HB184 took on a number of amendments. Bill sponsors do not always have direct involvement in the amendments added to their bills, particularly in the other chamber. 

This is a valuable public policy discussion that we encourage within our communities. Let's please keep the conversation focused on the policy and avoid comments on personality. 

For this group in particular, members should be mindful that we have attorneys across all sectors of government, including state agencies and the legislature, whose employers may be implementing decisions or policy changes. We want this to be an inclusive and comfortable space for all.

Marisa Myers
Ohio Bar Director of Government Affairs

------------------------------
Marisa Myers
Ohio State Bar Association
Columbus OH
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-09-2026 10:58
From: Yosef Schiff, Esq
Subject: HB 184 and HB 695

I did a little digging to see when that provision got into the bill. The version of the bill passed by the House was much shorter and didn't contain that provision. In fact, neither did the version that was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

After it was reported out of Judiciary, the Senate Rules and Reference Committee re-referred it to the Finance Committee. It was there that Finance Committee Vice Chair Brian Chavez (R, District 30) offered the amendment (AM-136-1507), which was adopted without objection. The bill was then reported out of Finance and passed the Senate 32-1.

Yosef Schiff

yschiff@gmail.com