State lawmakers took on some of the biggest issues facing Ohioans, ushering in dozens of new laws that are set to take effect in the new year.Last week, Gov. Mike DeWine rounded out 2025 with his signature on 18 bills that take effect in 2026. Some of the most noticeable changes for everyday Ohioans will come to property taxes, education, elections and cannabis law.Just before the 2025 legislative session ended, lawmakers advanced several bills addressing homeowner concerns about the sharp rise in property taxes over the last five years.PROPERTY TAX CHANGES ARE AROUND THE CORNERHouse Bill 129 will change what levies are included in the 20-mill floor for school funding purposes, aiming to slow automatic property tax growth.HB 186 is estimated to save Ohio property owners $1.7 billion over the next three years by establishing an inflation cap credit that prevents increases in school district property taxes.HB 335 caps the inside millage collections to the rate of inflation and requires county budget commissions to adjust inside millage levies from growing beyond inflation over the three previous years.HB 309 expands the authority of county budget commissions to modify levies and trim rates, which could shield Ohioans from excessive property tax bills.HB 124 gives county auditors more oversight and authority in determining property valuations.”These bills will impact every Ohioan now and into the future,” said Rep. David Thomas, the former Ashtabula County auditor who led the way on Ohio property tax reform in 2025. “We are, for the first time, saying ‘no’ to unvoted property tax spikes and ‘yes’ to more voter control and transparency. There is still much more work to go, but we have made the strongest push possible with these reforms in just 12 months.”CELLPHONES IN SCHOOLS, VICIOUS DOGS, IMITATION MEAT AND THE MINIMUM WAGEIn 2024, lawmakers required schools to adopt policies on cellphones in schools. In 2025, they took the issue a step further by requiring public school districts to ban the use of cellphones during the school day. SB 158 takes effect on Jan. 1, 2026.HB 114 sets statewide age requirements for kindergarten admission across Ohio, requiring students to be at least 5 years old by Sept. 30 of the upcoming school year.HB 247 aims to curb dog attacks by handing more authority to dog wardens and imposing criminal penalties for negligent dog owners, while including protections for dogs that are defending themselves or their owners. The bill is named “Avery’s Law” in honor of an 11-year-old girl who was severely injured in a dog attack in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, in 2024.HB 10 requires companies to clearly label food products and aims to protect consumers from inaccurately labeled imitation meat and egg products.“We are taking a clear step toward transparency in food labeling and protecting Ohio’s consumers and agricultural producers,” said Rep. Jack Daniels. “This bill ensures that families know exactly what they’re putting on the dinner table, while supporting the integrity of our state’s meat and egg industries. I’m proud to stand with Ohio’s farmers.”Ohio’s minimum wage will rise by the rate of inflation, increasing by 30 cents to $11 per hour. The change is required by a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2006.UPDATED POT LAWS AND A BAN ON INTOXICATING HEMPSenate Bill 56 clarifies the hazy rules surrounding Ohio’s voter-approved recreational marijuana program. The law makes dozens of changes, including clarifying where adults over 21 can use marijuana, releasing tens of millions of dollars in marijuana tax revenue to local governments and updating pot packaging requirements.The new law will ban intoxicating hemp products from being sold outside licensed marijuana dispensaries. The changes in Ohio’s law came after Congress imposed a national ban on low-THC hemp products in the passage of the most recent national budget.The bill approved by Ohio legislators would have allowed the sale of low-THC beverages to be sold at liquor stores to adults 21 years and older through December 2026. However, DeWine line-item vetoed the carve-out for intoxicating hemp drinks, saying it would create confusion and a lack of conformity with federal law.”We were surprised because we had worked for the last three months with both the House and the Senate to get to that language. That was something everybody agreed upon. And so, by him making that decision and crossing it out, he made the decisions for everybody in Ohio that THC beverages will no longer be legal,” said Bobby Slattery, owner of the Fifty West Brewing Company based in Columbia Township.Slattery’s business produces tens of thousands of cans of Sunflower each week, a low-THC infused seltzer. He says if the ban stands, he will need to halt production of the product, which will result in revenue and job losses.Jason Friedman said the new law will require him to remove 95% of products from the shelves at his two Ohio CBD Guy locations in Greater Cincinnati. Friedman says he will have to close his East Walnut Hills location, which will no longer be profitable once the law takes effect.”Ninety-five percent of the products that we currently sell will be banned in Ohio,” Friedman said. “So, we’re going to be closing that store.”DeWine, who sought to block the sale of intoxicating hemp products in October by executive order, has raised concerns about intoxicating hemp products, like candies that are appealing to children.”The facts are that THC is not analogous to alcohol, is metabolized differently than alcohol, and does not intoxicate in the same way alcohol does,” DeWine said in a statement. “This can mislead consumers into thinking these products will have the same effect on them as alcohol, when there is no way to guarantee such claims, thus creating safety issues.”The Ohio Healthy Alternatives Association (OHAA), representing the state’s hemp industry, is now seeking a ballot referendum on SB 56.”We are confident that Ohio voters will stand in support of local businesses and their right to provide safe and regulated hemp products,” the OHAA said in a statement on Dec. 29.Ohio’s provisions banning intoxicating hemp in SB 56 are set to take effect on March 19, 2026.