Reps. Brennan, Dean Call to Permanently End Lame Duck Sessions
COLUMBUS – State Reps. Sean Patrick Brennan (Parma) and Bill Dean (R-Xenia) today announced a bipartisan proposal to permanently eliminate the practice of lame duck sessions in the Ohio General Assembly, emphasizing the need for greater accountability, transparency, and integrity in the legislative process.
“As a new member of the General Assembly, this is my first lame duck session, and I am very concerned about the volume of legislation, speed, and lack of transparency. Not one colleague I have spoken to on either side of the aisle has anything good to say about this process. Being thrown multiple bills with multiple amendments on multiple complicated subjects hours before you have to make a decision is not a way to govern and not fair to the people we serve who have a right to be involved in the process and who can be negatively impacted by the things we do,” said Rep. Brennan.
“The people of Ohio deserve a government that works for them year round—not one that pushes through major decisions in a short, unaccountable window when trust is hardest to uphold. By ending lame duck sessions, we ensure every vote reflects the clear voice of the electorate,” said Rep. Dean.
Lame duck sessions—periods after an election but before the newly elected legislature takes office—often result in rushed, controversial legislation with limited public input and reduced accountability. During this window, outgoing legislators, no longer facing electoral consequences, may cast critical votes with little incentive to reflect the will of their constituents.
Recent years have shown lame duck sessions packed with hurried votes on complex legislation, often with minimal deliberation. Critics argue that such practices erode public trust and circumvent meaningful participation. Ending lame duck sessions would align Ohio with best practices seen in other state legislatures and foster a more responsible legislative timeline.
The proposed reforms aim to:
1. End lame duck legislative sessions following a General Election;
2. Ensure new legislators are seated promptly to represent voters’ current preferences; and
3. Promote deliberative and transparent governance during non-election years.
This initiative reflects a bipartisan interest in reinforcing Ohio’s legislative integrity while restoring faith in the General Assembly’s processes.
Other cosponsors on this bipartisan bill are: Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester), Rep. Scott Lipps (R-Franklin), Rep. Tex Fischer (R-Boardman), Rep. Bernie Willis (R-Springfield), Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin), Rep. Willis Blackshear (D-Dayton), Rep. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati), Rep. Beth Liston (D-Dublin), Rep. Jodi Whitted (D-Madeira), Rep. Rachel Baker (D-Cincinnati), Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson), Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna), Rep. Munira Abdullahi (D-Columbus), Rep. Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland), and Rep. Elgin Rogers (D-Toledo).