Protecting Ohio’s Public Investments & Interests
“Peace in Palestine is inevitable. The question is how do we make that happen today.” - Darrell Issa
Vote Yes - House Bill 489
What if doing business with your own state government meant giving up your rights? That is the reality for many Ohioans right now. But a new bill, House Bill 489 (HB 489), could change that.
If HB 489 were made into law, it would:
Repeal a 2016 law (section 9.76) that forces businesses, nonprofits, and universities to sign a political pledge not to boycott any entity that the state does business with, specifically stating Israel
Reset Ohio back to a simple, fair standard of contract practices of awarding contracts to the best bidder
Protect Ohioans’ constitutional rights when working with their own government
What Does the Current Law Require?
In 2016, Ohio passed a law (section 9.76) that added a new step to the contracting process:
Before anyone can do business with the state, they must sign a pledge not to boycott certain entities and explicitly state Israel.
Example of how policy can cause harm:
A small business bidding on a state contract must agree to this political pledge to foreign nations
A university receiving state funding must enforce this rule
Local organizations and youth-led groups face restrictions on their civic engagement activities and on empowering their voice
HB 489 Toolkit Coming Soon…
Vote No - House Bill 188
What can you do? Check out our HB 188 Toolkit
House Bill 188 - Bill Status and Text
Should Ohio taxpayers fund a government partnership focused on one foreign country-while our own local communities are struggling?
That’s the question we are asking about House Bill 188 (HB 188), a new bill that creates a trade and tech partnership with Israel. Like most states, Ohio’s economy is better than that of Israel. While the bill’s supporters talk about economic opportunity, we see a costly, politically charged distraction that plays favorites with taxpayer money. Israel needs our tax dollars more than we need them.
What is House Bill 188?
House Bill 188 (HB 188) would create the Ohio Israel Trade and Innovation Partnership- a member government body tasked with studying how Ohio can deepen trade and academic ties with Israel.
At first, it might seem like a regular commission, but if you take a closer look, you'll see it's a state-funded commission with seats for special interest groups and unelected officials. This is leading Ohio down a controversial foreign policy path that many residents never wanted.
The List of Problems:
This bill is redundant and more restrictive than current law. Ohio already has authority under ORC §122.291 to engage in international trade partnerships broadly.
The bill says members serve “without compensation,” but that doesn't mean it’s free. Travel expenses, staff support, printing, administrative overhead - meaning your tax dollars are footing the bill.
No cost estimate has been provided to the public
The bill establishes an international partnership in Ohio’s name without clear standards for public reporting, measurable return on investment, or safeguards to protect taxpayers
Security protections raise concerns that leave Ohio vulnerable to potential threats and breaches without a defined safety framework
The bill’s ambiguous language regarding "specific industries" masks a potential focus on the war economy like weapons manufacturing, a sector that historically offers minimal job growth while driving up gas prices and the general cost of living.
The bottom line: Ohio’s schools are underfunded, roads are crumbling, food stamp cuts are being made, and rural hospitals are closing; why are we spending a single dime on a foreign trade commission?
Vote No - Senate Bill 87
What can you do? Check out our HB 87 Toolkit
Today, in 2026, we are watching our politicians introduce laws that would harm civic rights and our democracy, and Senate Bill 87 (SB 87) is a recent example.
What is Senate Bill 87?
SB 87 will force Ohio to use the “working definition”, created by an international body outside the U.S. legal system, IHRA, into Ohio state law. IHRA is against this because it will be used to violate our First Amendment rights and weaponize antisemitism to protect the foreign entity of Israel from accountability
Ohio law already enhances penalties for crimes motivated by race, color, religion, or national origin through the state’s ethnic intimidation statute. This bill is unnecessary because we have the tools to address bias-motivated violence and intimidation.
If SB 87 were made into law, it would:
Weaponize antisemitism in a way that allows political expression related to a foreign government (Guess who? Israel).
Suppress political speech and harm academic freedom.
Will not keep people safe. If a Jewish person says, “Free Palestine,” it could be used as evidence of discriminatory intent in the context of Ohio’s ethnic intimidation statute. This will harm Jewish people and not keep people in Ohio safe from discrimination.
The issue is straightforward: Why should Ohio restrict Americans’ speech to protect a foreign government from criticism?