Part 2 of 3: Your Ohio Legislative Advocacy Cheat Sheet

How to make an impact with tips from the OCDA Government Relations Committee:

Note: Become an advocacy champion!  This is part 2 of a 3-part series on effective advocacy, how to engage on behalf of our clients, and the best channels for communication! Part three will be published in the Pulse on Ohio newsletter next month!

We are here to help guide you through the process based on our advocacy work and experience during our annual legislative advocacy day each fall. The Ohio legislature works for you and learning to navigate it just takes a few steps.

Find Your Representative and Senator:

Every Ohioan has one State Representative and one State Senator. To find yours, enter your zip code in ohiohouse.gov orohiosenate.gov to locate yours.

1. Review your representative and senator’s pages to learn about what they are working on to understand their work before engaging. This will help you to know if they are working on something related to your workplace or industry. 

2. Save their office contact information in your phone. You’re their constituent, and they’re there to listen and represent you. 

Keep Tabs on the Action

The legislature.ohio.gov site is the best place to find accurate update information on a bill. You can search for keywords like "internship" or "workforce" to see which bills are actually moving.

1. Keep an eye on the Workforce Development Committee (Senate) and the Workforce and Higher Education Committee (House). You can even watch their meetings live on The Ohio Channel if you’re feeling extra studious. There may be other committees, too, that relate to your interests. 

2. Set up email alerts in your legislature.ohio.gov account for specific bills of interest. 

Use the "Three-Sentence Rule"

When you call or email, keep it human and keep it brief. Legislative aides are busy, and if you make their lives easy, your message is way more likely to reach the boss.

1. Who you are: "I’m a career advocate in [Your City] and a constituent."

2. The Issue: "I’m calling about [Bill Number/Topic] because it’s directly affecting my clients' ability to find jobs."

3. The Ask: "I’d love for the Representative to support this measure to help our local hiring."

4. Reach out to the OCDA GRC if you need a template or advice on reaching out!

 Give Your Two Cents Today

State agencies (like ODJFS) are constantly putting out "State Plans" for public feedback. Right now, the 2026-2027 Combined State Plan is a huge deal because it decides how federal workforce funds (WIOA) get spent in Ohio. Sharing your thoughts here is a simple, formal way to steer the ship.

Onward,

Sarah JanTausch & Newton Kimberly | Co-Chairs, OCDA Government Relations Committee