Catholic Conference of Ohio The official voice of the Catholic Church in Ohio on matters of public policy and government relations.

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Latest News

CCO Welcomes Cincinnati Archbishop-designate Casey as Incoming Chair of the Board of Directors

CCO Grateful for Archbishop Schnurr Upon His Retirement

The Catholic Conference of Ohio (CCO) warmly welcomes Archbishop-designate Robert G. Casey as the incoming chairman of the Board of Directors for the conference after Pope Francis appointed him as the eleventh archbishop of Cincinnati, succeeding Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr.

Brian Hickey, executive director of CCO offered the following comments:
“We congratulate Archbishop-designate Robert G. Casey on his appointment as Archbishop of Cincinnati and welcome him as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Catholic Conference of Ohio. In addition, we are grateful for Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr’s steady leadership and pastoral guidance in Ohio over the past 16-plus years. Archbishop Schnurr’s love for Jesus Christ was evident nationally and in Ohio through his tireless governance and unwavering support for the poor and vulnerable in all times and seasons. The Catholic Conference of Ohio will miss Archbishop Schnurr’s guidance, but we wish him abundant joy and peace in retirement.”

Click "Read more" for additional details.

CCO Comments on Governor DeWine's Executive Budget

In response to Governor Mike DeWine’s final executive budget, Brian Hickey, executive director for the Catholic Conference of Ohio, released the following statement:

“We commend Governor DeWine’s continued commitment to Ohio’s families and children through the Executive Budget, especially the proposed state child tax credit – a long-sought policy goal of the Catholic Conference for Ohio’s families. This would be a meaningful investment in recognizing Ohio’s families as the primary social institution of society and the foundation of Ohio’s future. We also commend the DeWine administration for identifying ways to use taxation for the common good, including recognizing the ongoing harms and addictive nature of sports gambling. Additionally, we thank Gov. DeWine for his commitment to educational options for Ohio’s families, and we look forward to sharing more about the life-changing difference Ohio’s school choice programs have had for children and parents in the budget deliberation process.”  

New Legislation: Prohibit State-Funded Death

The Catholic Conference of Ohio participated in a press conference today to introduce a new bill prohibiting state funding that intentionally terminates human life at any stage and circumstance in Ohio.

Bills to prohibit state-funded death will soon be introduced in the Ohio Senate, led by Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Senator Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), and in the Ohio House of Representatives, led by Representative Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Representative Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland). Both bills reinforce current law banning state funding for abortion, abolish the death penalty, and expand protections against assisted suicide by linking these prohibitions together. Uniting the state’s prohibition on funding any one of these practices protects current pro-life laws, especially from future litigation, by binding them to broader bans on state funding. The bill places each provision in the same category in the Ohio Revised Code. While these issues have strong opinions on their own, the bills seek consensus that Ohioans’ tax dollars should not fund practices that they believe immorally end a human life. 

Click 'Read more' for details.

EdChoice Scholarships: Making Catholic Education Affordable for All Families

Catholic Schools Week

As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, we give thanks for the Ohio legislature for making a Catholic education affordable for all families. The Ohio EdChoice Expansion Scholarship program offers all Ohio students a scholarship to attend a Catholic school! Most Ohio families qualify for the full scholarship of $6,166 for students in K-8 and $8,408 per year for high schoolers.

Click "Read more" to learn how Catholic schools and the EdChoice scholarships are making a difference for Ohio families.

Ohio Senate Passed HB 7 (White, Humphrey) to support Early Childhood and Maternal Health

CCO supported House Bill 7, sponsored by Representatives Andrea White (R–Kettering) and Latyna Humphrey (D-Columbus), which passed the Ohio Senate on December 18, 2024. After several amendments, the bill reforms early childhood and maternal health programs by clarifying and streamlining various processes. Senate members expressed their support during the committee process for appropriating funds in the upcoming State budget for the programs that HB 7 originally aimed to expand. The Ohio House concurred with the Senate changes, so the bill now goes to the desk of Governor DeWine.

Ohio House Passed SB 54, including support for St. Vincent de Paul

The Ohio House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 54, which was amended to modify certain capital appropriations and reappropriations. The final version of the bill includes $750,000 for St. Vincent de Paul Social Services Emergency Shelter for Men. Special thanks to Senator Stephen A. Huffman (R-Tipp City) and House Representative Andrea White (R-Kettering) for supporting the funding and addressing the need for these essential services. SB 54 now goes to the desk of Governor DeWine.

Ohio Senate Passed HB 106 (Jarrells, Lipps) to enact the Pay Stub Protection Act

The Ohio Senate passed House Bill 106, sponsored by Representatives Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Scott Lipps (R-Franklin), requiring employers to provide employees with earnings and deduction statements. The CCO was one of only two organizations that testified in support of the bill and helped get it passed. HB 106 previously passed the Ohio House with a unanimous vote of 96-0 in June 2023 and now goes to the desk of Governor DeWine.

House Unanimously Passes SB 198 (Lang, Manning) on Documents for Inmates

CCO supported Senate Bill 198, sponsored by Senators George Lang (R-West Chester) and Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville), unanimously passed the Ohio House of Representatives on December 11, 2024. The bill would provide inmates with state identification cards and documentation upon their release relating to work experience, education, and trade skills. SB 198 previously passed the Ohio Senate with a unanimous vote of 31-0 in June 2024, and now goes to the desk of Governor DeWine. The CCO believes the bill will help recently incarcerated inmates to readjust to their communities and contribute to the common good.

Catholic Bishops of Ohio Issue Letter on Migrants and Refugees and Our Haitian Brothers and Sisters

As attention remains on Springfield and in preparation for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on September 29, the Catholic bishops of Ohio issued the letter linked below.

In the letter, the bishops of Ohio state, “Today, our nation is divided by partisanship and ideology, which blind us to the image of God in our neighbor, especially the unborn, the poor, and the stranger. These negative sentiments are only exacerbated by gossip, which can spread quickly across social media with no concern for the truth or those involved.”

Read the full letter here: English | Spanish

For more information on World Day of Migrants and Refugees, celebrated on September 29, 2024, visit the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development website.



Catholic Conference of Ohio
Informational Flyer (Updated 6/24)

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