Ohio governor signs bill creating office to watch for potential federal government overreach


Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed a law January 3, 2023, that contains a provision establishing a Tenth Amendment Center in the Ohio Solicitor General’s Office. According to the bill’s text, “The center shall actively monitor federal executive orders, federal statutes, and federal regulations for potential abuse or overreach, including assertion of power inconsistent with the United States Constitution.”

The center will report federal actions that the staff think encroaches on the rights of the state to the solicitor general, who will advise the attorney general on further action.

The bill started as House Bill 506 but was amended into Senate Bill 288—a criminal justice omnibus package—after the House approved the measure. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) said he supported the legislation and that he believed the law would allow the state to better check federal action and preserve the principle of federalism.

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