On April 29, members of the Ohio House Government Committee I heard public testimonies ON Ohio House Bill (HB) 196who could force some transgender candidates to independently expire to the public office and may increase the challenges for their candidates.
Bill sponsors – conservative Rep. Angie King (R-Clina) AND Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria) – They were the only candidates for the house in Ohio who faced transgender opponents during parliamentary elections in 2024.
Creech and King ran against transgender candidates Bobby Arnold AND Arend Childreyappropriately. Both were cleaned to appear in the voting card after the challenge of their qualification, but they lost to King and Creech in universal elections. The third transgender candidate for Ohio House, Vanessa Joy, was completely disqualified due to the appearance of voting.
King and Creech for the first time introduced the law as HB 471 during the 135th OHIO Congress Session, and then re -introduced it as HB 196 in April 2025.
During the first public interrogation in HB 196, some members of the committee expressed concern, noting that the Act was used almost exclusively to question and disqualify transgender women before applying for a public office.
What would HB 196 do?
. Amended OHIO CODE It already includes a list of criteria that candidates must meet to get a certificate by the electoral council in order to appear in an official vote.
Candidates may not be eligible for the appearance in the voting card, if there are: not a US citizen, not in legal age to hold a public office, they have already exceeded the term limit, had a criminal register or in “incompatibilities”, without disclosing any previous legal names they used in the last five years.
Republicans from Ohio could direct transgender candidates with a modern electoral account
Under Ohio lawFrom at least 1939, the future candidates for the Public Office had to reveal changes in the legal name that occurred in specific time frames – excluding the changes in names that occur through marriage or divorce.
HB 196 would not change existing criteria. Instead, he would add a designated space to the official petler’s petitioners for the applicants to mention the former names of rights.
Currently, only registered members of the same political party as a potential candidate can formally undermine the qualification of this candidate.
HB 196 would change this principle, enabling a person registered under any political party to question the eligibility of each candidate based on the suspicion of the existence of antique legal names-an impartial pretense that would allow candidates such as Creech and King formal questioning of opponents.
“The right to change the name requires reform”
“This is particularly interesting to me because I had some experience with this problem.” said a general member of the government committee Rep. TEX FISCHER (R-BOARTMAN).
Fischer – who is not transgender – legally changed his name from “Austin James Fischer” to “Austin James Texford Fischer” in 2020.
Last year, the Democratic Party official questioned Fischer’s rights based on his lack of disclosure of the change of this name. Ultimately, Fischer was cleaned to appear voting.
Republican Ohio cleared himself, open to the reforming right to change the name used to attack transgender candidates
“My situation is of course different,” said Buckeye Flame last year. “Someone like Vanessa Joy or Arienne Childrey, changing the name is of much more important for them and I do not think that the publication of the previous name really does good voters and only causes the pity of the candidate.”
“I think that the law regarding the change of name requires reform,” he added. “I think that disqualification of something that is minor is unfair and does not serve the interests of society.”
The process of changing the name Ohio
Creech and King have used the term “transparency” more than a dozen times to describe the bill, noting that the Ohioans who change their names may hide previous penalty judgments or other legal issues, such as due taxes or payments for maintenance.
However, judges of inheritance courts in Ohio Usually, do not change the name to the ohioans who have been convicted of criminal offenses In this fraud, theft of identity, abuse of children, sexual offenses and other violence crimes such as assaults or domestic incidents.
Some judges of the inheritance court may even refuse to issue an order to change the name if it has been found that the Applicant is to blame for taxes, child support or some types of marital support.
In addition, the Ohioans, who, according to the law, change their names, are obliged to publish a public notification, publishing changes via a free legal newspaper for 30 days before the inheritance court review, enabling public time members to contact the court with reservations.
Name changes and marriage licenses are also public and are often available via court websites.
Managing transgender candidates
Democratic members of the Committee expressed concern that the bill can be used in particular to manage transgender candidates, limiting their ability to participate in the election process, unless themselves as transgender.
“My problem certainly concerns the change of name, especially in the case of transgender candidates,” he said Rep. Eric Synenberg (D-Beachwood). “I don’t think they have to reveal their previous name so that people know who they are [were] Earlier – what was their previous name. “
Rep. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) He questioned Creech and King’s intention in opening the challenges for the candidate for members of each party, “instead of simply making her a bias as it is now.”
Brent mentioned Arnold, Childrey and Joy by name.
“They were all transgender candidates who dealt with it here in the state of Ohio,” Brent said. “Was it in any part of consideration, why did you develop these bills because we have these three transgender candidates when you came up with this concept?”
“Because I know that it was not because of your friend here,” she added, heading for Fischer.
King did not answer directly to Brent’s question. 
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- To find contact details for a representative of the Ohio state, Click here.
- To find contact details for your Senator Ohio, Click here.
- To access the full legislation guide LGBTQ+ Buckeye Flame for 136. Ohio General Assembly, click here.
- If you are a adolescent LGBTQ+ in crisis, please contact Trevor project: 866-4-U-TREVOR.
- If you are an adult transgender in need of immediate lend a hand, please contact National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
Republicans Post Ohio press the bill to increase the challenges for transgender candidates during the first interrogation, the first in Buckeye Flame appeared.
