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Kent Smith — Democratic State Senator for Ohio District 21 (official headshot)

Kent Smith Voting Record & Scorecard | Christian Employers Alliance

OH Senator

District: 21 • Democrat

2025 Alignment:

13.33%

Lifetime Alignment:

20.00%

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Lifetime Ratings by Policy Category

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Provided by Transparency USA

Sen. Kent Smith (D-OH-21) earned a 13% Christian Employers Alliance score for 2025, showing minimal alignment with biblical business policy positions. Kent Smith voted on 25 of the 27 substantive bills scored by CEA in 2025. Across 2 years rated, Kent Smith's lifetime CEA score averages 20%, with 36 votes recorded across 38 scored bills. Highest category scores: Healthcare Freedom (100%), Operational Freedom (100%), and Economic Freedom (24%). This session, Kent Smith signed onto 155 bills — 24 as primary sponsor and 131 as cosponsor. Kent Smith represents the 21st District in the Ohio State Senate.

Title

Lawmaker Position

HB 10Senate 20251x

Expanding State Regulation of Food Labeling and Mandating Restrictions on Alternative Protein Products.

Against CEA
This bill creates a new regulatory framework governing how imitation meat and egg products, including plant-based and cultivated-protein foods, may be labeled, marketed, sold, and purchased in Ohio. It authorizes civil penalties, expands enforcement authority for the Department of Agriculture, restricts the purchase of certain foods by public schools and state institutions, and directs state agencies to seek federal waivers to exclude cultivated-protein products from nutrition assistance programs. While framed as consumer protection and transparency, the bill significantly expands state control over food markets by dictating labeling terms, limiting product availability, and imposing compliance burdens on producers and retailers. These provisions reduce consumer choice and market competition while increasing government involvement in agricultural and food policy decisions.
Christian Employers Alliance opposes this bill because it expands regulatory authority, restricts free-market innovation, and limits consumer choice through government-imposed labeling and purchasing mandates.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship and honesty are best upheld through clear information and voluntary exchange rather than heavy-handed regulation. This bill risks expanding government control in ways that constrain innovation and personal responsibility in the marketplace.
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on those who issue oppressive decrees - regulations, mandates, and compliance requirements that crush businesses and deprive workers of opportunity. Operational freedom fights the bureaucratic oppression that kills small businesses, prevents entrepreneurship, and protects established interests at the expense of new entrants. When licensing laws, zoning restrictions, and regulatory burdens make it impossible for the poor to start businesses, government becomes the oppressor Isaiah condemns.
HB 186Senate 20252x

Limiting Automatic School District Property Tax Increases Through an Inflation-Based Cap.

Against CEA
This bill reforms Ohio's property tax system by creating an inflation-based cap on school district property tax collections when reappraisals or triennial updates occur. It authorizes targeted tax reductions for residential and business property when school taxes exceed inflation-adjusted growth, modifies existing rollback and reduction mechanisms, and improves transparency by clearly identifying the inflation cap credit on tax bills. These reforms protect taxpayers from unchecked tax growth, restore accountability to the levy process, and reinforce the principle that government revenue should not grow faster than household income without explicit voter consent.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, just taxation requires restraint, transparency, and respect for the resources families are entrusted to steward. This bill promotes fairness and accountability by preventing hidden tax increases and honoring the principle that government should not take more than is necessary.
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 309Senate 20251x

Limiting Excessive Property Tax Collections and Budget Commission Discretion.

Against CEA
This bill reforms Ohio law governing county budget commissions and property taxation by clarifying standards for unnecessary and excessive tax collections and strengthening the authority of commissions to reduce levies that exceed reasonable fiscal needs. It defines objective criteria for evaluating tax collections, improves transparency in the levy review process, and requires opportunities for public input before reductions are made. These changes promote fiscal discipline, protect taxpayers from over-collection, and reinforce the principle that government should justify the taxes it imposes.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, just governance requires restraint and stewardship in taxation. This bill supports fairness and accountability by ensuring government does not take more from families and employers than is necessary to fulfill its proper role.
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 309 (Motion to Defeat Hicks-Hudson Amd.)Senate 20251x

Protecting Taxpayers by Blocking an Effort to Allow Excessive Property Tax Collections.

Against CEA
This motion defeats (or tables) the Hicks-Hudson amendment to a bill that strengthens county budget commissions' authority and procedures. The amendment would prohibit county budget commissions from adjusting (i.e., reducing) the amount of property taxes collected by cities, villages, townships, or other local entities. The main bill, however, explicitly allows these commissions to make such adjustments when needed to "avoid unnecessary or excessive collections." All state and local tax laws should be designed for broad, uniform application with the lowest possible rates for everyone.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship and justice require that taxing authorities remain accountable for how resources are collected and used. This amendment weakens oversight in a way that risks placing heavier burdens on families and employers without sufficient transparency or restraint.
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 309 (Motion to Defeat Smith Amd. 2)Senate 20251x

Blocking an Effort to Make it Easier to Charge Property Owners Excessive Taxes.

Against CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Smith amendment #2 to a bill that modifies the authority and procedures of county budget commissions to more explicitly limit unnecessary and excessive property tax collections. The amendment replaces the definition of "excessive collections" for purposes of local property taxes, which the bill defines as "an amount or at a rate that exceeds what is required to provide services at a level that is consistent with statutory obligations." The amendment replaces "statutory obligations" with "community standards." This replaces a clear, objective, statewide legal standard with a vague, subjective, and locally variable one that invites inconsistency, politicization, and abuse.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, justice depends on clear and consistent standards rather than shifting social norms. This amendment risks eroding accountability by substituting objective legal duties with vague standards that weaken moral and institutional responsibility.
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 309 (Motion to Defeat Weinstein Amd.)Senate 20251x

Protecting Taxpayers by Ensuring Proper Taxation Oversight and Limitation of Unnecessary Collections.

Against CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Weinstein amendment to a bill that modifies the authority and procedures of county budget commissions to more explicitly limit unnecessary and excessive property tax collections. The amendment adds language prohibiting county budget commissions from adjusting the amount of local property taxes to be collected by cities, localities, exempted villages, or joint vocational school districts. This section of the bill allows county budget commissions to adjust the amounts in order to "avoid unnecessary or excessive collections."
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, just governance requires accountability and restraint in taxation. This amendment risks placing institutional interests above stewardship by preventing review of school tax levies that directly burden families and employers.
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 335Senate 20251x

Limiting Property Tax Spikes by Capping the Revenue Generated from Increased Appraisal Values to the Rate of Inflation.

Against CEA
This bill limits revenue increases from inside millage property tax levies that occur solely due to countywide reappraisals or triennial updates by capping growth at the rate of inflation. It requires county budget commissions to reduce levy rates when valuation increases would otherwise generate tax collections above inflation-adjusted levels and prohibits reallocating reduced millage to other taxing authorities. These provisions protect homeowners and businesses from automatic tax hikes driven by rising property values.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, fair taxation requires restraint, transparency, and respect for family resources. This bill promotes responsible stewardship by preventing government from benefiting from automatic tax increases that burden households without their consent.
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 335 (Motion to Defeat Blackshear Amd.)Senate 20251x

Blocking a Property Tax Hike Caused by a New Carveout to Select Property Owners.

Against CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Blackshear amendment to a bill that limits revenue increases from inside millage levies when a county undergoes a property reappraisal or triennial update. The amendment increases the property tax homestead exemption for certain individuals who are the surviving spouse of a person who was either disabled or 65 or older. The amendment increases the maximum income from $30,000 to $75,000, and the amount of the exemption from $25,000 to $50,000. The amendment also increases the maximum income and reduction amount for the manufactured home tax on manufactured or mobile homes. Increasing property tax exemptions for one set of individuals inevitably results in tax burdens being shifted to other property owners not favored by government, including taxpayers statewide and seniors who rent homes.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, government should exercise stewardship by treating taxpayers fairly and avoiding favoritism through the tax code.
Proverbs 11:1 – "The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with Him."
Leadership Insight
Integrity in business is not optional - it’s spiritual obedience. Every transaction reflects the character of the Kingdom. Honesty is Heaven’s currency for influence.
HB 335 (Motion to Defeat Smith Amd.)Senate 20251x

Reducing Cronyism by Repealing the Data Center Sales and Use Tax Exemptions.

With CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Smith amendment to a bill that limits revenue increases from inside millage levies when a county undergoes a property reappraisal or triennial update. The amendment prohibits the tax exemption on the sale, storage, use, or consumption of equipment for data centers. Additionally, the amendment requires the amount of tax revenue collected as a result of ending these exemptions to be transferred to the inside millage revenue loss fund.
Christian Employers Alliance opposes this bill because all state and local tax codes should be constructed in a broadly applied manner with the lowest rates possible for everyone. The central planning and tax cronyism enacted under these exemptions provide special benefits and advantages to certain industries and individuals - such as Amazon and Jeff Bezos - while shifting tax burdens onto small business and other taxpayers. Instead, lawmakers should provide a broad tax cut across all industries, which will allow the free market to provide far greater job and business growth.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship and fairness call for tax policies that apply equally rather than privileging select industries. Continuing targeted tax credits risks misusing public resources and undermines principles of equity, responsibility, and limited government.
Proverbs 11:1 – "The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with Him."
Leadership Insight
Integrity in business is not optional - it’s spiritual obedience. Every transaction reflects the character of the Kingdom. Honesty is Heaven’s currency for influence.
HB 434 (Motion to Defeat Smith Amd.)Senate 20251x

Promoting Fiscal Responsibility by Blocking an Effort to Raid the State's Rainy Day Fund to Fund Welfare Programs.

Against CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Smith amendment to a bill that enacts Ohio's main operating budget. The amendment appropriates an amount from the Budget Stabilization Fund, commonly referred to as the "rainy day" fund, necessary to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) welfare programs if federal funding lapses. Instead of increasing welfare eligibility, lawmakers should work to reduce government barriers to employment and help empower the private sector to care for individuals who are in need.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, compassion must be paired with prudent stewardship of limited public resources. This amendment risks undermining fiscal responsibility by committing state reserves to federal program obligations without voter consent or long-term accountability.
Haggai 1:6 – "You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
Leadership Insight
When priorities drift from purpose, prosperity leaks away. God doesn’t bless motion - He blesses alignment. Economic freedom begins when stewardship follows divine order.
HB 96 (Motion to Defeat Antonio Amd.)Senate 20253x

Protecting Taxpayers from Being Forced to Pay $600 Million for a New Professional Sports Stadium.

With CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Antonio amendment to a bill that makes operating appropriations for Ohio state government for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The amendment eliminates a $600 million appropriation of unclaimed funds for a "transformational major sports facility mixed use project" that is part of a "Brook Park economic development project."
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship requires careful and fair use of public resources. Subsidizing wealthy professional sports organizations through taxpayer-funded incentives prioritizes entertainment subsidies over responsible governance and respect for limited government.
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 96 (Motion to Defeat Blackshear Amd.)Senate 20251x

Preventing Further Wealth Redistribution by Blocking an Effort to Establish a Refundable Earned Income Tax Credit.

Against CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Blackshear amendment to a bill that makes operating appropriations for Ohio state government for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The amendment establishes a refundable income tax credit for individuals equal to 10% of the federal earned income tax credit.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, compassion should be paired with responsibility and prudent stewardship of public resources. This amendment risks expanding dependency on government-managed credits rather than encouraging policies that promote work, self-sufficiency, and restrained government.
Haggai 1:6 – "You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
Leadership Insight
When priorities drift from purpose, prosperity leaks away. God doesn’t bless motion - He blesses alignment. Economic freedom begins when stewardship follows divine order.
HB 96 (Motion to Defeat Craig Amd.)Senate 20251x

Preventing Further Wealth Redistribution by Blocking an Effort to Establish a Refundable Tax Credit for Households with Income of $60,000 or Less.

Against CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Craig amendment to a bill that makes operating appropriations for Ohio state government for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The amendment establishes a refundable income tax credit equal to the amount by which a taxpayer's property tax owed exceeds 5% of household income, or the amount by which a taxpayer's "rent-equivalent tax paid" (15% of rent paid) exceeds 5% of household income. The credit is limited to taxpayers with a household income of up to $60,000.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship and responsibility are best served by restrained government and clear accountability at the local level. This amendment risks expanding dependency on state-managed tax credits rather than encouraging prudent governance and community-based solutions.
2 Corinthians 9:7 – "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Leadership Insight
Generosity must be voluntary, not coerced. God values the heart behind the gift more than the amount. Leaders who defend economic freedom protect the right to give joyfully without government compulsion. Forced redistribution replaces worship with resentment.
HB 96 (Motion to Defeat Hicks-Hudson Amd.)Senate 20251x

Promoting Fiscal Responsibility by Blocking $15 Million in Additional Spending on a New Water Cleanup Grant Program.

Against CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Hicks-Hudson amendment to a bill that makes operating appropriations for Ohio state government for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The amendment increases the appropriation to the Department of Natural Resources for the H2Ohio Program by $15 million. These funds are to be used for a new grant program to provide funds to counties for "the removal of deadfall ash trees" in waterways caused by the emerald ash borer beetle.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship calls for responsibility and restraint in the use of public resources. This amendment risks expanding government programs and spending in ways that diminish local accountability and prudent management of taxpayer funds.
Luke 14:28-30 – "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?"
Leadership Insight
Vision must meet calculation. God honors leaders who count costs before claiming promises. Stewardship without foresight breeds collapse.
HB 96 (Motion to Defeat Smith Amd.)Senate 20252x

Promoting Fiscal Responsibility by Blocking $4.93 Million in Additional Spending for Food Banks.

Against CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Smith amendment to a bill that makes operating appropriations for Ohio state government for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The amendment provides an additional $4.93 million to the Ohio Association of Food Banks for various programs. The amendment also increases the annual funding that the Director of Job and Family Services must provide the association, from a maximum of $24.55 million to a minimum of $29.48 million.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship requires careful and restrained use of public resources. This amendment moves away from fiscal discipline by mandating higher spending levels, placing additional burdens on taxpayers and future budgets.
Luke 14:28-30 – "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?"
Leadership Insight
Vision must meet calculation. God honors leaders who count costs before claiming promises. Stewardship without foresight breeds collapse.
SB 1Senate 20251x

Ending DEI and Ideological Programming and Hiring Practices at Public Colleges and Universities

Against CEA
This bill prohibits Ohio's public institutions of higher education from maintaining or establishing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, requiring DEI-based training, using DEI criteria in hiring, promotion, admissions, or scholarships, or compelling ideological statements from students or faculty. It requires universities to adopt viewpoint-neutral policies, eliminate DEI-oriented programs, and ensure equal treatment without regard to race, sex, religion, or related characteristics, while conditioning state funding on compliance. The bill removes taxpayer-funded DEI structures that have been used to advance ideological conformity within public universities. These provisions seek to prevent public resources from being used to sort, favor, or penalize individuals based on identity or political ideology.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, no individual should be compelled by the state to affirm ideological views that conflict with conscience or belief. This bill protects religious liberty and human dignity by affirming equal treatment and rejecting coercive DEI mandates in publicly funded institutions.
Acts 4:19-20 – "Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
Leadership Insight
When truth is silenced, darkness prevails. The apostles refused to edit their message for cultural comfort. Faithful leaders must speak what God says, even when it costs influence.
SB 1 (Motion to Defeat Ingram Amd. 1)Senate 20251x

Eliminating DEI at State Colleges and Universities.

Against CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Ingram amendment #1 to a bill that makes comprehensive changes to the governance and operation of state institutions of higher education. The amendment allows these schools to provide diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training courses for purposes such as complying with professional licensing requirements and securing grants.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, conscience protections lose meaning when broad exceptions weaken the rule. This amendment risks enabling compelled ideological training in public institutions, undermining religious conviction, individual dignity, and true intellectual freedom.
Galatians 3:28 – "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Leadership Insight
In Christ, economic opportunity transcends social categories - no person's worth or potential is determined by their background, class, or demographic. Economic freedom protects this biblical truth by ensuring all people can compete, create, and prosper based on capability rather than government-assigned categories. Policies that divide people into economic classes for preferential treatment or punishment contradict the gospel's declaration that all are one in Christ.
SB 1 (Motion to Defeat Weinstein Amd.)Senate 20251x

Ensuring Policies Exist at State Colleges to Prevent Student Indoctrination on Politics or Religion.

Against CEA
This motion tables (defeats) the Weinstein amendment to a bill that makes comprehensive changes to the governance and operation of state institutions of higher education. The amendment weakens provisions in the bill designed to protect against indoctrination of students by eliminating language that requires the Board of Trustees at each school to adopt a policy that prohibits faculty and staff from attempting to indoctrinate students on "any social, political, or religious point of view." Instead, the bill provides that students are to be encouraged to reach their own conclusions only on "any matter of which there is not disciplinary expert consensus."
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, truth and conscience should not be subject to shifting institutional standards or ideological pressure. This amendment weakens protections that help ensure public education respects belief, intellectual freedom, and moral responsibility rather than coercion.
Acts 4:19-20 – "Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
Leadership Insight
When truth is silenced, darkness prevails. The apostles refused to edit their message for cultural comfort. Faithful leaders must speak what God says, even when it costs influence.
SB 293Senate 20251x

Strengthening Election Integrity by Tightening Voter Roll Maintenance, Provisional Balloting, and Absentee Ballot Return Requirements.

Against CEA
This bill updates Ohio election law by enhancing voter roll maintenance procedures, strengthening citizenship verification, and clarifying standards for provisional voting and absentee ballot returns. It improves coordination among state agencies, establishes clearer processes for identifying ineligible registrations, and ensures discrepancies are resolved before ballots are counted. The bill ensures only eligible voters participate and that election laws are applied consistently across counties. Maintaining strong safeguards against voter fraud is a critical aspect of ensuring free and fair elections, an essential component of democracy under our nation's constitutional republic.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, honest elections are essential to moral self-government and public trust. This bill promotes integrity and accountability, reflecting the biblical principle that systems of authority should operate truthfully and justly.
Deuteronomy 16:18-20 – "Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you."
Leadership Insight
Moses commands impartial justice - judges who follow "justice alone" without showing partiality. First Freedom depends on courts that protect religious liberty impartially, without favoring secular ideology over sincere faith. When judges show partiality against religious conviction, accepting the cultural bribes of elite approval, they pervert the justice God demands. First Freedom requires judges who fear God more than cultural pressure.
SB 33Senate 20251x

Reducing Employer Regulatory Compliance Burdens by Allowing Online Posting of Labor Law Notices.

Against CEA
This bill updates Ohio labor law by allowing employers to satisfy workplace posting requirements by making required notices available electronically rather than mandating physical postings at job sites. It applies this flexibility across multiple labor and employment statutes, including minimum wage, civil rights, prevailing wage, workers' compensation, and workplace safety notices, while maintaining employee access to the information. The bill reduces unnecessary compliance burdens and costs.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, good stewardship encourages efficiency and responsible use of resources. Allowing digital notice posting respects both employers and workers by removing needless burdens while maintaining clear access to important information.
Proverbs 14:23 – "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."
Leadership Insight
God blesses action more than intention. Productivity is not greed - it’s stewardship. Words build ideas; work builds Kingdom impact.
SB 34Senate 20252x

Requiring the Display of Our Country's Founding Documents and the Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms.

Against CEA
This bill requires public schools to display selected founding documents of historic significance in classrooms where history or social studies is taught, including documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Ten Commandments. It permits schools to meet this requirement through privately donated funds or materials and explicitly allows accompanying descriptions explaining each document's historical importance. The bill ensures students are exposed to foundational texts that shaped American law, government, and civic culture.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, teaching the historical foundations of law and liberty affirms truth, moral responsibility, and the dignity of ordered freedom. This bill supports honest education by ensuring students can learn from the documents that shaped our nation’s principles and institutions.
Acts 4:19-20 – "Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
Leadership Insight
When truth is silenced, darkness prevails. The apostles refused to edit their message for cultural comfort. Faithful leaders must speak what God says, even when it costs influence.
SB 50Senate 20251x

Expanding Youth Employment Flexibility While Preserving Parental Oversight.

Against CEA
This bill modifies Ohio law governing age and schooling certificates and work hour restrictions for individuals under sixteen years of age by allowing minors to work between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. during the school year with written approval from a parent or legal guardian. It also formalizes parental notification requirements and clarifies documentation standards tied to youth employment eligibility. The bill increases flexibility for minors and employers by reducing rigid, one-size-fits-all restrictions that limit lawful work opportunities, while respecting parental authority.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, work can cultivate responsibility and character when guided by parental involvement and care. This bill respects family authority and supports opportunities for young people to learn diligence and stewardship in a safe and supervised manner.
Proverbs 14:23 – "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."
Leadership Insight
God blesses action more than intention. Productivity is not greed - it’s stewardship. Words build ideas; work builds Kingdom impact.
SB 63Senate 20251x

Strengthening Election Integrity by Prohibiting Ranked Choice Voting and Conditioning State Funds on Local Compliance.

Against CEA
This bill generally prohibits the use of ranked choice voting or instant runoff voting in Ohio elections and establishes enforcement mechanisms to ensure statewide compliance. It withholds Local Government Fund distributions from municipalities or chartered counties that adopt ranked choice voting, tying state funding to adherence to uniform election methods. The bill addresses concerns that ranked choice voting introduces unnecessary complexity, reduces transparency, and makes election outcomes harder for voters to understand and verify.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, honest and understandable elections are essential to just self-government and public trust. This bill supports integrity and clarity in the voting process by ensuring elections are conducted in a way citizens can readily comprehend and trust.
Deuteronomy 16:18-20 – "Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you."
Leadership Insight
Moses commands impartial justice - judges who follow "justice alone" without showing partiality. First Freedom depends on courts that protect religious liberty impartially, without favoring secular ideology over sincere faith. When judges show partiality against religious conviction, accepting the cultural bribes of elite approval, they pervert the justice God demands. First Freedom requires judges who fear God more than cultural pressure.
SCR 3Senate 20251x

Expanding Youth Employment Opportunities by Urging Federal Reform to Expand Youth Employment Hours During the School Year.

Against CEA
This resolution urges the United States Congress to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to allow individuals under 16 years of age to work until 9 p.m. during the school year with parental or guardian approval. It responds to ongoing workforce shortages by expanding permissible work hours for younger employees in limited circumstances while preserving existing safeguards and parental oversight. These changes allow minors to participate more fully in the workforce while supporting small businesses and local economic activity.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, work can build responsibility, character, and dignity when guided by parental involvement and care. This resolution respects family authority and promotes opportunity while maintaining appropriate safeguards for young workers.
Proverbs 14:23 – "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."
Leadership Insight
God blesses action more than intention. Productivity is not greed - it’s stewardship. Words build ideas; work builds Kingdom impact.
SCR 5Senate 20251x

Reducing Government Dependency by Urging Federal Approval of Medicaid Work Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults.

Against CEA
This resolution urges the President of the United States to approve Ohio's request to implement work requirements for certain Medicaid expansion recipients through a federal waiver. It reaffirms legislative intent to condition continued Medicaid eligibility for able-bodied adults on participation in work, education, or job training activities, with defined exemptions. The resolution serves as a strong step in the right direction of reducing government dependency and helping work-ready adults to become self-sufficient.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, work affirms human dignity and responsibility while promoting stewardship of public resources. Encouraging able-bodied individuals to engage in productive activity reflects biblical principles of accountability and care for those most in need.
Isaiah 55:2 – "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Leadership Insight
God questions spending on what fails to nourish or satisfy. Healthcare freedom means rejecting one-size-fits-all mandates that force individuals and employers into systems that violate conscience or fail to meet real needs. Leaders who protect healthcare choice allow families and businesses to pursue treatments, coverage, and providers aligned with their values - "eating what is good" rather than consuming what government prescribes.
SB 172Senate 20251x

Strengthening Public Safety by Prohibiting Policies That Interfere with Immigration Enforcement.

Neutral
This bill clarifies that individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States are not privileged from arrest, detention, or custody by federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies operating within Ohio. It expressly preempts local ordinances, policies, or directives that attempt to grant special protections or interfere with lawful immigration enforcement and prohibits public officials from obstructing cooperation with law enforcement. The bill addresses the proliferation of sanctuary-style policies that undermine enforcement of federal immigration law. Illegal immigration places an immense strain on U.S. infrastructure and taxpayer resources, ranging from welfare to the education system, while also creating serious national security and human trafficking issues.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, justice requires that laws be applied fairly and consistently, without favoritism or exemption. This bill upholds moral accountability and order by ensuring government authorities act within their proper role and respect the rule of law.
Romans 13:1-4 – "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."
Leadership Insight
Government authority is legitimate only when it reflects God's design - to punish evil and reward good. Leaders submit to righteous authority but resist tyranny. Romans 13 is not a blank check for government overreach; it's a framework for godly governance rooted in justice.
SB 4Senate 20251x

Combatting Election Fraud Through a Dedicated Election Integrity Unit.

Neutral
This bill establishes an Election Integrity Unit within the Office of the Secretary of State to investigate allegations of election fraud, voter suppression, and violations of election law, and to formally refer substantiated cases for prosecution. It clarifies investigative authority, creates structured reporting requirements, and sets timelines to ensure prosecutors act on referrals or provide justification for declining enforcement. The bill aims to deter misconduct, restore public confidence in elections, and ensure election laws are applied uniformly.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, honest and orderly elections are foundational to moral self-governance and public trust. This bill promotes integrity, accountability, and truthfulness in the administration of elections, reflecting biblical principles of justice and righteousness.
Deuteronomy 16:18-20 – "Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you."
Leadership Insight
Moses commands impartial justice - judges who follow "justice alone" without showing partiality. First Freedom depends on courts that protect religious liberty impartially, without favoring secular ideology over sincere faith. When judges show partiality against religious conviction, accepting the cultural bribes of elite approval, they pervert the justice God demands. First Freedom requires judges who fear God more than cultural pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sen. Kent Smith's voting record?

Sen. Kent Smith (D-OH-21) earned a 13% Christian Employers Alliance score for 2025, showing minimal alignment with biblical business policy positions. Kent Smith voted on 25 of the 27 substantive bills scored by CEA in 2025. Across 2 years rated, Kent Smith's lifetime CEA score averages 20%, with 36 votes recorded across 38 scored bills. Highest category scores: Healthcare Freedom (100%), Operational Freedom (100%), and Economic Freedom (24%). This session, Kent Smith signed onto 155 bills — 24 as primary sponsor and 131 as cosponsor. Kent Smith represents the 21st District in the Ohio State Senate.

How aligned is Kent Smith with biblical business policy positions?

Kent Smith earned a 13% Christian Employers Alliance score in 2025, showing minimal alignment with biblical business policy positions.

What is Kent Smith's CEA score?

Kent Smith has a 13% CEA score for 2025. Across 2 years rated, Kent Smith's lifetime average is 20%.

Where does Kent Smith serve?

Sen. Kent Smith (D-OH-21) represents the 21st District in the Ohio State Senate as a Democrat.

What issue categories does Kent Smith score highest and lowest on?

Kent Smith's strongest categories on the Christian Employers Alliance scorecard are Healthcare Freedom (100%) and Operational Freedom (100%). The lowest-scoring categories are First Freedom (0%) and Workforce Freedom (0%).

How many bills has Kent Smith sponsored this session?

Kent Smith signed onto 155 bills this session — 24 as primary sponsor and 131 as cosponsor.

Christian Employers Alliance — Faith. Family. Freedom.
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