AG Yost Continues Fight Against Federal Government Overreach
Joe Lyons •
December 20, 2022
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost applauds the recent passage of legislation that codifies the Tenth Amendment Center in the Ohio Solicitor General’s Office.
“The principle of federalism – the idea that power is shared among multiple levels of government instead of concentrated into a single level – is indelibly etched into the foundation of our nation through the Tenth Amendment,” Yost said. “Thank you to Rep. Jeff LaRe and Rep. Adam Bird for helping us to codify this crucial function in our office.”
House Bill 506 adds the Tenth Amendment Center to Ohio law, tasking it with actively monitoring federal executive orders, as well as statutes and regulations for potential abuse or overreach. If the Tenth Amendment Center identifies an issue, it will report it to the solicitor general – also codified in this bill – who then advises the attorney general about possible state involvement. The state solicitor general currently represents the state and its agencies on appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Ohio Supreme Court, and other state and federal courts.
Before the 134th General Assembly recently ended, HB 506 was approved by the House and amended into Senate Bill 288, a criminal justice omnibus measure. Sen. Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) sponsored the Senate measure.
Rep. LaRe (R-Violet Twp.) said monitoring for federal overreach “has become a laborious job in and of itself.”
“Federalism is a foundational piece of our U.S. Constitution,” he said. “That is why, as a member of state government, I must do what I can to protect the rights that were reserved for us under the Tenth Amendment. I am appreciative of the General Assembly’s support for HB 506, and look forward to it being signed into law in the near future.”
The legislation awaits Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature.