6.7 Structure of the Ohio State Legislature

The Ohio State Legislature, also known as the General Assembly, consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Each chamber has a presiding officer who leads and maintains order during legislative sessions. The Speaker of the House is the leader of the House of Representatives, while the President of the Senate leads the Senate. Although these leaders are elected by all members of their respective chambers, they are typically selected by the majority party’s caucus, meaning the party with the most seats usually determines the presiding officer. The Republican Party currently holds supermajorities in both the House and Senate, which allows them to pass certain legislation or override a governor’s veto without needing support from the opposing party.