COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – It was a busy day at the Ohio Statehouse Wednesday as both the House and the Senate pushed several bills closer to heading to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk.

Among those bills are efforts to help mothers and babies, fighting discrimination based on hair characteristics, and more transparency regarding medical costs.

Strong Foundations Act

House Bill 7, known as the Strong Foundations Act, is a multi-million-dollar piece of legislation to support mothers and babies.

The bi-partisan bill has been more than a year in the making and passed the house 72 to 19; only Republicans voted against it.

The bill originally included a $63 million allocation to invest in mothers and children; now, the bill has a $35 million price tag.

“Representative [Andrea White (R-Kettering)] has worked really hard on working with members, especially on the finance committee, to pare down a little of the spending that was in there,” Speaker of the Ohio House Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said.

“There is always work to be done to continue to help our babies to thrive, but the reality is I believe this bill is still intact, it’s still a beautiful bill,” Rep. Latyna Humphrey (D-Columbus) said.

Stephens previously said that there was hesitation to pass such a large spending bill after just having passed a state budget around this time last year. Humphrey, who sponsored the bill alongside White, said they double-checked again and again to ensure any cuts made sense.

“I just think it’s very important that we address how do we take care of newborn babies, first-time mothers, second-time mothers, here in the state of Ohio,” Stephens said. “How do we approach that the best way? And this will give us some opportunities to continue that discussion because it is vitally important, especially when you value life, you want to make sure you protect and help in any way you can.”

“It puts resources in some much-needed areas, and so it has the potential to have some big pay offs,” Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said. “I certainly find it ironic that a caucus that seems to be so focused on life and unborn life, once it comes to actually putting your money where your priorities are, that, that doesn’t happen to the extent that it needs to happen.”

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. This spending bill is being considered at the same time a $4 billion capital budget is also being worked on.

Hosptial Price Transparency

House Bill 49 aims to create more hospital price transparency. It passed the House with only five votes against it about one year ago, but since being in the Senate, dozens of provisions were stripped from the legislation.

“I think the right bill for Ohioans is somewhere just between,” one of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville), said. “Estimates are not prices, and we feel there’s too many loopholes within that where hospitals can be putting our estimates instead of prices and we want to ensure that there’s prices because that’s what patients want. Patients want prices.”

Ferguson said while there are federal laws to require price transparency, they are difficult to enforce at the state level. He said that is why a state law is needed in order to hold the hospitals accountable and help patients know what they will pay before they go.

“We are still not grabbing a hold of the reigns enough as the state,” Ferguson said. “That’s the big thing. That’s what the whole intent of this is. There are federal rules in the books, but we want to make sure that Ohio paves the way for Ohioans.”

Ferguson said he thinks there is the will within both chambers to get something done, but wants to take the bill to a conference committee to come to a compromise before sending it to the governor’s desk.

“Everyone has their own opinions, and they have the right to that and the best thing we can do is come to a solid compromise because the people who are going to benefit are the Ohioans,” he said.

CROWN Act

House Bill 178, known as the CROWN Act, is bi-partisan legislation to prohibit discrimination based on hair, it has been six years in the making.

“Hair discrimination is real,” Rep. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland), one of the bill’s sponsors, said. “This is something I’ve been fighting for, and the Black caucus has been fighting for, for more than six years.”

The bill passed with seven House Republicans voting against it. The bill would prohibit public K-12 schools and public preschools from discriminating against a student for traits associated with an individual race, including hair texture and styles like braids, locks and twists.

“For me to wear my hair in its state is a privilege, but for everyone else, it’s not,” Brent said. “I, and I don’t feel like anyone should have to conform to your centric values of having to have my hair straight. It’s stressful. It’s stressful.”

Brent said the bill will help Ohioans feel seen. It also allows a student to sue in any court jurisdiction alleging that a school has discriminated against them.

Despite the bill being brought forward by both Republicans and Democrats, it did face pushback. Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery) was one of the Republicans to vote against it, saying he was a “no” vote because he has not seen any evidence that this type of discrimination is happening in schools and said this will “likely open the door to frivolous lawsuits.”

“It comes from a place of closed mindedness,” Brent said. “I’ve learned that sometimes the most discrimination comes from people who can’t grow hair themselves.”

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. If it does not pass by the end of this year, it will have to be reintroduced next year and start the process over.

Other bills that passed the House floor on Wednesday include one about shooting feral hogs and one about employee verification.