Sen. Louis Blessing Praises Veterans. So Why Won’t He Let Them Have a Vote?
By Bernard J. Mutz, retired U.S. Air Force Major and resident of Oakwood, Ohio.
Across the country, states are recognizing a simple truth: when a veteran returns home with a 100 percent service-connected disability, that sacrifice deserves meaningful recognition. One of the most common ways states do this is through relief from the property taxes on the home that veteran fought to defend.
Twenty-one states have already passed laws granting full property tax exemptions for 100 percent disabled veterans. Recently, New York joined that list when Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation granting full property tax exemption to disabled veterans beginning in 2026.
Ohio, despite its proud military heritage and strong veteran population, has yet to follow suit.
The reason is not a lack of legislation. Senate Bill 92 would provide full property tax
relief to Ohio’s 100 percent disabled veterans and their surviving spouses.
Yet the bill has remained stalled in the Ohio Senate for more than a year.
Why? Because the chair of the committee responsible for moving the bill forward,
Senator Louis Blessing, has refused to allow it to come to a vote. In a phone call with him in January 2026, Senator Blessing told me directly that he would not bring the bill to the Senate floor, preventing lawmakers from even debating the issues. That’s not how democracy works and certainly not how Ohio’s legislature should operate.
Disabled veterans are not asking for guaranteed passage of the bill. They are asking for something much simpler. They want their elected representatives to debate the issue and vote.
That is how representative government is supposed to work. Instead, the bill remains locked in committee.
Senator Blessing frequently portrays himself as a supporter of the military and veterans. His public statements often praise the service and sacrifice of those who wear the uniform.
But praise is easy when it requires no action. For veterans watching this situation
unfold, the contrast between those public statements and the reality in Columbus is
becoming difficult to ignore.
The image projected by Senator Blessing is polished and thoughtful, often accompanied by his trademark bow tie. But for many disabled veterans waiting for action, the presentation is beginning to feel like political theater. At some point, the disconnect between the words and the actions begins to resemble something else entirely. For many veterans it looks like a wolf in sheep’s clothing with a bow tie.
A 100 percent service-connected disability rating from the Department of Veterans
Affairs is not symbolic. It means the VA has determined that a veteran’s injuries or
medical conditions were caused directly by their service and have permanently and
totally disabled them. These are the men and women who carried the burden of
America’s wars. Many live on fixed incomes. Many face lifelong medical challenges.
Property taxes can represent a significant financial burden.
More than twenty states have already recognized this and acted. Ohio should do the
same.
Allowing Senate Bill 92 to move forward would not force any legislator to support it. It
would simply allow Ohio’s elected representatives to debate the issue and vote. But that cannot happen as long as one committee chair refuses to allow the bill to move forward.
If Senator Blessing truly supports the military and the veterans he claims to champion, there is a very simple way to prove it. Allow Senate Bill 92 to be heard. Let the committee debate it. Let the Senate vote. Until that happens, Ohio’s disabled veterans are left watching a politician who publicly praises their service while privately preventing the very vote that could help them. For many veterans, it now looks like a wolf in sheep’s clothing wearing a bow tie.
Editorial Comments by Brian Massie, A Watchman on the Wall
Do you know when a Blessing is a Curse? Answer: When he is your State Senator from Ohio.
Here is the latest from Senator Blessing:
“Ohio State Senator Louis W. Blessing III (R-Colerain Township) has introduced Senate Joint Resolution 7 (SJR 7) in early 2026, proposing a constitutional amendment to allow local governments to implement a land value tax (LVT) as an alternative to traditional property taxes. This plan taxes the value of land, not buildings or improvements, aiming to reduce tax burdens for homeowners and encourage development.”
He just does not know right from wrong. Private property is the foundation of our freedom and liberty, and Curse…er, I mean Blessing, still wants the government to take our property rights, violating his oath of office to support and defend the Ohio Constitution. Here is Article 1 of the Ohio Constitution:
“All men are, by nature, free and independent, and have certain inalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and seeking and obtaining happiness and safety.”
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Categories: Community Activism, Real Estate Taxes, Uncategorized