ODOT photo ....Signs such as this one with the names of the governor and lieutenant governor would be outlawed in Ohio if a bill proposed by state Rep. Tex Fischer, R-Canfield, becomes law.

A bill, sponsored by state Rep. Tex Fischer, would prohibit public officials from putting their name or likeness on any signs, markers, building exteriors or other public locations.

Fischer, R-Canfield, said: “It’s one of the many small things I see that help incumbent state and local government officials get help on the taxpayers’ dime.”

The No Free Advertising for Politicians Act, which is co-sponsored by state Rep. Mark Hiner, R-Howard, would ban public notices such as the names of the governor and lieutenant governor on signs welcoming people to Ohio and the names of mayors or other elected officials on signs welcoming people to their communities.

It would also prohibit the names of county auditors on gas station pumps and elected officials on the outside of government offices.

Fischer said: “We have a culture of allowing self-promotion. It’s a very small bill and it’s straight forward. You won’t have to change signs every four years. After the signs are no longer correct, they’d be taken down and replaced by signs that don’t have the names of politicians. It’s tough to make an argument that the signs are for the public good. It will save taxpayers money by having to keep creating new signs.”

When a seal on a gas station pump expires, it would be replaced by one without the name of the county auditor, Fischer said.

“I don’t need to know who the mayor of a small town is as I’m driving through it or who is the governor and lieutenant governor every time I enter the state,” Fischer said.

The bill wouldn’t permit the names of elected or appointed officials outside of government buildings, but it would allow a directory of names inside those structures and on office doors to help people find those individuals, Fischer said.

The bill specifically prohibits public officials from having their names or likenesses on road signs; billboards; other outdoor markers; a sign, sticker or decal on the exterior of a building; an outdoor fixture; or the exterior of a vehicle.

“It’s a way for politicians to take advantage of incumbency through self-promotion during election periods,” Fischer said. “That is what campaign funds are used for — not taxpayer money.”

The bill would not apply to any item that is specifically authorized by law to include a public official’s name or likeness.

The bill calls for those who violate the proposal to be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor, which carries a punishment of up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The bill was referred to the House General Government Committee.

Fischer introduced a separate bill in May 2025 seeking to prohibit public officials from sending taxpayer-funded mail or email 30 days before a primary or general election with their names or likenesses on them.

“We have a self-imposed policy for state legislators to not do this,” Fischer said.

That bill, co-sponsored by state Rep. Adam Mathews, R-Lebanon, was also referred to the House General Government Committee and hasn’t received a single hearing.