Gary Cates (R)
Senator
State Senator Gary Cates is currently in his second Senate term, representing the people of Ohio’s 4th Senate District, which includes all of Butler County. He is chairman of the Senate Education Committee for the 128th General Assembly, and also serves on the Finance & Financial Institutions Committee, which is responsible for crafting the state budget bill, as well as on the Highways & Transportation and the Environment & Natural Resources committees. Previously, Cates served four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives and was Speaker Pro Tempore – the chamber’s number two leadership post -- for two of those terms.
Senator Snapshot
| Hometown: West Chester |
| Party: Republican |
| Elected Experience: State Senator since 2005; State Representative, 1995-2004; Union Township Trustee, 1990-1995 |
| Current Term: Expires December 2012; Not eligible to run for another four-year term |
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Senate Building 1 Capitol Square, First Floor Columbus, OH 43215 Phone: (614) 466-8072 Email: SD04@senate.state.oh.us |
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Education (Chair) Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Financial Institutions Highways and Transportation State and Local Government and Veterans Affairs |
| Primary Sponsor | SB 69 | SB 95 | SB 150 | SB 167 | SB 173 | SB 175 | SB 177 | SB 192 |
| SB 255 | SB 259 | SB 261 | SB 262 | SB 264 | SB 271 | ||
| Primary Sponsor | SR 9 | SR 49 | SR 59 | SR 78 | SR 142 | SR 151 | SR 163 | SR 165 |
| SR 259 | SR 267 | ||||||
| 06.16.2010 | |
| Cates' proposal to bring more fairness to state's school district rating system signed into law | |
| Columbus — Legislation proposed by Senator Gary Cates, which was signed into law by Governor Ted Strickland on Monday, will help ensure that parents and communities get the most accurate and fair picture of their school district’s performance on meeting state and federal standards, and that “Excellent” school districts will not be disproportionately penalized for the performance of certain subgroups of students. | |
Read more...  | |
| 05.25.2010 | |
| Cates, Gibbs urge support for legislation to block taxpayer funding of abortions | |
 Download High Resolution Image | Columbus - State Senator Gary Cates and State Senator Bob Gibbs today gave sponsor testimony before the Senate Insurance, Commerce & Labor Committee urging support for Senate Bill 262, legislation which seeks to block taxpayer dollars from subsidizing health insurance plans that cover abortions. Read more... |
| 03.26.2010 | |
| Cates recognized as a 'watchdog' for Ohio taxpayers | |
| Columbus - State Senator Gary Cates recently received the Watchdog of the Treasury award from the United Conservatives of Ohio for his commitment to fiscal responsibility and strong conservative voting record during the127th General Assembly. | |
| Read more... | |
| 03.25.2010 | |
| Senate passes Cates bill designed to give schools greater flexibility in busing, save taxpayer dollars | |
| Columbus - The Ohio Senate yesterday approved Senate Bill 192, legislation co-sponsored by State Senator Gary Cates and State Senator Bill Seitz which is designed to give all school districts in Ohio greater flexibility in providing transportation options for their students, while helping schools maximize their limited financial resources. | |
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| 03.25.2010 | |
| Senate approves Cates bill to allow county sheriffs to assist in federal immigration enforcement effort | |
| Columbus - The Ohio Senate yesterday approved legislation sponsored by State Senator Gary Cates which would give local law enforcement greater flexibility to assist federal officials in the effort to crackdown on illegal immigration in Ohio. | |
| Read more... | |
| 03.24.2010 | |
| Cates and fellow Senators petition Attorney General Cordray to stand up against costly, federal healthcare mandates | |
| Columbus - State Senator Gary Cates today circulated a letter signed by 20 of his fellow Senators that urges Attorney General Richard Cordray to join 14 other state attorneys general to challenge the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. | |
| Read more... Letter to Cordray | |
| 03.11.2010 | |
| Cates supports bill to improve safety at rail crossings in Ohio | |
| Columbus - The Ohio Senate recently approved Senate Bill 116, legislation which seeks to ensure railroad companies in Ohio properly maintain crossings and other areas near thier tracks. State Senator Gary Cates, who has received several complaints from residents in Butler County about poor maintenance at local grade crossings, co-sponsored the bill. | |
| Read more... | |
| 02.24.2010 | |
| Statement from State Senator Gary Cates on Governor's visit to BizTech | |
| Columbus - Senator Cates issued the following statement in response to Governor Strickland's visit to BizTech this afternoon to discuss small business job creation intitiatives. | |
| Read more... | |
| 10.23.2009 | |
| Lakota officials testify on Cates bills to reform school rating system, delay all-day kindergarten | |
 Download High Resolution Image | Columbus - Officials from the Lakota Local School District recently traveled to Columbus to testify in favor of two important bills sponsored by Senator Cates, which seek to bring greater fairness to Ohio's school district rating system and slow the implementation of a costly mandate in Governor Strickland's evidence-based school funding plan that requires all school districts to offer all-day kindergarten beginning next academic year. Read more... |
| 09.30.2009 | |
| Cates, Lehner urge support for legislation to reform Ohio's school performance rating system | |
 Download High Resolution Image | Columbus - At a Statehouse news conference on September 30, Senator Cates and State Representative Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) urged support for legislation designed to make needed reforms to Ohio's rating system for school districts. Read more... |
| 09.22.2009 | |
| Cates, Sheriff Jones urge support for bill to allow Ohio counties to assist in federal immigration enforcement effort | |
| Columbus - On September 22, Senator Cates gave sponsor testimony before the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee on Senate Bill 150, legislation that would give local law enforcement greater flexibility to assist federal officials in the effort to crackdown on illegal immigration in Ohio. He was joined at the hearing by Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones. | |
| Read more... | |
| 08.24.2009 | |
| Cates writes Governor Strickland urging response to DNA Diagnostics Center layoffs in Fairfield | |
| DNA Diagnostics Center in Farfield announced recently that they plan to layoff workers because the Department of Administrative Services awarded a DNA genetic testing contract to an out-of-state company. Concerned, Senator Cates wrote Governor Strickland urging his administration to reverse the decision. | |
| Text of letter | |
| 07.15.2009 | |
| An education budget for all | |
| Column by State Senator Gary Cates | |
| Read more... | |