Rob McColley

{{Short description|American politician (born 1984)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Rob McColley

|office = 97th President of the Ohio Senate

|term_start = January 6, 2025

|term_end =

|predecessor = Matt Huffman

|successor =

|office1 = Majority Leader of the Ohio Senate

|term_start1 = January 3, 2023

|term_end1 = January 6, 2025

|predecessor1 = Kirk Schuring

|successor1 = Theresa Gavarone

|state_senate2 = Ohio

|district2 = 1st

|term_start2 = December 5, 2017

|term_end2 =

|predecessor2 = Cliff Hite

|successor2 =

|state_house3 = Ohio

|district3 = 81st

|term_start3 = January 3, 2017

|term_end3 = December 5, 2017

|predecessor3 = Lynn Wachtmann

|successor3 = Jim Hoops

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|10|14}}

|birth_place =

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Republican

|education = Ohio State University (BS)
University of Toledo (JD)

}}

Robert A. McColley (born October 14, 1984) is a Senator for the 1st District of the Ohio Senate, which includes Defiance, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, and Williams counties, as well as parts of Auglaize, Fulton, and Logan counties. McColley graduated from Napoleon High School (Ohio) in 2003 and then went on to attend Ohio State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Finance. He then attended the University of Toledo College of Law and graduated with a Juris Doctor in 2010.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hometownstations.com/news/gov-dewine-state-sen-mccolley-expect-budget-to-be-ready/article_47d62e06-a6a3-11e9-9303-a35b76acc457.html|title=Gov. DeWine, State Sen. McColley expect budget to be ready by second deadline|last=Salay|first=Britt|website=Your Hometown Stations|language=en|access-date=2019-07-30}}

Prior to being appointed to the Senate, he represented the 81st Ohio House District as a State Representative where he also served in House leadership as Assistant Majority Whip.{{Cite web|url=http://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2019/07/17/nuclear-plant-rescue-nears-final-votes/stories/20190717150|title=Nuclear plant rescue clears Ohio Senate, but House punts|website=Toledo Blade|language=en|access-date=2019-07-30}} Before being elected State Representative, he served in the Community Improvement Corporation of Henry County, where he oversaw economic development efforts for the county and worked to improve local workforce development efforts between manufacturers and schools in Henry and Williams counties.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/2019/06/ohio-officials-seek-to-help-3d-printing-prosthetics-charity-via-law-change.html|title=Ohio officials seek to promote 3D-printing of prosthetics via law change|last=Tobias|first=Andrew J.|date=2019-06-13|website=cleveland.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-30}}

McColley lives in Napoleon with his wife, Denise, their daughter Anna, and their twin boys Matthew and Michael.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/2019/07/sherrod-brown-rob-portman-visit-the-border-capitol-letter.html|title=Sherrod Brown, Rob Portman visit the border: Capitol Letter|last=Tobias|first=Andrew J.|date=2019-07-15|website=cleveland.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-30}}

In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, McColley and Senator Kristina Roegner introduced a bill that would immediately end Ohio's stay-at-home order and limit the state health director's ability to give similar orders. The bill is contrary to the recommendation of the country's top medical experts; Governor DeWine has promised to veto any bill that curb's the health director's authority during the crisis.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/politics/2-ohio-state-senators-introduce-bill-calling-for-immediate-end-to-coronavirus-shutdown/95-56d57470-89a2-48a4-b430-fe53434baa13|title=2 Ohio state senators introduce bill that would 'immediately' end coronavirus shutdown|website=wkyc.com}}

In 2021, McColley was the lead sponsor on legislation that would make it harder to build solar and wind energy projects in Ohio. Solar and wind energy projects could be killed by local officials, whereas natural gas and oil projects could not.{{Cite web|last=Zuckerman|first=Jake|date=2021-06-30|title=Bill creating new hurdles for wind and solar heads to governor|url=https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/06/30/bill-creating-new-hurdles-for-wind-and-solar-heads-to-governor/|access-date=2021-07-14|website=Ohio Capital Journal|language=en-US}}

In 2021, McColley defended a proposed redistricting map for Ohio that was heavily gerrymandered in favor of Republicans.{{Cite news|first=Andy |last=Chow |date=2021-11-24|title=Despite voter-approved anti-gerrymandering reforms, Ohio GOP still draws lopsided map|language=en|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/11/24/1058973471/despite-voter-approved-anti-gerrymandering-reforms-ohio-gop-still-draws-lopsided|access-date=2021-11-25}}