{{Short description|American politician (born 1960)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Bill Coley | image = Bill Coley - District 4 - Ohio Senate 130th General Assemby 2013-2014 - DPLA - 4dd33bcc8c6b71853ab731d33616f568 (page 13) (cropped).jpg | state_senate = Ohio | state = Ohio | district = 4th | term_start = May 24, 2011 | term_end = December 31, 2020 | preceded = Gary Cates | succeeded = George Lang | state_house2 = Ohio | state2 = Ohio | district2 = 55th | term_start2 = January 3, 2005 | term_end2 = May 23, 2011 | preceded2 = Gary Cates | succeeded2 = Margaret Conditt | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|08|05}} | death_date = | birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | death_place = | party = Republican | alma_mater = University of Dayton<br>Cleveland State University College of Law | profession = Attorney }}

'''Bill Coley''' (born August 5, 1960) is a former Republican member of the Ohio Senate, representing the 4th District from 2011 to 2020. Formerly, he was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011.

==Career== After graduation from the University of Dayton and Cleveland State University College of Law, Coley worked as an attorney at the law firm of Strauss & Troy, where he represented a number of small and large businesses. He is also a private pilot.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

With incumbent Gary Cates term limited and running for the Ohio Senate, Coley sought to replace him. Unopposed in the primary, he faced Democrat Tyrone Sims in the general election. He won his first term against Sims, winning 70.08% of the electorate.<ref>Blackwell, Kenneth. 11-02-2004 [http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/electResultsMain/2004ElectionsResults/04-1102OHReps.aspx 2004 general election results] ''Ohio Secretary of State''</ref>

In 2006, Coley faced his first reelection bid, and was unopposed. He won a third term against Democrat Tony Kilmek in 2008 with 62.81% of the vote.<ref>Brunner, Jennifer. 11-04-2008 [http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/electResultsMain/2008ElectionResults/ohRep_110408.aspx 2008 general election results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916124611/http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/electResultsMain/2008ElectionResults/ohRep_110408.aspx |date=2011-09-16 }} ''Ohio Secretary of State''</ref> Coley won his final term in 2010 against Suzi Rubin with 69.31% of the votes.<ref>Brunner, Jennifer 11-02-2010 [http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/electResultsMain/2010results/20101102ohouse.aspx 2010 general election results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627172201/http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/electResultsMain/2010results/20101102ohouse.aspx |date=2011-06-27 }} ''Ohio Secretary of State''</ref> During his time in the Ohio House of Representatives, Coley has championed numerous conservative causes and authored the legislation that created the Digital Learning Clearing House, now part of IlearnOhio.org.

==Ohio Senate== In early May 2011, Ohio Governor John Kasich announced that he would appoint Senator Gary Cates to a position within the Ohio Board of Regents. As a result, the Senate seat was to be vacant and Coley announced that he would seek the vacant seat in the Ohio Senate.<ref>{{cite news | first = Michael D. |last=Pitman | title = 6 seek Cates' Senate seat | date = 2011-05-10 | url = http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/6-seek-cates-senate-seat-1156576.html?cxtype=rss_ece_frontpage | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120724145217/http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/6-seek-cates-senate-seat-1156576.html?cxtype=rss_ece_frontpage | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-07-24 | work = Dayton Daily News | accessdate = 2011-05-10}}</ref>

Coley, along with Timothy Derickson and three other citizens of Butler County, sought the seat, but in the end, Coley received the recommendation of the Butler County Republican Party and was chosen by Senate Republicans to succeed Cates in representing the Fourth District. He took his seat on May 24, 2011, and was required to resign his seat in the Ohio House of Representatives to do so.<ref>{{cite news | first = Michael D. | last = Pitman | title = GOP recommends Coley to be next state senator | date = 2011-05-19 | url = http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/gop-recommends-coley-to-be-next-state-senator-1163655.html | work = Middletown Journal | accessdate = 2011-05-20 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120322052248/http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/gop-recommends-coley-to-be-next-state-senator-1163655.html | archive-date = 2012-03-22 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

Now in the Senate, Coley is serving as chairman of the Government Oversight and Reform Committee as well as serving on the committees of Education; Finance; Energy and Public Utilities and Financial Institutions. He also serves on the eTech Ohio Commission as well at the permanent joint committee on gaming and wagering.

In 2012, Coley won a full term in the Senate. He was unopposed in the general election.

==Policies, positions, and initiatives==

=== Collective Bargaining === Coley has also come out to ensure that all public employees are able to still collective bargain for safety equipment, and to remove a ban on public workers talking to their local elected officials during negotiations. Such changes were widely regarded as improvements to S.B. 5, which passed the Ohio Senate 17-16.<ref>{{cite news | first = Jim | last = Siegel | title = House will adjust union bill | date = 2011-03-20 | url = http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/03/20/copy/housewilladjustunionbill.html?adsec=politics&sid=101 | work = Columbus Dispatch | accessdate = 2011-03-21 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Coley supported the bill, and voted for its passage out of committee.<ref>{{cite news | first = Jon | last = Craig | title = House set to OK SB5 | date = 2011-03-30 | url = http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110329/NEWS0108/103300316/House-panel-approves-SB5-changes?odyssey=tab/topnews/text/News | work = The Cincinnati Enquirer | accessdate = 2011-03-30}}</ref> During the House floor debate on SB 5, Coley delivered a passionate argument in support of the bill<ref>{{cite news | first = Jim | last = Siegel | author2 = Joe Hardon | title = Assembly sends SB 5 to Kasich | date = 2011-03-31 | url = http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/03/31/copy/assembly-sends-sb-5-to-kasich.html?adsec=politics&sid=101 | work = Columbus Dispatch | accessdate = 2011-04-01 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110510002138/http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/03/31/copy/assembly-sends-sb-5-to-kasich.html?adsec=politics&sid=101 | archivedate = 10 May 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref> and he voted for the bill to pass out of the full Ohio House of Representatives.<ref>{{cite news | first = Marc | last = Kovac | title = Tempers flare as SB 5 approved | date = 2011-03-31 | url = http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/mar/31/tempers-flare-sb-5-approved/ | work = Youngstown Vindicator | accessdate = 2011-04-02 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181116033022/http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/mar/31/tempers-flare-sb-5-approved/ | archive-date = 2018-11-16 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{OhioSen04thDst}} {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coley, Bill}} Category:Living people Category:Republican Party Ohio state senators Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly Category:1960 births Category:Politicians from Cincinnati Category:People from West Chester, Butler County, Ohio