Ron's Journal Archive
Highlights of legislative activity coming next week
11/24/2009
Closing the projected state budget gap (HB 318) will be the top bill in play on Tuesday, December 1. This is the bill that has been the subject of a great deal of controversy. It passed the Ohio House containing a retroactive return to a 4.2% higher state income tax rates than were in placed since January of this year, plus a symbolic 5 percent reduction of state legislators' salaries beginning the next term (2011).
Senate Revisions: Last week the Senate Finance Committee modified this proposal by jettisoning a portion of the income tax rate increase and proposing a series of fiscal measures aimed mostly at closing the remainder of the gap. It's features include:
- Trimming one-third off the 4.2 percent rate increase in the House version
- Using $200 million of one-time money fromn the casino license fees coming to the state from passage of State Issue 3 earlier this month.
- Royalty income from developing local natural gas and oil at Salt Fork State Park.
- Savings from sentencing reforms at state prisons
- Tapping funds from the Ohio Housing Trust Fund
- Placement of the legislative pay cut in a separate bill
This proposal did not generate significant support amongst Senate members last week. It seems likely that the proposal will change next week with the goal of building consensus toward passage. A hearing is set in Senate Finance Committee next Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 PM.
Voting sessions are scheduled in the House at 11 AM on Tuesday, Dec. 1 and in the Senate at 1:30 PM the same day. Bills to be scheduled for votes in those sessions are to be determined at 2 PM Monday, Nov. 30 for the House and at 11 AM on Tuesday for the Senate.
Other bills proposing lots of regulations are to receive hearings on Tuesday as follows:
- Districted driving: HB 266 prohibits driving a vehicle while using a handheld or manually operated mobile communication device. It is scheduled to receive its first hearing in House Public Safety & Homeland Security on Tuesday at 3 PM in Statehouse Room 122.
- Farms with large numbers of animals: HB 363 proposes to delay wastewater requirement provisions in current Ohio law until federal officials approve Ohio's proposed policies for wastewater discharge limits on farms with large numbers of animals. This bill is set for second hearing and possible vote in the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Rm. 018, 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
- Behavior micromanagement: This ought to generate some real interest -- SB 210 requires daily physical activity for public school students, establishes nutritional standards for certain foods and beverages sold in public and chartered nonpublic schools, and requires public school students to have periodic body mass index measurements. It is scheduled for a second hearing on Tuesday at 11 AM in the Senate North hearing room by the Senate Health, Human Services & Aging Committee.
- Require smoke and carbon monixide detectors in homes: HB 362 would require fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide detectors in all new residential buildings and residential units and would also prohibit sale of residential real property unless fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide detectors are installed. It is set for a first hearing in the House Commerce and Labor Committee Tuesday, at 1:30 PM in Statehouse Room 121.
- Sex education mandate: HB 316 proposes to establish standards in state law for comprehensive sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention education in public schools. It is set for its first hearing in the House Education Committee Tuesday at 2 PM in Statehouse Room 017.
Paid for by Citizens For Amstutz, Matthew Hochstetler Treasurer, 4456 Woodlake Trail, Wooster, OH 44691