CAPITOL

Ohio Alliance of YMCAs

6956 Broad St, Columbus, OH 43213 BRIEF December 2020 OhioYMCAs.org

A LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER FOR CEOS, CVOS, STAFF, AND PARTNERS OF THE OHIO ALLIANCE OF YMCAS

DEWINE VETOES BILL TO IN THIS ISSUE DeWine Vetoes Bill to Restrict RESTRICT HEALTH DIRECTOR’S Health Director’s Authority AUTHORITY

Proposed Capital Budget Updates Following through with his threat, Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed SB 311 on December 3rd (McColley-Roegner), saying the bill is "not in the best interest of protecting the health and safety of Ohioans." DeWine Signs Last Minute

Legislation The bill would place limits on the authority of the state health director in issuing certain health orders as well as give the General Assembly more oversight on those orders. In his veto message, DeWine said that Ohio has strong laws that provide public health experts with the ability to respond to Senate Democratic Caucus Elects a public health crisis and protect Ohioans from highly contagious, infectious Leadership diseases.

He said medical experts believe the bill will restrict the ability of public 2020 Sales Tax Collections health officials to react to such threats to public health, and citing a number of what he said were consequences should the bill become law. Those include not being able to impose a quarantine on people coming from a ENJOY THIS ISSUE? disease hotspot, or the ability to respond to a bioterrorism attack like what was seen in following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Feel free to share this newsletter "Having essential strategies to protect the public against the spread of with anyone who may find it useful. infectious, contagious disease is not only important in our efforts to eradicate COVID-19, but it is also necessary to help stop the spread of all infectious diseases and prevent future health crises in Ohio," DeWine said in his veto message, going on to cite opponent testimony to the bill. QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, IDEAS? "According to the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners, 'The notion that action cannot be taken to prevent the spread of any of these serious illnesses to those who have not been directly exposed is contradictory to Contact Beth Tsvetkoff at btsvet- public health best practices that have been scientifically tested and verified [email protected]. over the past 100 years.” Also follow Beth on Twitter at Meanwhile, Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina), who suggested that www.twitter.com/BethTsvetkoff, or his chamber would immediately take up a vote to override the veto, at www.ohioymcas.org. softened his stance, saying his comments the previous day were "three or four seconds of commentary for an issue that is more complex than that."

Obhof said he has been meeting with the DeWine administration to discuss changes to Ohio law that would ease the concerns of lawmakers, calling those discussions "productive."

"The vast majority of the members of the Legislature do not support the specific idea of stay at home orders," he said. He argued that the bill had been misconstrued and only essentially said there cannot be a mandatory or regional quarantine for someone who did not come into contact with the virus. "It essentially means you can't have a stay at home order that has criminal penalties associated with it."

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He said lawmakers are concerned about decriminalizing construction, local public works, college and university the health orders, and noted that current law doesn't campuses, prisons and park infrastructure. give the administration different levels of penalties to use, including civil penalties, and he suggested that The capital budget was folded into SB 310. could be an issue lawmakers address in lame duck. Committee members posed the greatest number of He said his chamber still has the votes to override the questions about overall debt service costs and the 5 veto if it chose to do so, but he was open to a percent cap on costs as a proportion of GRF and lottery compromise "if we are able to work productively with revenues. the administration." Murnieks said the agency’s latest calculation for a recent "We're all focused on the same things. We want people bond sale put debt service costs at 3.44 percent. She to be healthy. We want people to be safe. We want to told Rep. Mike Skindell (D-Lakewood) the estimated have tools for people to do that," Obhof said. "I think maximum debt service cost for any future fiscal year is there is a significant portion of the Legislature and the about $1.2 billion. She said OBM’s website has general population who believes the government information about debt retirement schedules. shouldn't have the ability to tell you to stay in hour house, and if you don't, it's a crime. If we were able to Murnieks said Ohio’s bonds are being received very well find another way to work that out, we would certainly in the market, and said the state should take advantage be interested in that." of that. She also noted an estimated $300 million in savings from a recent restructuring and refinancing of In a statement, Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) expressed debt completed this summer. disappointment with the veto and said he will be discussing the next steps with members of his caucus. Skindell asked her about discussions he’s heard about among Sen. Sean O’Brien (D-Cortland) and the Ohio "This is a balanced and reasonable plan that would Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) regarding an provide appropriate legislative oversight of these health amendment on Clean Ohio funding for trails and orders, and ensure Ohioans’ voices are heard and their agricultural easements. Murnieks said in SB4 (Rulli- rights protected," he said. Kunze), a sort of mini-capital budget passed earlier this year, Clean Ohio funding was provided for the Public Referencing his concerns about the bill's diminishing Works Commission (PWC) but not those two other health departments' powers, DeWine addressed his agencies. However, this proposal does include the trail veto of SB311 during his Thursday coronavirus briefing, and easement funding. She said she believes O’Brien’s reiterating that his action was based on facts that discussions were about finding another vehicle for such medical experts have told him. funding should a capital budget have failed to materialize. While not directly addressing a question about what his administration is doing to forestall a veto override, Rep. (R-Richfield) asked the status of the DeWine said he talks with legislative leaders a lot community projects list. Murnieks said the "about a lot of different things. … We have things we administration, House and Senate are working to want to get in this lame duck session. They have things finalize it in the coming days, and she expected overall they want to get done." support to be “in the ballpark” of amounts provided in recent capital budgets. He went on to note, "There's a lot of the people's business to be done and I think people expect us, even Rep. (D-Columbus) asked about the if we disagree on some things, to find common ground number of regional campus projects on the higher on other things." education list, while Rep. (R-Bowling Green) drew attention to the relatively large share of House Democratic Leader (D-Akron) said higher education funding directed to Ohio State DeWine was right to veto the bill, adding that it would University (OSU). have slowed the state's coronavirus response. “I’m just kind of wondering if you can opine on how that In the end, the Senate adjourned the General Assembly much money gets allocated to one institution when I without taking up a veto override vote, to the could probably make the argument that there’s other disappointment of the House. projects throughout the state at other institutions that probably need the additional funding,” Ghanbari said. In part reported by Hannah News Service Murnieks said OSU has a large footprint with numerous regional campuses. She told Miller that the number of regional projects reflected the administration’s charge to PROPOSED CAPITAL the higher education associations to develop a “collaborative, statewide” approach to the project list. BUDGET UPDATES Rep. (R-North Canton), the committee House Finance Committee members quizzed Office of chair, spoke up in favor of the administration’s approach Budget and Management (OBM) Director Kim Murnieks of asking the institutions to develop a list among on debt service costs and the regional distribution of themselves, pioneered during the Kasich administration. project dollars as she presented the outline of Gov. Mike DeWine’s capital budget proposal. “This actually saves the legislators a lot of stress, because until that time everybody was coming in from Murnieks reprised remarks she read to the Senate your universities … there was a lot more tension in the Finance Committee a day earlier on the $2 billion Legislature about which college, which university. The package, which includes a grants program for local jails program, if the chair may editorialize, I believe has and hundreds of millions of dollars apiece for school worked pretty well,” he said.

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Malt ($10 million). Rep. Bride Sweeney (D-Cleveland) asked if Ohio has ever skipped a capital budget, and whether that taxed HB 405 (Cross) which creates the adoption linked operating budgets that had to be stretched to cover deposit program. maintenance projects. Unless otherwise noted, the bills become effective 90 Murnieks said there have been a few cycles that lacked a days after being signed. capital budget. She said the delay in this year’s budget has already started to put some agencies under stress. Reported by Hannah News Service

“I’ve heard from some of our directors, that they are either having to reprioritize programs … you have safety SENATE DEMOCRATIC needs that come up in our prisons. You have water lines that need to be addressed in our institutions. You have CAUCUS ELECTS roof repairs that you can’t not do,” she said. LEADERSHIP Sweeney also asked about the level of funding for the PWC relative to the need. Murnieks said need always The Democratic Caucus elected its outstrips resources, but said PWC has an established, leadership for the 134th General Assembly, reelecting locally-driven process for identifying the highest priority Sen. Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) as minority projects. leader.

Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville) asked about the "I would like to thank my colleagues for reelecting me level of behavioral health funding going to county Senate minority leader," Yuko said. "COVID-19 has put a alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services tremendous strain on Ohio, and the task that’s ahead of boards. Murnieks said $33 million of the $95 million us will be challenging. I look forward to working with directed to the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Senate President-elect Matt Huffman and the rest of the Addiction Services is for counties’ needs, saying she’d Ohio Senate throughout the coming General Assembly." follow up with information about the formula for allocating that money. Huffman congratulated Yuko on his leadership role, writing in a statement, "Kenny works hard for his caucus “It’s an honor to continue my work advocating for and for the Ohioans they represent. I look forward to his working people and families as part of this leadership perspective and ideas and to tackling the opportunities team, a team committed to coming together to deliver and challenges of the next General Assembly with him." results for the taxpayers of our great state,” said Robinson. “Our priorities are your priorities—improving Also reelected was Sen. Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) to our children’s education, providing for the health and his position as assistant minority leader. well-being of our neighbors, and making sure Ohio workers and businesses have the tools they need to "I am grateful to have been reelected as assistant compete. We can renew Ohio’s promise of better lives minority leader and look forward to working with my and brighter futures, and we’ll get there together.” colleagues on improving the lives of all Ohioans," Thomas said. Reported by Hannah News Service Joining Senate Democratic leadership for the first time will be Sens. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Tina Maharath (D-Canal Winchester) as minority whip and DEWINE SIGNS LAST assistant minority whip, respectively.

MINUTE LEGISLATION "I am honored to have been chosen to join the Senate Democratic leadership team as the caucus whip," Gov. Mike DeWine signed the all of the following bills in Antonio said. the days before the new year. "I am very honored to have been selected by my SB 27 (Uecker) addresses the disposition of fetal colleagues for the position of assistant minority whip,” remains from surgical abortions. said Maharath, who will be the first Asian American woman to serve in a position of leadership in the Ohio HB 24 (Hambley-Kick) revises humane society law. General Assembly. "I look forward to continuing to work across the aisle to pass impactful legislation for the state SB 39 (Schuring) authorizes insurance premiums tax of Ohio." credits for certain projects. This bill became effective immediately on its signing on Dec. 29, 2020. Reported by Hannah News Service

SB 310 (Dolan) provides federal COVID funding to local subdivisions and enacts the capital appropriations for 2020 SALES TAX FY21–22. This bill became effective immediately on its signing on Dec. 29, 2020. COLLECTIONS

HB 312 (Powell) permits certain intrastate equity crowdfunding. The legislation increased Sales tax collections beat estimates by nearly $40 appropriations in the amount of $105.2 million in million in November, while income taxes were about on FY21 to allow three projects to proceed to the target, the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) Controlling Board: Columbus Crew SC ($25 million), reported in preliminary revenue figures Monday. Sherwin Williams Company ($35 million) and Origin Continues on the next page 3 Continued from page 3

Tax collections were up 2.3 percent or $46.3 million in November and are ahead by 3.8 percent or $393.5 million so far this fiscal year.

The sales tax brought in 4.2 percent or nearly $39 million more than estimate, netting $976.7 million versus the $937.8 million expected. The non-auto sales tax was up 3.1 percent or $25.7 million, while the auto sales tax was up 11.5 percent or $13.3 million. For the fiscal year so far, the sales tax is up 6.6 percent or $306.9 million compared to estimates, generating a total of $4.93 billion.

The income tax met expectations, bringing in 0.3 percent or $2 million more than expected, generating $636.6 million for the month. For the year, the income tax is ahead by 1.7 percent or $69.8 million, generating $4.24 billion total.

The Commercial Activity Tax was down 1.9 percent or $6.3 million and is 2.7 percent or $21.4 million down for the fiscal year.

“OBM continues to monitor economic indicators. It is clear that the course of our economic recovery is tied to beating the global COVID pandemic and Ohioans must be vigilant. Healthy people are crucial to a vibrant economy,” OBM Director Kimberly Murnieks said in a statement.

The state has brought in $930.1 million or 9.5 percent more tax revenue than it had at this point in the previous fiscal year. This November saw a 3.6 percent increase or $73.1 million more in revenues than the same month last year.

Reported by Hannah News Service

Please see the information on the following page from one of our local government partners, the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities. Check out their website here.

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