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CAPITOLCREATIVE Ohio Alliance of YMCAs 40 West Long St, Columbus, OH 43215 BRIEFNAME February 2012 www.ohioymcas.org A legislative newsletter for CEOs, CVOs, Staff, and Partners of the Ohio Alliance of YMCAs IN THIS ISSUE PUCO Rescinds AEP Rate Hikes “Right to Work” Ballot Issue PUCO RESCINDS AEP for November Education Files Waiver that RATE HIKES Affects 21st Century Funding Electricity rates for American Electric Power customers in the state will High Court Rules State Legislative return approximately to last year's levels after the Public Utilities Districts Stand, For Now Commission of Ohio this month rescinded a rate plan approved last year that drew loud protests from small businesses, schools, and other groups. Governor Makes Second State of the State Address Commissioners voted unanimously to restart the process of working out a rate agreement for AEP Ohio, but said repeatedly they'll keep moving Attorney General and Legislature toward market-based rates for electric utilities, and that certain customer Enter Contraception Debate classes can't expect to be subsidized by others. Clean Energy Also May Join "In this matter there remain many disputed issues that have far-reaching Fall Ballot impacts for Ohio, for AEP, and for the customers that it serves. Rather than make an expedient or politically easy decision in response to one Senate Republicans Consider issue or another, the best course of action for us to take is to step back Repealing Election Law that is and to reset the process, which will allow all parties the full opportunity to Slated for Ballot develop their positions on the record and provide the Commission all of the necessary information we need to make the best decision possible," ENJOY THIS ISSUE? Commission Chairman Todd Snitchler said. "Nothing in our action today should be perceived or understood as the Commission moving away from Feel free to share this newsletter our goal of moving toward a more robust, competitive marketplace." with anyone who you think may find it useful. "I remain convinced that appropriately functioning markets will produce the best results for utilities and for consumers," said Commissioner Andre QUESTIONS, Porter. "I know that markets are not perfect currently. They need to be COMMENTS, IDEAS? modified so that utilities have long-term certainty, and so their customers have access on the retail side to varied options. Contact Beth Tsvetkoff at [email protected]. AEP reacted by characterizing the Commission's decision to restart the process as an overreaction. "We are concerned by the Commission's Also follow Beth on Twitter at reaction to what we believe were solvable issues on rehearing," said a www.twitter.com/BethTsvetkoff, statement from AEP president and CEO. "We are currently evaluating our or at www.ohioymcas.org. options and the potential financial and operational impacts on AEP Ohio." Continues next page 1 Continued from front page EDUCATION With their downtown Columbus hearing room filled by those interested in FILES WAIVER the case, commission members stressed that they must rely solely on information in the official case record to decide on rate agreements. THAT AFFECTS "Therefore, we need a record based on full participation from what are ST now very interested parties that will allow this commission [to] direct a 21 CENTURY transition to market based on prices that are fair to all classes of customers, AEP, and competitive suppliers," said Commissioner Stephen FUNDING Lesser. The Ohio Department of The Commission said their decision leaves AEP's initial application, filed in Education (ODE) Tuesday January 2011, in place, giving the utility 30 days to withdraw or amend it. submitted the No Child Left The Commission said it will release a procedural schedule for hearing from Behind (NCLB) waiver application. parties in the case once AEP makes a decision. Just yesterday AEP filed new proposed rates with PUCO based on its old rate structure. Part of the waiver would allow local school districts to use up to st The PUCO had heard hundreds of complaints from AEP customers 25% of 21 Century Community following the December decision, and in turn also heard from Gov. John Learning Center dollars for in- Kasich and state lawmakers voicing concern about the effects of the school academic remediation. st rates. 21 Century afterschool providers, including YMCAs, have Following commissioners’ statements that they need full participation concerns about redirecting the from all parties to build a complete record in the case, the Council of only dedicated funding stream we Smaller Enterprises (COSE), the small-business affiliate of the Greater have for afterschool programs. Cleveland Partnership, said it plans to intervene to ensure small business interests are represented. Several groups submitted letters of concern to ODE, including The Ohio Alliance of YMCAs understands that this AEP rate issue affects YMCAs. Below is an excerpt of some YMCAs in Ohio. Thus, we are keeping a close eye on these our comments: proceedings. “21st CCLC funding allows us to Compiled from Hannah News Service serve thousands of children in high quality after school programs all over Ohio. If a portion of the funding is used by school districts for in-school learning, it will “RIGHT TO WORK” BALLOT greatly reduce the number of children we are able to serve ISSUE FOR NOVEMBER? each year. In addition, partnerships may be strained A unanimous Ohio Ballot Board certified the Ohio Workplace Freedom between community-based Amendment, which bars participation in a labor organization as a organizations that desperately condition of employment, as one issue on the November ballot. The need funding for after school amendment would make it illegal to force an employee to join a union or programming and school districts to pay dues to the union. It is similar to other "right to work" laws and who also need funds for in-school amendments in 23 other states. remediation. Prior to the Ballot Board’s certification, Attorney General Mike DeWine We encourage ODE to consult approved the summary language for the proposal. Conservative and Tea with school age professionals to Party activists had been spurned in their first attempt by the Attorney develop guidance around the General, who said the first submission's summary language did not expansion of use of 21st CCLC include language that is in the actual amendment. funds.” Supporters now have until July 4 to submit 385,245 valid signatures in We, along with our partner order to be on the November ballot. organizations like the Ohio Afterschool Network, will continue As Compiled from Hannah News Service working with ODE. 2 HIGH COURT GOVERNOR MAKES SECOND RULES STATE STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS LEGISLATIVE Gov. John Kasich hit on many familiar themes in his second "State of the DISTRICTS State" address, highlighting some of the successes of his first year in office while making a few new policy announcements, including a focus on STAND, human trafficking, an improvement to Ohio's broadband network, and FOR NOW improved workforce training. In a packed auditorium at the Wells Academy in Steubenville, Kasich told The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in the audience that he wanted to get out of Columbus for his second February that new General speech, and wanted to highlight the performance of the school. Assembly districts will stand for this election because Democrats He spent most of the first half of the nearly hour-and-a-half speech took too long to file their highlighting major policy accomplishments, including changes to Medicaid, objections, but justices said they sentencing reform, and JobsOhio. He also highlighted businesses that will hear additional arguments on have moved jobs into the state, and said Ohio is the number one job whether the redrawn maps should creator in the Midwest and ninth overall in the country. last for the entire decade. “When I came to office, we had 89 cents in the Rainy Day Fund. Try Democrats had alleged that the $247 million in the Rainy Day Fund today,” he said. new state legislative district boundaries violated the Ohio Much of the speech hit on points that Kasich has made publicly over the Constitution because they divided past few months. The Governor also hit on the divided political counties, cities, and other environment, calling for both sides to try to find issues they can work jurisdictions too much and were together on and build on the state's accomplishments. drawn based on other criteria, such as political indices and "If it wasn't for bipartisan support, I wouldn't be standing in Steubenville campaign contributions. (See the today," he joked, referencing the close House vote on the resolution to January 2012 Capitol Brief.) move the speech from Columbus. Their lawsuit also claimed He said he wants to tackle the human trafficking issue. After noting Heather Mann and Ray DiRossi, efforts to tackle the prescription drug problem in parts of Ohio, he said he co-secretaries of the wants a war on the slave trade business in the state as well. He noted Apportionment Board, violated that more than 1,000 Ohio children with the average age of 13 are in the open meetings laws by working in slave trade business, and pointed to efforts by Rep. Teresa Fedor (D- secret with Republican members Toledo) to tackle the problem. and operatives. But justices dismissed those claims on On prison reform, he said he is working with former Secretary of State jurisdictional grounds. Jennifer Brunner on tackling collateral sanctions, which he said can keep some former non-violent felons from getting jobs. In a 6-1 ruling, the Court denied the request to block using the Kasich unveiled the Governor's Courage Awards during the speech. He maps for the 2012 election, based said these awards would highlight Ohioans who do special things.