July 13, 2007 LEFT UNDONE – NOW UNFINISHED BUSINESS TO
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July 13, 2007 LEFT UNDONE – NOW UNFINISHED BUSINESS TO AWAIT LEGISLATURE’S RETURN FROM SUMMER BREAK A package of foster care bills, judicial pay raise legislation, curbs on electronic gaming and many other measures fell by the wayside during the last session days of June while lawmakers focused most of their efforts toward completion of the state budget (HB 119) for the two fiscal years that started July 1. The budget did end up carrying some other once-separate legislation, such as the latest tweak to the multi-state Streamlined Sales Tax Project (HB 165 & SB 160) and an income tax deduction for organ donors (HB 25). Two sets of foster care bills aimed at tightening system oversight with fingerprinting and other new requirements (HB 213 & SB 163) and improving preparation of foster caregivers (HB 214 & SB 164) were introduced in mid-May following months of stakeholder meetings. Providers, lawmakers and other concerned constituencies accelerated the push for further protections and other system changes in the wake the murder of a three-year-old developmentally disabled foster child. Even though legislative leaders had tabbed the subject as a priority for the spring session, none of the foster care measures made it through both chambers before the General Assembly recessed for summer break. Despite some earlier doubts that the schedule would permit it, the legislature did manage to push through the key components of a package of sex offender registration and notification (SORN) bills (SB 10 & SB 97). That left more work for another day on related legislation, some of which proved to be more controversial (SB 10, SB 22 & SB 23). Several other notable proposals were left in the legislative queue to await the lawmakers return to the Statehouse in the fall, when the next tentative full session dates are Sept. 11-12. They include: HB 173 (Seitz) to increase pay for judges and make other changes to judicial operations. Gongwer News Service noted that this measure faces opposition from county commissioners concerned over budget issues; SB 6 (Niehaus) - To protect individuals from identity theft by allowing a consumer to place a security freeze on the consumer's credit report, specifying that Social Security numbers are confidential, specifying that certain personal information is not a public record, and requiring a public office to redact from a document that is otherwise a public record certain personal information and redact Social Security numbers and other confidential information from any document that is made available online to the public through the internet; 1 HB 154 (Wolpert) - to abolish mayor's courts and create a new system for adjudicating local traffic offenses. Municipalities have come out in force against the bill, which faces some significant changes before a vote is held in the House Judiciary Committee; SB 170 (Amstutz) and HB 47 (Gibbs) - to revise the membership of the board of directors of a conservancy district that includes all or parts of more than sixteen counties, require the board of directors of such a district rather than the conservancy court to perform certain functions under the Conservancy Districts Law, and to prohibit the levying of an assessment by such a conservancy district under specified circumstances; HB 168 (Wagner) - to make the Ohio Turnpike Commission responsible for major maintenance and repair and replacement of grade separations at intersections of any turnpike project with county and township roads; HB 130 (White) to ease re-entry of inmates into society upon their release from prison and contain costs in the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the Department of Youth Services; SB 130 (Padgett) and HB 66 (Collier) – to adjust law regarding schools' ability to make up missed time through calamity days; SB 145 (Stivers) – to prohibit people from fleeing a law enforcement officer who gives an order to stop; SB 17 (Grendell) to increase the penalties for repeat drunken driving offenders; HB 13 (Fessler) – to block the state from including Social Security numbers on vehicle registration notices; HB 212 (Carmichael) – to change staffing levels for ambulances making emergency runs, and; HB 41 (Uecker) – to require licensure of various types of home security personnel. AND REMAINING ON CCAO’S RADAR SCOPE… With the budget bill behind us the CCAO policy staff will be continuing to work on the other legislative priorities of the association. Including our key priorities of indigent defense, election law administration and cost, long term replacement of the lost tangible personal property tax revenue, and impact fees, we will also be working on HB 694 changes, 9-1-1 funding, HB 9 public records training, work force development, law library restructuring, and a vehicle title fee increase, just to name a few. We are also beginning to plan for holding several regional briefing seminars on the state budget and other legislation during August and September. ENERGY LEGISLATION WILL BECOME HOT TOPIC As Capital Square enters the summer recess the mercury will not be the only thing rising, so will anxiety regarding the state’s energy future over the next year. Legislation will consider renewable energy standards as well as how to regulate electric utilities. 2 Strickland first announced in May that he wanted to restructure electricity deregulation but the administration’s first six months in office were largely focused on the state budget. Strickland said he expects to work a lot the rest of this year on crafting a new legislative proposal. "I think everyone expects, and I accept the fact, that the major initiative will come from my office," the governor said in an interview last week. He continued, "This is incredibly important to Ohio, not only to individual consumers, certainly, but to our industrial and business community." Republicans agreed with the Governor’s assessment. Said Rep. Jim McGregor, a Gahanna Republican who chairs the House's new alternative-energy committee, "I think it's a pivotal year. We just must have success in this because our only choices in Ohio are to lead in energy or experience a second rust belt period where we become an economic backwater because we missed the opportunity.” Both the Governor and the Legislature agree that any energy legislation must have two components: 1) Some required energy portfolios emphasizing renewable energy fuels or environmental friendly systems, and, 2) the regulation of electric utilities given current regulations are set to expire at the end of 2008. Utility spokespersons have responded with guarded optimism. FirstEnergy spokesman Ralph DiNicola said the company hopes any requirements for a renewable-energy portfolio are reasonable. "From a solar standpoint, we're not exactly Arizona," DiNicola said. "From a wind standpoint, we're not exactly the Rocky Mountains. We have some physical limitations that should be taken into account." Added American Electric Power spokesman Patrick Hemlopp "If it's a well-thought-out plan that has targets that are achievable, we can support that," Hemlopp said. Some feel the complex issue of energy regulation will be the first real test of the Strickland administration after a relatively smooth budget cycle. State Rep. Kevin DeWine, a former longtime manager at Dayton Power and Light Co., said he thinks if Strickland waits until next year to roll out his plan, it will be too late. "He hasn't had to make what I consider to be tough decisions, decisions that may force him to spend political capital," DeWine said. "To me, so far, first six months in, he has successfully been all things to all people." GOVERNOR'S JOB APPROVAL RATING SOARS TO 61 PERCENT IN QUINNIPIAC POLL AND RESPONDENTS CITE ECONOMY AS STATE'S CHIEF PROBLEM Results of a new Quinnipiac University independent poll peg Gov. Ted Strickland's public approval rating at 61 percent, the highest point reached during his first six months in office. Only fifteen percent of those questioned disapproved of the way Mr. Strickland is handling his job while the rest offered no opinion. Voters also view the governor as a man of principle. "Most governors would die for Strickland's overall numbers and the fact that he is much more thought of as a man of principle than most politicians is the cherry on the top," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. The job approval rating for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Cleveland) was 44 percent, while 45% approved of the way Sen. George Voinovich (R-Cleveland) was handling his office. 3 The survey also contained an open-ended question that allowed voters to give any answer regarding what they felt was the most important problem facing the state. The economy/unemployment was the number one response receiving 44 %. 17% identified education although only 9% percent specifically identified education funding. 6% of respondents listed taxes, 5% health care costs, 4% crime, and 2% the Iraq war. 2% listed politicians in general as the main problem facing the state. 44% described Ohio's economy as "not so good," while 32% said it was either good or excellent. 22% said it was poor. Most of those questioned, 57%, said they believe economic conditions in Ohio would stay the same during the next 12 months. 21% predicted it would improve, and 19% said it would become worse. One-third of those questioned said government policies are most to blame for the poor economy. 24% blamed the global economy. A combined 28% said it was either somewhat or very likely that they or a family member would move out of Ohio for better opportunities during the next year. SMOKING BAN YIELDS 58 OFFICIAL WARNINGS THUS FAR BUT NO FINES No one has yet received a fine for violating the Smoke Free Workplace Act.