March 28, 2008

HOUSE SPEAKER ASKS SECRETARY OF STATE TO DECERTIFY MACHINES BEFORE ADDRESSING FUNDING As reported by

Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner repeatedly has said she won't force counties to scrap their touch-screen voting machines unless state or federal officials provide the estimated $64 million needed to switch to paper ballots.

But House Speaker threw the issue back in Brunner's lap yesterday, saying he sees no reason for the GOP-controlled legislature to approve funding unless Brunner first decertifies the touch-screens for use in the state.

Husted told The Dispatch that Brunner's failure to decertify the machines would be a tacit acknowledgment that they are suitable to use in the Nov. 4 election, and thus the legislature would have no reason to act.

"We'll see what she does and act accordingly," the Kettering Republican said. "If she doesn't decertify them, then why should we spend $64 million to replace machines that she believes work?"

Brunner said she was disappointed by Husted's comments because she has made it clear that decertifying machines without having funding in place to switch to a new voting system would be "irresponsible."

"That's a totally political response on the speaker's part," Brunner said. "I had been very hopeful that I could continue to work with the legislature on a bipartisan solution and, even if we couldn't fund the entire process this year, that we could begin it in phases and work in an orderly fashion in the best interest of the voters.”

Brunner, a Democrat, plans to continue talking with legislative leaders, saying "more dialogue may help the situation."

Husted said it would be difficult to find $64 million in a state operating budget that Gov. 's administration has estimated could be more than $700 million in the red in the coming fiscal year.

Senate President Bill M. Harris, R-Ashland, has made similar comments, although Husted also has said the state's $1 billion rainy-day fund could be an option.

1 After a study last fall concluded that the touch-screens are substandard and susceptible to fraud or error, Brunner asked the legislature to provide the funding by June so that optically scanned paper ballots can be used statewide on Nov. 4.

Voters in Madison and 34 other counties already use a paper-ballot system, but touch- screens are used in 53 counties, including Franklin and the rest of the central Ohio counties.

Brunner required that touch-screen counties make paper ballots available in the March 4 primary. She has suggested that if funding for the change is unavailable for the fall election, one option would be to require a larger number of backup paper ballots in case machines fail.

DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCES WORKFORCE MOVES

On Thursday, Governor Strickland issued an executive order transferring authority over the Workforce Investment Act (“WIA”) discretionary programs and one-stop business support programs from the Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to the Department of Development (ODOD).

Under the executive order, the 25 state staff responsible for business outreach who currently are housed under ODJFS will move to ODOD. However, the staff will stay in the local One Stops where they currently are located.

The order also provides for moving the WIA strategic policy planning team now at ODJFS to ODOD. Development will assume responsibility for coordinating the Governor’s discretionary WIA dollars, as well as Rapid Response funds used for layoff aversion. ODOD also will have a liaison to coordinate Development’s business-driven services with the local One Stops.

Additionally, the Board of Regents will transfer targeted-industry training grants to the Department of Development to maximize the business community’s usage of those funds.

The Board of Regents also will assume responsibility for the Ohio Skills Bank, which currently is managed under ODJFS. This includes the movement of key individuals within the Skills Bank, such as Tom Fellrath and Terry Thomas, to the Board of Regents.

ODJFS will remain responsible for programs primarily involving services to individuals, such as linking workers to employers and unemployment compensation.

POST ELECTION AUDITS

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has 11 takers on her request for county election boards to volunteer for a voluntary post-election audit of presidential voting in the March 4 primary.

Under the plan, the county boards will randomly select whole precincts and corroborate voting results. The audits are to be initiated in the next few days following the final canvass of the primary election, and the boards have up to 10 days to complete their reviews.

Expressing interest in participating are boards of election in: Athens, Belmont, Cuyahoga, Greene, Highland, Miami, Morgan, Sandusky, Summit, Trumbull and Tuscarawas counties, according to the secretary of state's office.

2 NEW BILLS:

HB 513 BINGO LICENSES (Huffman) To designate a community development corporation organization as a charitable organization eligible to be issued a bingo license.

HB 514 LOTTERY/KENO (Adams) To prohibit the State Lottery Commission from establishing a lottery game that has more than two announcements of prize winners per day or that is played on a slot machine, including a game of keno.

SB 310 PUBLIC OFFICIAL CRIMES (Cates) To make existing laws prohibiting a person who has been convicted of a from holding public office and denying such person other specified privileges applicable upon the determination of the person’s guilt.

SB 311 HIGHER EDUCATION VACCINATIONS (Cates) To require that students living in on-campus housing at institutions of higher education be vaccinated for meningococcal meningitis and hepatitis B or obtain a waiver.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES:

MONDAY, MARCH 31

Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review , (Chr. Niehaus, 466-4086), Rm. 121, 1:30 pm

TUESDAY, APRIL 1

Senate Highways & Transportation , (Chr. Buehrer , 466-8150), North Hearing Rm., 9:30 am

Presentation by ODOT Director James Beasley: Overview of 2008-2009 Business Plan

SB 215 LICENSE PLATES (Stivers ) To establish a Global War on Terrorism special license plate available to active duty and honorable discharged persons who served in the United States Armed Forces during the Global War on Terrorism and to establish a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal special license plate, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal special license plate, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal special license plate, and an Iraq Campaign Medal special license plate available to any recipient of such medals.--1st Hearing-Sponsor

SB 224 HIGHWAY NAMING (Schaffer ) To designate a portion of State Route Number 37 within Fairfield County as the "Chad Edwards Memorial Highway."--1st Hearing-Sponsor

HB 30 TRAFFIC CAMERA SIGNS (McGregor, R. ) To require any local authority that enforces any traffic law by means of traffic law photo-monitoring devices to erect signs on every highway or freeway that is part of the state highway system and that enters that local authority to inform inbound traffic that the local authority utilizes traffic law photo-monitoring devices to enforce laws.--5th Hearing-All testimony- Possible amendments/substitute & vote

Senate State & Local Government & Veterans Affairs , (Chr. Cates , 466-8072), South Hearing Rm., 10:00 am

SB 283 NUISANCE ABATEMENT (Roberts ) To authorize municipal corporations to collect their unpaid costs for correcting hazardous conditions or abating nuisances caused by unsafe structures by attaching a lien against the property owner's primary residence, and to require persons with interests in real property to file identifying information with county auditors.--1st Hearing-Sponsor

3 HB 150 PUBLIC RESTROOMS (McGregor, J. ) as a "good Samaritan law" to encourage retail establishments to allow customers with eligible medical conditions to use the retail establishment's restrooms that are not usually available to the public and to limit the liability of an establishment that allows such access.--1st Hearing-Sponsor

HB 55 VIETNAM DAY (McGregor, J. ) To designate April 29 of each year "Heritage and Freedom Flag of the Former Republic of Vietnam Day."--2nd Hearing-All testimony

HB 244 CABLE RELOCATION (Brinkman ) To authorize townships to relocate underground overhead cables, wires, and appurtenant equipment upon petition; to pay for a relocation by assessing abutting and otherwise specially benefited properties; to collect interest on unpaid assessments for an underground relocation project or an artificial lighting district project; and to exempt townships from liability for outages or other damage caused by a relocation project, and to exempt the owners of the cables, wires, and appurtenant equipment from liability, unless the outage or other damage was caused by the owner's negligence.--2nd Hearing-All testimony

SB 276 CONSERVATION/REVITALIZATION PROJECTS (Stivers ) To authorize a county, municipal corporation, or township to issue public obligations to provide, or assist in providing, grants, loans, loan guarantees, or contributions for conservation and revitalization purposes.--2nd Hearing-All testimony

SB 268 COUNTY BIDDING (Seitz ) To allow a county contracting authority to use competitive sealed proposals instead of competitive sealed bidding when doing so would be advantageous to the county.- -3rd Hearing-All testimony-Possible amendment/substitute & vote

House Session , (Chr. Husted , 466-3357), House Chamber, Webcast , Calendar , 11:00 am

Senate Session , (Chr. Harris , 466-4900), Senate Chamber, Webcast , 1:30 pm

Senate Finance & Financial Institutions , (Chr. Carey , 466-8156), Finance Hearing Rm., 2:30 pm or after session

HB 381 COLLEGE RESEARCH PROGRAM (Webster ) To increase the funds available for the Ohio Research Scholars Program and to permit a nonpublic four-year Ohio university to submit a proposal for the Ohio Research Scholars Program if the proposal is to be implemented in collaboration with a state college or university. -- 1st Hearing-Sponsor

SB 289 VETERANS DEPARTMENT (Spada ) To create a Department of Veterans Affairs and a Director of Veterans Affairs, to create duties for the department and the director, to transfer the duties of the Governor's Office of Veterans Affairs to the department, and to place the Ohio Veterans' Home Agency and the Ohio War Orphans Scholarship Board under the department.--3rd Hearing-All testimony

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2

Senate Agriculture , (Chr. Mumper , 466-8049), North Hearing Rm., 9:00 am

Confirmation hearing on governor's appointment of James Hearst, State Veterinary Medical Board

HB 281 ANIMAL VALUES (Schlichter ) To provide for the uniform determination of the fair market value of certain animals killed by a dog.--2nd Hearing-All testimony

HB 293 LICENSE PLATES (Goodwin ) To create "Ohio Agriculture" license plates and to create the Ohio Agriculture License Plate Scholarship Program.--2nd Hearing-All testimony

4 HB 352 ALPACAS (Patton ) To include alpacas in certain statutory definitions of "agricultural animal" and "livestock."--2nd Hearing-All testimony

Ohio Retirement Study Council (Committee Record ), (Chr. Schuring , 228-1346), Senate Majority Conf. Rm., Statehouse, 10:00 am

RFP for actuarial analysis of STRS and proposed ORSC budget for FY 2009

This is a meeting of the ORSC Advisory Council.

Senate Environment & Natural Resources , (Chr. Niehaus , 466-8082), South Hearing Rm., 11:00 am

Confirmation hearing on governor’s appointments of Chamese R. Jarrett, G. Gary Kaster, Nelson L. Kidder, Gary K. Starner and Christopher I. Walton, Ohio Reclamation Forfeiture Fund Advisory Board

SB 291 GREAT LAKES COMPACT (Grendell ) To ratify the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and to establish related requirements.--1st Hearing-Sponsor-Possible amendment

House Session , (Chr. Husted , 466-3357), House Chamber, Webcast , Calendar , 1:30 pm

Senate Session , (Chr. Harris , 466-4900), Senate Chamber, Webcast , 1:30 pm

Senate Insurance, Commerce & Labor , (Chr. Stivers , 466-5981), North Hearing Rm., 3:30 pm

SB 275 HOME CONTRACTORS (Spada ) To establish the Ohio Home Improvement Contractor Law, to deem that specified violations of the law constitute a violation of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act, and to provide civil remedies for owners who are damaged by a contractor who violates the law.-- 1st Hearing-Sponsor

SB 287 WORKERS COMPENSATION (Stivers ) To allow an employer to reimburse the Administrator of Workers' Compensation for the first fifteen thousand dollars of medical bills incurred in any type of workers' compensation claim rather than allow an employer to pay directly only those medical bills incurred in medical-only claims.--1st Hearing-Sponsor

SB 297 INSURANCE COVERAGE (Miller, D. ) To prohibit health insurers from excluding coverage for posttraumatic stress disorder.--1st Hearing-Sponsor

HB 404 VIATICAL SETTLEMENTS (Hottinger , Barrett ) To make changes to the law governing viatical settlements.--3rd Hearing-All testimony

House State Government & Elections , (Chr. Daniels, 466-3506), Rm. 114, 9:30 am

HJR 3 ELECTION DEADLINES (Stewart, D., Peterson) Proposing to amend Sections 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1g of Article II of the Constitution of Ohio to require an initiative or referendum to be placed on the ballot at the first regular or general election conducted more than one hundred twenty-five days after the petition is filed and to revise other deadlines relative to the filing of those petitions.--5th Hearing- All testimony-Possible amendment & vote

House Juvenile & Family Law , (Chr. Hughes, 466-2473), Rm. 113, 9:30 am

HB 111 CHILD NEGLECT (Collier) To expand the definition of neglected child to include a child whose parent, guardian, or custodian knowingly allows a sexually oriented offender or juvenile delinquent who committed a sexually oriented offense to reside in the same residence as that child.--6th Hearing-All testimony

5 HB 247 PROTECTION ORDERS (Brown) To allow a court to issue a civil protection order to a child who has had or has a dating relationship with the respondent if certain offenses are alleged and to include foster parents under the scope of the laws.--6th Hearing-All testimony- Possible substitute & vote

Senate Health, Human Services & Aging , (Chr. Coughlin, 466-4823), South Hearing Rm., 2:30 pm or after session

SB 267 PERS LAW ENFORCEMENT (Faber) Regarding the Public Employee Retirement System law enforcement division.--4th Hearing-All testimony-Possible amendments/substititue & vote

House Civil & Commercial Law , (Chr. Oelslager, 466-9047), Rm. 122, 2:30 pm or after session

HB 443 PUBLIC NOTICES (Peterson) To establish the State-Sanctioned Public Notice web site, to permit any notice required to be published by statute or rule to be published on the web site, and to make changes to the qualifications for newspapers publishing public notices and the methods by which newspapers publish notice.--1st Hearing-Sponsor

HB 355 MEDICAID FRAUD (Hughes) To provide for the recovery of damages and civil penalties for defrauding the state of money, property, or services in relation to the Medicaid Program and to authorize private persons to bring qui tam civil actions to remedy the frauds.--8th Hearing-All testimony

THURSDAY, APRIL 3

Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review , (Chr. Niehaus , 466-4086), Senate Finance Hearing Rm., 10:00 am

House Criminal Justice , (Chr. White, 466-8104), Rm. 121, 9:30 am

SB 219 PUBLIC OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT (Schuring) To make the period of limitation for the criminal prosecution of a person for an offense directly related to misconduct in office of a public servant the same as the period of limitation for the criminal prosecution of that public servant for the offense involving the public servant's misconduct in office.--3rd Hearing-All testimony-Possible vote

MONDAY, APRIL 7

State Controlling Board , (Chr. Secrest , 466-5721), North Hearing Rm., 1:30 pm

TUESDAY, APRIL 8

House Session , (Chr. Husted , 466-3357), House Chamber, Webcast , Calendar , 11:00 am

Senate Session , (Chr. Harris , 466-4900), Senate Chamber, Webcast , 1:30 pm

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9

House Session , (Chr. Husted , 466-3357), House Chamber, Webcast , Calendar , 11:00 am

Senate Session , (Chr. Harris , 466-4900), Senate Chamber, Webcast , 1:30 pm

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