January 11, 2013

130th General Assembly includes 11 former commissioners

Members of the 130th General Assembly converged on Columbus Monday as the chambers commenced with swearing-in ceremonies.

Of the 132 General Assembly members sworn in, 11 were former county commissioners; Former Wood County Commissioner Tim Brown, former Paulding County Commissioner Tony Burkley, former Ottawa County Commissioner Chris Redfern, and former Greene County Commissioner joined returning House Representatives and former county commissioners Richard Adams (Miami County), Terry Boose (Huron County), Bob Hackett (Madison County), Dave Hall (Holmes County), Brian Hill (Muskingum County), and (Delaware County. Also in Speaker Batchelder the Senate is former Fayette County Commissioner Bob Peterson.

The opportunities these former commissioners have to share their experiences and underscore the challenges of county government with their colleagues cannot be undervalued.

Speaker Bill Batchelder (R- Medina) remarked that while it would not be an easy road with easy answers, House members, “will be tasked with undertaking some of the most important issues facing .”

Mr. Batchelder noted some of the tasks before the House include regulations for oil and gas exploration, changes in education policy, and advancements in the Constitutional Modernization Committee.

Opening his first session as Senate President, Senator Keith Faber (R- Celina) said he believed members of both parties had the same underlying goal for serving in the Senate, despite differing opinions on how to achieve that goal.

“You believe in Ohio, You believe Ohio can and will be better, and it will be because of your service… While we may fairly differ on President Faber how, I do not believe we in this chamber differ on what.”

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Speaker says House budget hearings to be broadcast, more legislative documents on internet

During his opening ceremony speech for the House chamber, Speaker Bill Batchelder (R- Medina) announced plans to broadcast, both online and on television, hearings on the budget bill and further, to make more legislative documents available on the internet.

“We will be unveiling a system that will make legislative information significantly more accessible to our public and to our constituency,” said the Speaker.

In addition to broadcasting the hearings of the House Finance & Appropriations Committee over the internet and on television during the budget process, some of the Finance subcommittee hearings likely will be broadcast. The Speaker also noted that some other committee hearings could be broadcast depending on the legislation being heard and the associated public interest, citing recent exotic animal legislation as an example.

CCAO Policy Staff will update commissioners on these new tools as they become available.

Overall casino revenues increase in December

Statewide casino revenues reached $56.6 million in December, which is the highest monthly revenue totals since casinos opened in and Toledo last spring.

The Hollywood Columbus Casino collected adjusted gross revenues (AGR) of $17.9 million in December, approximately 11% less than the first full month of collections in November. AGR means the money received by the casino operator, less winnings paid to patrons.

In a positive development, both the Cleveland and Toledo casinos experienced increases in December AGR compared to November collections, the first time that casino collections had increased over prior month collections since the casinos opened.

The Horseshoe Cleveland casino reported AGR of $24.5 million in December – almost a 20% increase over the previous month, and the highest total since June. The Horseshoe Toledo had an AGR of about 14.2 million, an increase of roughly 4% over November’s total.

The casinos have collected $350.5 million in AGR since opening. The fourth and final casino will open as the Hollywood Cincinnati casino next spring.

Scioto Downs opened with video lottery terminals (VLT) in June 2012. During 2013 and 2014 an additional six race tracks are expected to be licensed to operate VLT’s in direct competition with the casinos. The Ohio Department of Taxation predicted in a 2009 study that VLTs at 7 Ohio racetracks would reduce AGR at the four Ohio casinos by 27%.

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For additional information on adjusted gross revenue from casinos, contact CCAO staffers John Leutz at [email protected] or Brad Cole at [email protected]

Faber announces committees

Senate President Keith Faber (R- Celina) announced his picks to chair the chamber's standing committees this week. The Senate's complete committee membership lineup for the 130th General Assembly is as follows:

Agriculture: Chairman Sen. Cliff Hite (R-Findlay); Vice Chairman Sen. Troy Balderson (R- Zanesville); Sen. David Burke (R-Marysville); Sen. Frank LaRose (R-Copley Twp.); Sen. (R-N. Ridgeville); Sen. Bob Peterson (R-Sabina); Ranking Minority Member Gentile (D-Steubenville); Sen. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard); Sen. Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland).

Energy & Natural Resources: Chairman Balderson; Vice Chairman Sen. Kris Jordan (R- Powell); Sen. John Eklund (R-Chardon); Sen. Hite; Sen. Tom Patton (R-Strongsville); Sen. Peterson; Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster); Sen. Joe Uecker (R-Loveland); Ranking Minority Member Joe Schiavoni (D-Youngstown); Sen. Cafaro; Sen. Gentile.

Public Utilities: Chairman (R-Cincinnati); Vice Chairman LaRose; Sen. Balderson; Sen. Bill Coley (R-West Chester); Sen. Eklund; Sen. Hite; Sen. Shannon Jones (R-Springboro); Sen. Patton; Sen. Uecker; Ranking Minority Member Gentile; Sen. Tom Sawyer (D-Akron); Sen. Smith; Sen. Cafaro.

Education: Chairwoman Lehner; Vice Chairman Hite; Sen. Balderson; Sen. Bill Beagle (R-Tipp City); Sen. Coley; Sen. Gardner; Sen. Manning; Ranking Minority Member Sawyer; Sen. Nina Turner (D-Cleveland); Sen. Schiavoni.

Workforce & Economic Development: Chairman Beagle; Vice Chairwoman Manning; Sen. Balderson; Sen. Gardner; Sen. Lehner; Sen. Schaffer; Sen. Chris Widener (R-Springfield); Ranking Minority Member Charleta Tavares (D-Columbus); Sen. Schiavoni; Sen. Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood).

Transportation: Chairwoman Manning; Vice Chairman Patton; Sen. Balderson; Sen. Gardner; Sen. LaRose; Sen. Seitz; Ranking Minority Member Cafaro; Sen. Gentile; Sen. Turner.

Public Safety, Local Government & Veterans Affairs: Chairman LaRose; Vice Chairman Jim Hughes (R-Columbus); Sen. Kevin Bacon (R-Columbus); Sen. Jordan; Sen. Patton; Sen. Schaffer; Sen. Uecker; Ranking Minority Member Skindell; Sen. Edna Brown (D-Toledo); Sen. Tavares.

State Government Oversight & Reform: Chairman Burke; Vice Chairman Uecker; Sen. Bacon; Sen. Coley; Sen. LaRose; Sen. Larry Obhof (R-Lakeville); Sen. Seitz; Sen. Widener; Ranking Minority Member Smith; Sen. Brown; Sen. Skindell. Criminal Justice: Chairman Eklund; Vice Chairman Seitz; Sen. Hughes; Sen. LaRose; Sen. Lehner; Sen. Obhof; Sen. Schaffer; Ranking Minority Member Schiavoni; Sen. Sawyer; Sen. Smith.

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Civil Justice: Chairman Coley; Vice Chairman Obhof; Sen. Bacon; Sen. Eklund; Sen. (R-N. Canton); Sen. Seitz; Sen. Uecker; Ranking Minority Member Brown; Sen. Skindell; Sen. Turner.

Commerce & Labor: Chairman Bacon; Vice Chairman Eklund; Sen. Jones; Sen. Jordan; Sen. Oelslager; Sen. Seitz; Sen. Uecker; Ranking Minority Member Brown; Sen. Schiavoni; Sen. Turner.

Ways & Means: Chairman Schaffer; Vice Chairman Peterson; Sen. Beagle; Sen. Eklund; Sen. Hite; Sen. Obhof; Sen. Widener; Ranking Minority Member Tavares; Sen. Cafaro; Sen. Skindell.

Medicaid, Health & Human Services: Chairwoman Jones; Vice Chairman Burke; Sen. Gardner; Sen. Jordan; Sen. Lehner; Sen. Oelslager; Ranking Minority Member Cafaro; Sen. Brown; Sen. Tavares.

Insurance & Financial Institutions: Chairman Hughes; Vice Chairman Bacon; Sen. Beagle; Sen. Burke; Sen. Hite; Sen. Jones; Sen. Manning; Sen. Obhof; Sen. Peterson; Ranking Minority Member Turner; Sen. Gentile; Sen. Skindell; Sen. Brown.

Rules: Chairman Faber; Vice Chairman Widener; Sen. Burke; Sen. Coley; Sen. Hughes; Sen. Obhof; Sen. Oelslager; Sen. Patton; Ranking Minority Member Eric Kearney (D-Cincinnati); Sen. Schiavoni; Sen. Turner; Sen. Brown.

Reference: Chairman Jordan; Vice Chairman Oelslager; Sen. Bacon; Sen. Gardner; Sen. Patton; Sen. Widener; Sen. Faber; Ranking Minority Member Kearney; Sen. Schiavoni; Sen. Gentile.

Finance: Chairman Oelslager; Vice Chairman Coley; Sen. Burke; Sen. Gardner; Sen. Hughes; Sen. Jones; Sen. LaRose; Sen. Patton; Sen. Peterson; Ranking Minority Member Sawyer; Sen. Smith; Sen. Tavares; Sen. Schiavoni.

Finance Sub-Committee on Education: Chairman Gardner; Vice Chairwoman Lehner; Sen. Beagle; Sen. Hite; Sen. Hughes; Sen. Manning; Sen. Uecker; Sen. Widener; Ranking Minority Member Turner; Sen. Skindell; Sen. Sawyer.

Finance Sub-Committee on General Government: Chairman Peterson; Vice Chairman Schaffer; Sen. Balderson; Sen. Eklund; Sen. Obhof; Sen. Seitz; Ranking Minority Member Schiavoni; Sen. Gentile; Sen. Smith.

Finance Sub-Committee on Medicaid: Chairman Burke; Vice Chairwoman Jones; Sen. Bacon; Sen. Coley; Sen. Jordan; Sen. LaRose; Sen. Patton; Ranking Minority Member Cafaro; Sen. Brown; Sen. Tavares.

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Statehouse Etcetera

December tax figures 5% over estimates December saw a strong personal income tax receipt and solid sales tax intake that translated into a nearly 5% overage in tax revenues last month compared to Kasich Administration estimates, the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) reported Monday.

Total tax receipts for the month came in at $1.68 billion, which was $76.3 million, or 4.8%, better than expected. At the halfway point of FY 2013, the $9.789 billion in tax collections was $131 million, or 1.4%, above estimates.

Of particular interest to commissioners, the sales tax brought in $756.6 million to the state during December, which was about $11.3 million, or 1.5%, above estimates. A total of $4.2 billion in sales tax intake was recorded for the year to date, with that total being slightly below (minus-0.4%) estimates.

Personal income revenues for December totaled about $822 million and were $60 million, or 7.9%, above estimates revised last July. The boost put the category for the fiscal year to date at 1.8% above projections with a total of $4.2796 billion collected through the first six months of FY 2013.

To view the full monthly financial picture from December, please click here.

Upcoming Legislative Committee Calendar

Wednesday, January 23

House Session, (Chr. Batchelder, B., 466-3357), House Chamber, 1:00 pm

Wednesday, January 30

House Session, (Chr. Batchelder, B., 466-3357), House Chamber, 1:00 pm

Senate Session, (Chr. Faber, K., 466-4900), Senate Chamber, 1:30 pm

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