Ohio committee passes election overhaul repeal
By Ann Sanner
Associated Press
Associated Press
Published: April 24, 2012 - 03:10 PM | Updated: April 24, 2012 - 05:27 PM
COLUMBUS: A contentious measure in Ohio that repeals a new election law in the presidential battleground state is headed to the full state House for an expected vote on Wednesday.
The bill cleared a Republican-dominated Ohio House panel on Tuesday, despite objections from Democrats who claimed the bill was not a “clean repeal” of the law.
Tuesday’s hearing was the only one for the bill in House. The GOP-led Senate passed the measure along party lines at the end of last month. And the House speaker told reporters the measure would be brought up for a Wednesday vote — the bill’s last hurdle before it goes to the Republican governor.
http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/ohio-committee-passes-election-overhaul-repeal-1.302588
http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/ohio-committee-passes-election-overhaul-repeal-1.302588
Planned Parenthood cuts dropped from state budget review
Panel ditches that plan, adds nursing-home money
By Jim Siegel
The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday April 25, 2012 7:19 AM
Ohio House Republicans yesterday backed off an effort to block Planned Parenthood from getting federal family-planning funds — at least for the moment.
And House Republicans also are on a collision course with Gov. John Kasich over the decision to give an additional $30 million to nursing homes and potentially spend surplus state revenue.
The moves were part of the latest changes to Kasich’s midbiennium review, which passed the House Finance Committee on a party-line vote. The bill is set for a full House vote today.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/25/planned-parenthood-cuts-dropped.html
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/25/planned-parenthood-cuts-dropped.html
House likely to kill elections bill targeted by referendum
By David Eggert
The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday April 25, 2012 6:57 AM
The Republican-controlled Ohio House is expected to vote today to repeal a controversial election law despite criticism that its fate should rest with voters come November.
Democrats and others gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures to put a referendum on House Bill 194 on the statewide ballot. By repealing the law now, Republicans could take away Democrats’ ability to use the issue to help drive turnout in the presidential election in this key swing state.
“Except for the folks who want to use this to affect the outcome of an election, perhaps the presidency, perhaps the U.S. Senate ... it’s doing what everybody wants,” Rep. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said of the repeal legislation. The repeal measure was approved 13-8 along party lines by a House committee yesterday. It already had been approved by the GOP-led Senate.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/25/house-likely-to-kill-elections-bill-targeted-by-referendum.html
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/25/house-likely-to-kill-elections-bill-targeted-by-referendum.html
House to move ahead on repeal
Published: Wed, April 25, 2012 @ 12:00 a.m.
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
Republicans in the Ohio House plan to move ahead on a pre-emptive repeal of controversial election-law changes that are the subject of a November referendum.
“We’re going to pass it,” House Speaker Bill Batchelder told reporters Tuesday, indicating a floor vote could come as soon as today and that he expected a subsequent legal challenge.
Asked whether the House would act on any other election-law changes before November, Batchelder responded, “Pray God, not. ... I’ve had about all those I care to. If we had a court case that undermines something, we would obviously have to respond to that, but at this point, there does not appear to be to be anything like that out there.”
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/25/house-likely-to-kill-elections-bill-targeted-by-referendum.html
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/25/house-likely-to-kill-elections-bill-targeted-by-referendum.html
Committee Passes MBR Sans Planned Parenthood Provisions
Hannah Report 4/24/12
Hannah Report 4/24/12
The House Finance and Appropriations Committee reported out HB487, the Mid-Biennium Review (MBR), along a party-line vote after taking out controversial provisions that would prioritize federal dollars in a move to effectively defund Planned Parenthood.
The removal was part of a larger omnibus amendment adopted without objection by the committee. Members of the committee did not make any comments about the move, although both sides of the debate over Planned Parenthood were in attendance in the audience, including a number of people wearing green Right to Life T-shirts.
House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) said after Tuesday's House session that they had concerns over unintended consequences of the language. http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189212
The removal was part of a larger omnibus amendment adopted without objection by the committee. Members of the committee did not make any comments about the move, although both sides of the debate over Planned Parenthood were in attendance in the audience, including a number of people wearing green Right to Life T-shirts.
House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) said after Tuesday's House session that they had concerns over unintended consequences of the language. http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189212
Elections Law Repeal Heads to House Floor
Hannah Report 4/24/12
House Democrats opposing a referendum-ending repeal of elections omnibus HB194 (Mecklenborg-Blessing) mounted substantially the same arguments Tuesday as their colleagues had during Senate passage one month ago. The minority said SB295 (Coley) denies the will of the people -- or 400,000 of them -- in placing the controversial House bill on the fall ballot, and leaves intact carryover language in HB224 (Dovilla-Stinziano) removing in-person early voting Saturday-Monday before Election Day.
Democrats would not persuade majority members of the House State Government and Elections Committee, however, which went on to approve SB295 on a party-line vote. First, Sen. Bill Coley (R-Middletown) made the case for SB295.
“SB295 is nothing more than a straight repeal of HB194....” he told the committee. “If there were provisions in the bill that were deemed so terrible as to trigger a referendum, then let’s revisit the topic. Let’s hit the reset button in an effort to find common ground.”http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189217
House Democrats opposing a referendum-ending repeal of elections omnibus HB194 (Mecklenborg-Blessing) mounted substantially the same arguments Tuesday as their colleagues had during Senate passage one month ago. The minority said SB295 (Coley) denies the will of the people -- or 400,000 of them -- in placing the controversial House bill on the fall ballot, and leaves intact carryover language in HB224 (Dovilla-Stinziano) removing in-person early voting Saturday-Monday before Election Day.
Democrats would not persuade majority members of the House State Government and Elections Committee, however, which went on to approve SB295 on a party-line vote. First, Sen. Bill Coley (R-Middletown) made the case for SB295.
“SB295 is nothing more than a straight repeal of HB194....” he told the committee. “If there were provisions in the bill that were deemed so terrible as to trigger a referendum, then let’s revisit the topic. Let’s hit the reset button in an effort to find common ground.”http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189217
Gongwer 4/24/12
Members of the House State Government & Elections Committee split along party lines in sending a controversial elections law repeal measure to the full chamber during the first hearing Tuesday.
The repeal legislation (SB 295 ), which Republicans describe as a good faith effort to respond to concerns about last year's elections legislation (HB 194 ), is set for a vote on the House floor Wednesday.
Democrats describe the measure as a sneaky attempt to bypass a pending referendum on the election law by shortening the in-person early voting period - something that would presumably depress Democratic turnout during the upcoming presidential election.
The bill's sponsor Sen. Bill Coley (R-Middletown) said the legislation as a "straight repeal" of House Bill 194, which will not be in effect during the presidential election due to the referendum.
Gongwer 4/24/12
A projected budget surplus could benefit local entities under language House Republicans inserted Tuesday into Gov. John Kasich's off-year spending measure.
In preparing the bill (HB 487 ) for a floor vote on Wednesday, majority Republicans also removed a contentious provision that cut certain funds to Planned Parenthood and inserted language providing for up to $30 million more in all-funds for nursing home Medicaid services.
Less certain is the total that other state funding stakeholders such as schools and local governments may realize at the end of fiscal year 2012 should Ohio's coffers end up significantly in the black as is currently expected. As explained in a synopsis of the omnibus amendment, the related provision simply requires legislative action before any year-end monies are transferred into the "rainy day" Budget Stabilization Fund.
"In other words, it stays in the general revenue fund" pending further action, Finance Chairman Rep. Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) said.
With revenues already exceeding estimates by $265 million so far this fiscal year and significant underspending in the Medicaid entitlement, there is speculation around the Statehouse that the surplus could easily exceed $600 million depending on the state's intake during the April tax filing period.
Gongwer 4/24/12
Sponsors of legislation to implement aspects of the Cleveland education overhaul plan reintroduced their bills Tuesday to reflect changes made through local negotiations.
House Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) also said he expects the House to take the lead in moving the legislation and is certain it will pass through the chamber before summer recess begins in June.
"We feel an obligation to the mayor of Cleveland based upon his having brought this to our attention," the speaker told reporters after session. "I think that we're going to have a good vote here."
Co-sponsor of the Senate version and chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee Sen. Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) said last week the upper chamber would be slower to hear the bill because her committee is busy considering the education mid-biennium review (SB 316 ).
Gongwer 4/24/12
House Republicans have selected Gary Scherer, a Circleville business owner, to fill a vacancy in the 85th District seat.
Mr. Scherer, who owns 70 Jackson Hewitt tax preparation franchises in the state, will succeed Sen. Bob Peterson (R-Sabina), who recently left the House for a Senate appointment.
He was selected for the appointment by a House Republican Caucus screening committee. He is the founder of two CPA firms, and is a past member of the Ohio Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.
"During the interview process, we had the opportunity to meet and talk with a number of qualified applicants," said Rep. Matt Huffman (R-Lima), who chaired the screening panel. "In the end, however, it was clear to the panel that the experience and credentials of Gary Scherer made him the most qualified person to fill the seat."
House Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) said Mr. Scherer's private sector experience will be a benefit to the caucus. "I am confident that he will serve the citizens of the 85th District with integrity and enthusiasm," he added.
The caucus said he has also been president of the Circleville Oil Company since 2006.
Mr. Scherer holds a degree in accounting from Ohio State University. He has been married to his wife, Debbie, for 35 years. The couple has three children and six grandchildren.
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