Repeal of contentious Ohio election law heads to
governor
By Ann
Sanner
Associated Press
Associated Press
Published: May 8, 2012 - 11:26 PM
COLUMBUS:
A contentious new election law was on track to being repealed in the
presidential battleground state of Ohio after a bill to rescind the law cleared
the legislature on Tuesday, amid Democratic accusations that Republicans were
thwarting the chance for voters to weigh in on the issue this fall.
Gov.
John Kasich is expected to sign the repeal bill.
The
overhaul law has been on hold since September. That’s when the Fair Elections
Ohio campaign gathered more than 300,000 signatures from Ohioans to get a
referendum on Nov. 6 ballots to ask voters whether they wanted to repeal it.
“Why
not let the voters vote?” state Rep. Matt Lundy, D-Elyria, asked his Republican
colleagues. “This is a very bad idea.”
http://www.ohio.com/news/politics/state/repeal-of-contentious-ohio-election-law-heads-to-governor-1.305761
http://www.ohio.com/news/politics/state/repeal-of-contentious-ohio-election-law-heads-to-governor-1.305761
Ohio public pension changes get moving in Senate
By Julie
Carr Smyth
Associated Press
Associated Press
Published: May 8, 2012 - 01:23 PM | Updated: May 8, 2012 - 04:01
PM
COLUMBUS:
The Ohio Senate fast-tracked legislation on Tuesday aimed at shoring up four of
Ohio’s five public pension funds, with both political parties supporting
passage of the changes as early as next week.
The
idea is not expected to move so quickly in the Ohio House, where leading
Republicans say they are awaiting results of an independent study commissioned
by the nonpartisan Ohio Retirement Study Council on the fiscal health of the retirement
systems. The report is expected this summer.
Republican
Senate President Tom Niehaus and Senate Democratic Leader Eric Kearney jointly
announced the Senate’s intentions Tuesday to move forward before the study is
complete, saying after three years of deliberations it’s time to move the
pension bills.
“This
is about protecting the retirement benefits of more than 1.7 million Ohioans,”
Niehaus said. “It’s also about ensuring the fiscal integrity of our state
government so we can continue to position Ohio for job growth and economic
development.”
http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/ohio-public-pension-changes-get-moving-in-senate-1.305644
http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/ohio-public-pension-changes-get-moving-in-senate-1.305644
Senators remove card-room language from
gambling bill
Opposition from governor, House gets GOP to
remove provision
The Columbus DispatchWednesday May 9, 2012 5:24 AM
Senate Republicans
reversed course, at least for now, yanking a provision from a gambling-law
rewrite that would have allowed one charity card room with paid dealers to
operate in each county.
House Bill 389, which
authorizes slot machines at Ohio’s seven horse tracks, unanimously passed a
Senate committee yesterday and is likely headed for a full Senate vote this
afternoon.
Yesterday morning, the
plan was to further address card rooms in the gambling bill. But with
opposition from Gov. John Kasich and concerns raised by House Republicans, by
the time the committee reconvened in the afternoon for a vote, Senate GOP
leaders decided to pull it.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/09/senators-remove-card-room-language.html
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/09/senators-remove-card-room-language.html
Ohio election law in Kasich’s hands
Repeal measure, not referendum, may kill H.B.
194
The Columbus DispatchWednesday May 9, 2012 8:35 AM
On one side:
Republicans, repealing an elections-law overhaul they crafted last year and
still defend as good legislation.
On the other side:
Democrats, fighting the repeal even though they dislike the law so much that
they and their allies worked to get it on the November ballot where it could be
overturned.
If Gov. John Kasich
signs the repeal legislation, Democrats and progressive groups could file a
lawsuit that adds more uncertainty to the mix.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/09/ohio-election-law-in-kasichs-hands.html
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/09/ohio-election-law-in-kasichs-hands.html
Pension-reform bills put more on workers
Bipartisan goal: Systems solvent for 30 years
with no new taxes
The Columbus DispatchWednesday May 9, 2012 8:36 AM
Four pension-reform
bills with bipartisan backing were introduced in the Ohio Senate yesterday, but
union concerns stalled a fifth bill.
In a rare joint
effort, Senate President Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond, and Minority Leader Eric
Kearney, D-Cincinnati, introduced the bills, each crafted from individualized
plans for four of Ohio’s pensions systems.
The plans are intended
to help the systems reach or maintain solvency within the next 30 years.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/09/pension-reform-bills-put-more-on-workers.html
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/09/pension-reform-bills-put-more-on-workers.html
Ohio
House votes to repeal controversial election law
Published: Tuesday,
May 08, 2012, 12:34 PM Updated: Wednesday, May 09, 2012, 3:09 AM
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio lawmakers on Tuesday
repealed a controversial election bill that was supposed to go before voters on
Nov. 6 -- the first known case in Ohio history in which legislators repealed a
bill up for referendum.
Outnumbered Democrats unanimously opposed the
repeal of House Bill 194, a GOP-backed election law passed last year that
restricts early voting and makes several other changes. They said it subverts
Ohio citizens' constitutional right to referendum.
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/05/ohio_house_votes_to_repeal_con.html
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/05/ohio_house_votes_to_repeal_con.html
New
Ohio pension reform bills a longshot at ending stalemate in legislature
Published: Wednesday,
May 09, 2012, 5:20 AM
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Senate's major party
leaders joined on Tuesday to introduce four pension reform bills in a bid to
finally move the General Assembly off a stalemate over an issue that could
affect nearly 2 million Ohio retirees.
The bills would require state and local
government workers to pay more into their pension plans while raising the
number of years worked before they would be eligible for full benefits, among
other changes.
Lawmakers agree that something needs to be
done to restructure the pension systems, which are losing money and dangling
close to missing their 30-year solvency requirement. But despite trying for three
years, legislators have been unable to reach an agreement.
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/05/new_pension_reform_bills_a_lon.html
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/05/new_pension_reform_bills_a_lon.html
Published: 5/9/2012
Ohio Senate to vote on bill regulating state's
gambling
Panel
axes provision limiting charity card rooms
BY JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF
COLUMBUS -- A bill that tries to
bring order to Ohio's multiple moving parts when it comes to casinos, racetrack
slots parlors, and other gambling is headed for a full Senate vote as early as
today.
But the Senate Government Oversight
and Reform Committee on Tuesday stripped from it a controversial provision that
would have allowed each of Ohio's 88 counties to designate a single privately
run card room that uses professional dealers to run Texas Hold 'Em, poker,
blackjack, and other card tournaments for charities.
The provision faced opposition from
Gov. John Kasich as well as questions from House Speaker Bill Batchelder (R.,
Medina).
"We're just going to save all
the charitable card room revisions for a separate bill on charitable gaming
that we're currently working on," said Sen. Bill Coley (R., West Chester),
the committee's chairman.
http://www.toledoblade.com/State/2012/05/09/Ohio-Senate-to-vote-on-bill-regulating-state-s-gambling.html
http://www.toledoblade.com/State/2012/05/09/Ohio-Senate-to-vote-on-bill-regulating-state-s-gambling.html
House
OKs Repeal of Challenged Election Law
The House passed legislation Tuesday to undo disputed election law changes in HB194 (Blessing Mecklenborg) amid accusations of sophistry and arrogance traded across the aisle, sending it to Gov. John Kasich's desk.
The chamber passed SB295 (Coley) 54-42, with Reps. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) and Jarrod Martin (R-Beavercreek) joining Democrats in opposition.
The lengthy floor debate Tuesday followed the same lines arguments have since Republicans first contemplated rolling back HB194, which is on hold for a referendum this fall. Democrats charged that the bill is an attack on people's constitutional right to challenge General Assembly actions via referendum, and argued that SB295 isn't a "clean" repeal unless overlapping language on early voting in HB224 (Dovilla-Stinziano) also is eliminated. Republicans said they're merely giving HB194's detractors what they want, and saving taxpayers money in the process. They also challenged Democrats' interpretation of the HB224 language and said local elections officials of both parties favor eliminating early voting for three days before the election so they have time to prepare.
Rep. Michael Stinziano (D-Columbus) proposed a floor amendment that would explicitly restore that early voting period, but it was tabled by Republicans. http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189346
The House passed legislation Tuesday to undo disputed election law changes in HB194 (Blessing Mecklenborg) amid accusations of sophistry and arrogance traded across the aisle, sending it to Gov. John Kasich's desk.
The chamber passed SB295 (Coley) 54-42, with Reps. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) and Jarrod Martin (R-Beavercreek) joining Democrats in opposition.
The lengthy floor debate Tuesday followed the same lines arguments have since Republicans first contemplated rolling back HB194, which is on hold for a referendum this fall. Democrats charged that the bill is an attack on people's constitutional right to challenge General Assembly actions via referendum, and argued that SB295 isn't a "clean" repeal unless overlapping language on early voting in HB224 (Dovilla-Stinziano) also is eliminated. Republicans said they're merely giving HB194's detractors what they want, and saving taxpayers money in the process. They also challenged Democrats' interpretation of the HB224 language and said local elections officials of both parties favor eliminating early voting for three days before the election so they have time to prepare.
Rep. Michael Stinziano (D-Columbus) proposed a floor amendment that would explicitly restore that early voting period, but it was tabled by Republicans. http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189346
Kearney,
Niehaus Drop Pension Bills; Speaker Awaits Study, Considers Summer Sessions
The top Democrat and Republican in the Senate introduced their bipartisan bills Tuesday to enact pension reforms sought by the state's retirement systems.
Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) and Senate Minority Leader Eric Kearney (D-Cincinnati) pushed enactment of the plans at a morning press conference and in afternoon testimony to the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee. Niehaus and the committee's chairman, Sen. Kevin Bacon (R-Minerva Park), said the bill's could pass as early as next week.
The leaders introduced bills for the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund (SB340), School Employees Retirement System (SB341), State Teachers Retirement System (SB342) and Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (SB343). Niehaus said the Highway Patrol Retirement System is still working to ensure stakeholder support for its own legislation, which he said he hopes can be introduced soon. http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189347
The top Democrat and Republican in the Senate introduced their bipartisan bills Tuesday to enact pension reforms sought by the state's retirement systems.
Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) and Senate Minority Leader Eric Kearney (D-Cincinnati) pushed enactment of the plans at a morning press conference and in afternoon testimony to the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee. Niehaus and the committee's chairman, Sen. Kevin Bacon (R-Minerva Park), said the bill's could pass as early as next week.
The leaders introduced bills for the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund (SB340), School Employees Retirement System (SB341), State Teachers Retirement System (SB342) and Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (SB343). Niehaus said the Highway Patrol Retirement System is still working to ensure stakeholder support for its own legislation, which he said he hopes can be introduced soon. http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189347
Committee
Removes Gaming Bill's 'Card Room' Provisions, Sends It to Full Senate
Charity "card rooms" are out as the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee Tuesday finished up work on the gambling omnibus bill authorizing slot machines at racetracks, HB386 (Blessing), sending it on to the full Senate, presumably for a vote on Wednesday.
When the committee convened Tuesday morning, the intent had been to flesh out the language around charity card rooms, as detailed by committee chair, Sen. Bill Coley (R-West Chester) when he reviewed the day's omnibus amendment. However, by the time the committee reconvened in late afternoon to finally act on the amendment, all provisions related to card rooms had been stripped from the amendment -- and the bill -- returning their status to current law.
Coley said it is his intent to put those provisions in a separate bill on charity gaming that is already being developed, working on it over the summer. http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189349
Charity "card rooms" are out as the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee Tuesday finished up work on the gambling omnibus bill authorizing slot machines at racetracks, HB386 (Blessing), sending it on to the full Senate, presumably for a vote on Wednesday.
When the committee convened Tuesday morning, the intent had been to flesh out the language around charity card rooms, as detailed by committee chair, Sen. Bill Coley (R-West Chester) when he reviewed the day's omnibus amendment. However, by the time the committee reconvened in late afternoon to finally act on the amendment, all provisions related to card rooms had been stripped from the amendment -- and the bill -- returning their status to current law.
Coley said it is his intent to put those provisions in a separate bill on charity gaming that is already being developed, working on it over the summer. http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189349
The Senate kicked off a high-stakes push to
overhaul pension benefits for public employees on Tuesday, starting the drive
with a show of bipartisan support for the changes.
Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond)
and Senate Minority Leader Eric Kearney
(D-Cincinnati) both signaled support for enacting a mixture of pension law
changes requested by the boards of four of the state's five public employee
retirement systems.
The board plans - which combine increases in
retirement age, contributions and eligibility adjustments - have been under
consideration at the Ohio Retirement Study Council, and in the legislature, for
several months.
Sen. Niehaus said the time is now for lawmakers
to act, adding that pension system leaders have "very difficult
choices" that have drawn the backing of key stakeholder groups. "It's
time we put things back on the right track."
No comments:
Post a Comment