June 13

House Passes Cleveland Schools, Hidden Compartments, Scrap Metal Bills

Hannah Report 6/12/12The House easily passed legislation to reform the Cleveland City Schools Tuesday on a bipartisan basis even as Democrats questioned charter school provisions in the legislation.

Rep. Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster), a primary sponsor of HB525, said that the legislation is not their bill, but the result of the efforts of Cleveland leaders to make reforms to the city school system. He said he joined with others in sponsoring the bill because they recognized there needed be strong support for the plan on both sides of the aisle.

"It is the right thing to do for Cleveland. It is the right thing to do for every parent and grandparent who has a child or will have a child that wants a better opportunity for education in that city," Amstutz said.
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Senate Passes Human Trafficking Bill, Cleveland Education Plan

Hannah Report 6/12/12
The Senate Tuesday handled two high-profile bills: the Senate bill enacting the "Cleveland Plan" to turn around the education system in that school district, SB335 (Turner-Lehner), and Rep. Teresa Fedor's (D-Toledo) HB262 dealing with human trafficking, for which she received applause from the senators once the bill passed.

The Senate will turn around Wednesday and vote on the House version of the Cleveland Plan, which Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) told reporters after session is the same as SB335. However, he said, given all the work Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) has put in on the bill, he felt the House bill should be the vehicle.

HB262 passed unanimously by a vote of 32-0, with Sen. Larry Obhof (R-Medina) highlighting the focus of Senate amendments to the bill: using the criminal code to crack down on human trafficking, which includes increasing penalties on a number of crimes; providing for "significant civil reform," including providing a "cause of action" for victims; and improving the rehabilitation opportunities for victims.
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