July 3

Proposal to let citizens, not lawmakers, draw congressional maps could appear on November ballot

Published: Sunday, July 01, 2012, 3:00 PM     Updated: Sunday, July 01, 2012, 3:05 PM

By Joe Guillen, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A new way of drawing Ohio’s congressional and legislative maps that takes the pen away from lawmakers could be put before voters this November if enough petition signatures are collected by July 4.

The proposed redistricting process, backed by the Ohio Democratic Party and union groups, calls for a “citizens commission” to draw the maps that are not skewed to favor a political party. If approved, new districts would be in place for the 2014 election.

The proposal emerged after majority Republicans last year drew uncompetitive districts that would help keep them in power. Good government groups and Democrats criticized the GOP over the new boundaries, and for crafting the maps in secret.
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/07/proposal_to_let_citizens_not_l.html

Ohio Gov. John Kasich signs Cleveland schools plan into law

Published: Monday, July 02, 2012, 1:00 PM     Updated: Tuesday, July 03, 2012, 8:34 AM

By Patrick O'Donnell, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Gov. John Kasich on Monday signed into law the school improvement plan that city, legislative and school district leaders have sought for five months.

The Cleveland Plan for Transforming Schools makes several changes in the school district's relationship with teachers and charter schools to help the district make education better for the city's children, Kasich said at the bill-signing ceremony at John F. Kennedy High School.

"Cleveland is now leading the way in school reform," Kasich said to cheers from school supporters and groups that helped create the plan.

Mayor Frank Jackson said the bill will "ensure an opportunity for quality education for all of our children."

State Sen. Nina Turner, one of four sponsors of the bill, overshadowed even Jackson, Kasich and the other three sponsors with her impassioned call for education to be a priority for the city's economic future.
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/07/gov_john_kasich_signs_clevelan.html

Cleveland Plan Signed into Law; State, Local Officials Look to Fall Levy

Hannah Report 7/2/12

Passage and signing of the Cleveland Plan is only as good as the school levy city presented to voters this fall, and vica versa. That was the constant refrain during House and Senate testimony on HB525 (Williams-Amstutz) and SB335 (Turner-Lehner) -- the mutual dependence of legislation and local funding -- a truism reaffirmed in Cleveland Monday as Gov. John Kasich put pen to paper.

Kasich was joined by companion bill sponsors Reps. Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland) and Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) and Sens. Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) and Peggy Lehner (R-Grove City), House Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina), House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood), state Superintendent Stan Heffner, State Board of Education President Debe Terhar, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Cleveland Municipal School District CEO Eric Gordon, and other city leaders from government, education, business, philanthropy, and community action groups.

“They can talk about school reform down in New Orleans, they can talk about it in Milwaukee, but this is an industrial city,” Kasich said at John F. Kennedy High School, calling the Cleveland Plan an example for the entire country. He said the reform plan signifies the larger progress Ohio has made in recent months. http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=189875

Kasich Signs Cleveland Plan; Lawmakers Call For Community Support To Realize Improvement

Gongwer 7/2/12

Gov. John Kasich on Monday signed into law the Cleveland educational overhaul plan as an auditorium full of members of the city's educational community looked on.

The governor was joined by the four bill sponsors and other lawmakers and education officials at John F. Kennedy High School in Cleveland for the event that finalizes legislation developed at the local level.

The legislation (HB 525 ) gives the Cleveland Municipal School District the freedom to make a number of changes to the way it operates its schools and to bring high-performing charters into the fold.

CMSD has been struggling to attain acceptable levels of student achievement and faces a financial shortfall if it does not pass a levy this fall. Gov. Kasich said he felt passionate about the proposal because of his upbringing with a father who was a mail carrier and a grandmother who could not speak English well.

 "Frankly it's about little Johnny Kasich, because why shouldn't I fight to make sure every kid has the opportunity I had," he said. "It's fantastic what is happening here; now we have to make it work."

http://www.gongwer-oh.com/programming/news.cfm?article_ID=811270201