February 28

Batchelder promises open and fair process in contested House race

By: Joe Hallett

The Columbus Dispatch - February 27, 2013 4:02 PM

Ohio House Speaker William G. Batchelder, R-Medina, pledged today that a hearing on the contested race in the 98th House District will be transparent and fair, although no timetable has been established for considering the case.

Batchelder said he will meet soon with Minority Leader Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, and then appoint a committee to resolve a rare contested-election lawsuit filed by Democrat Josh O'Farrell of New Philadelphia, who lost a close Nov. 6 election to represent the district -- which includes all of Tuscarawas and part of Holmes counties -- to Republican Al Landis of Dover.

O'Farrell has charged that there were "multiple election irregularities" involving provisional and absentee ballots rejected by the Tuscarawas County Board of Elections that could have changed the election outcome. Landis' win gave Republicans a super-majority in the House.

Under state law, contested elections involving the General Assembly are to be decided by the legislative branch of the lawmaker whose election is being contested. Ohio Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor last week ordered all the evidence, transcripts and other records collected by the court to be transferred to the House. The committee that Batchelder appoints will hear evidence and testimony and then submit a recommendation to the full House for a decision. Republicans dominate the House and are expected to compose a majority on the committee.

- See more at: http://dispatchpolitics.dispatch.com/content/blogs/the-daily-briefing/2013/02/2-27-2013-house-speaker-promises-fair-process-in-contested-house-race.html#sthash.wNrLsfim.dpuf

 

 

 

House Honors Chardon Shooting Anniversary, Passes PERS Extension

Hannah Report 2/27/13

 

Also passed was HB67 (Schuring-Ramos), legislation that is moving quickly to delay a deadline in 129-SB343 in which local governments must determine which non-public employees may be eligible for Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) benefits. Bill sponsors Reps. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) and Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) said the bill doesn’t make any policy changes, but gives governments more time to work with PERS on determining eligibility.

After session, House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) briefly discussed the budget, saying he does not yet know if there is support in his caucus for tax reforms proposed by Gov. John Kasich. He said they will be discussing the issue in caucus meetings.

He also said they plan to move quickly to address an elections challenge in the 98^th District, where former Rep. Joshua O’Farrell (D-New Philadelphia), is challenging the results of the election that he lost to Rep. Al Landis (R-Dover) by just eight votes. Batchelder said they want to be open and allow Democrats to come in and make their case, and also noted that former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Andy Douglas, who represents the Tuscarawas County Board of Elections in the case, also has indicated he wants to be heard.

Batchelder said they are researching a couple of procedural questions, especially since the challenge is a rarely-used procedure that has not been used in the House in the last century.

http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=192073

 

 

House Fast-Tracks Delay Of Deadline For OPERS Requirement; Tax Hearing Postponed

Gongwer 2/27/13

 

Tax Hearing Delayed: Tax Commissioner Joe Testa's planned presentation of Gov. John Kasich's tax provisions to the Ways & Means Committee was postponed just a few hours before it was scheduled to start Wednesday amidst growing concerns among the House GOP Caucus, which was to meet privately that evening to discuss budget issues.

Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) chalked the delay up to a lack of time for what is expected to be a lengthy hearing given the number of questions that have arisen among his caucus members.

"We're having the problem I assumed we're going to have - namely the backup of things," he told reporters after Wednesday's session. "That particular one is going to be somewhat lengthy based on what we're hearing from committee members so I think we have to go ahead with the stuff that I think is not going to be that difficult. We will return to that, of course."

Asked if it looked like the proposed sales tax expansion was on thin ice, the speaker said it remains uncertain as to whether he has the votes for the tax package or not.

"The complexity of it is such that there's always the alternative that some things may not make it further than the committee," he said.

Mr. Testa is expected to address a subcommittee of the Ways & Means panel Thursday morning, however Chairman Rep. Peter Beck (R-Mason) said the hearing would focus on less controversial aspects of the tax package in the budget bill (HB 59 ).

- See more at: http://www.gongwer-oh.com/programming/news.cfm?article_ID=820390205#sthash.NhEBRBFm.dpuf

February 27

Ohio Governor Kasich discusses budget, taxes, education and health care reform during the 2013 State of the State

Lexology.com

Bricker & Eckler LLP

Christopher N. Slagle and Gregory J. Lestini

On February 19, 2013, Ohio Governor John Kasich delivered the 2013 State of the State address at the Veterans Memorial Civic & Convention Center in Lima, Ohio.

Describing job creation as “our greatest moral purpose,” Governor Kasich began with a list of his administration’s successes, including growth of 120,400 jobs; the state’s ranking as number one in the Midwest and number six in the nation for job creation; a balanced budget; an increase in the state’s rainy day fund from $0.89 cents to $1.9 billion in 2 ½ years; and the improvement of the state’s credit outlook at a time when the nation’s was downgraded.

The governor said that his guiding principle is, “You can never spend more than what you take in.”

Governor Kasich said that Ohio Department of Taxation Commissioner Joe Testa’s decision to return millions of dollars to the more than 3,500 businesses that overpaid their taxes demonstrates how government should “treat the taxpayers with respect and help businesses when they pay their bills.” He also pointed out that the number of state employees in Ohio is at its lowest figure in 30 years. The governor praised Ohio House Speaker William G. Batchelder for his work to repeal the “death tax,” or the Ohio Estate Tax, insisting that such a measure will help ensure that heirs of entrepreneurs are able to inherit their families’ businesses.

http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b284a379-da6f-4048-9309-ef0d04fb98e7

 

 

House District 98 Dispute Now In Lawmakers' Hands

 

Gongwer 2/26/13

 

The fate of Democrat Josh O'Farrell's recount lawsuit against Rep. Al Landis (R-Dover) now rests with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor on Friday sent the House clerk the evidence collected in the lawsuit over the House District 98 election last November. Rep. Landis was found to have won the race by eight votes out of nearly 47,000 ballots cast. (See Gongwer Ohio Report, February 22, 2013)

Mr. O'Farrell, a former legislator, alleges that several provisional and absentee ballots were unduly rejected by the Tuscarawas County Board of Elections.

Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) will now appoint a select committee to study the dispute and make a final recommendation to the full House, House Republican spokesman Mike Dittoe said. The House will then hold an up-or-down vote on whether Rep. Landis should keep his seat.

http://www.gongwer-oh.com/programming/news.cfm?article_ID=820380207#sthash.iVl3HcvI.dpbs

February 25

Election complaint to be heard by House

By Catherine Candisky

The Columbus DispatchSaturday February 23, 2013 5:56 AM

The Ohio House will hear a rare contested-election lawsuit filed by a Democratic challenger who lost his bid to unseat a GOP incumbent by eight votes.

In his complaint, Josh O’Farrell charges “multiple election irregularities” involving provisional and absentee ballots rejected by the Tuscarawas County Board of Elections that could have changed the election outcome.

O’Farrell was defeated by Rep. Al Landis, of Dover. The win gave Republicans a super-majority, which allows the GOP to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot or override a governor’s veto without a vote by a Democrat.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/02/23/election-complaint-to-be-heard-by-house.html

 

 

Bob Corbin, Longtime Former Lawmaker, Dies At Age 90

Gongwer 2/21/13

 

Bob Corbin, a longtime former lawmaker who escaped from a prisoner of war camp in World War II and went on to be a successful businessman, died Friday at the age of 90.

Mr. Corbin, a suburban Dayton Republican, spent more than two decades in the Ohio House, leaving the chamber at the end of 2000 when term limits forced him from office.

At the end of his legislative career, he chaired the budget-writing Finance & Appropriations Committee.

Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) said in a statement, "I was saddened to hear of the passing of my former colleague, Representative Bob Corbin. He was a hard worker whose business background was of real help to us in the House. Bob served as a veteran of World War II in Europe and was captured and held as a prisoner of war. The entire membership of the House of Representatives joins his wife and family in mourning their loss."

http://www.gongwer-oh.com/programming/news.cfm?article_ID=820360208

 

 

 

Chief Justice Sends 98th House District Challenge to Ohio House
Hannah Report 2/22/13

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor relinquished her role in the challenge of the results from the 98th House District on Friday, sending the case and its evidence to the Ohio House of Representatives for further action.

Rep. Al Landis (R-Dover) defeated former Rep. Joshua O’Farrell (D-New Philadelphia) in November by eight votes. O’Farrell then filed a rarely-used contest of the election procedure to challenge the results, saying there was evidence of multiple irregularities in the election and that those irregularities affected eight votes or more. (See The Hannah Report, 1/2/13.)

Under the Ohio Revised Code, the chief justice collects the evidence and a contested election, and then either issues a ruling or forwards the case to the General Assembly in cases of a House or Senate race. Because this challenge is a House race, the House itself will determine the final outcome. Republicans currently control the House 60 to 39.

On Friday, O’Connor did that, issuing a one-page ruling stating that the “entire record of this matter, including all pleadings and orders of the chief justice, all evidence, and the transcripts of all testimony, and cause such record to be filed with the clerk of the Ohio House of Representatives.”

Mike Dittoe, a spokesman for House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) said the House has received the documents from the Court. He said the speaker will next appoint a select committee that will review the information then hold an unspecified number of hearings so that witnesses can come in and testify. The committee will then issue a recommendation to the full House, which will hold an up or down vote on whether the challenge was successful. The vote only requires a simple majority to pass.

http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=192030

 

 

People in the News: Robert Corbin; Warner; OSU Honor Band

Former Representative Robert Corbin Dies

Robert Corbin, a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1977 to 2000, died Friday at the age of 90.

 House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina), who served with Corbin in the House, said he was saddened by the news.

“He was a hard worker whose business background was of real help to us in the House. The entire membership of the House of Representatives joins his wife and family in mourning their loss,” Batchelder said in a statement.

Warner Tapped as OHROC Political Director

The Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee (OHROC) has selected Brittany Warner as the new political director. OHROC Chairman Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) made the announcement Friday.

Warner, a graduate of Ohio State University, has worked for the House and OHROC in a variety of roles. She most recently served as OHROC deputy finance director and helped with statewide fundraising efforts, according to a committee statement.

She previously served as a full-time staff member in the House and began her service several years ago as an intern with the House Republican communications office.

“Brittany has been a wonderful addition to OHROC and has done great work for the caucus for nearly two and a half years,” said Huffman in a statement. “Her hard work and dedication makes her the obvious choice to serve in this leadership capacity, and I am more than confident in her ability to lead our campaign efforts.”

As political director, Warner will be working with the fundraising and political staff on candidate recruitment and organizing the political efforts for the 2014 campaign.

http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=192033

 

 

Week in Review for Friday, February 22, 2013
Hannah Report 2/22/13

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) said he expects "tremendous pressure" to scale back Gov. John Kasich's sales tax proposals, though he said many in his caucus are "very favorably disposed toward a sales tax change so there can be an income tax change."

http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=192040

February 21

Updated: 4:27 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 | Posted: 4:27 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013

Critics: Kasich funding plan stiffs many schools

By ANN SANNER

The Associated Press

CINCINNATI —

Questions remained Wednesday about Gov. John Kasich's new school funding plan, with critics charging that many public schools, including in poor districts, will be shortchanged even though the Republican insisted his proposal was focused on helping students.

Kasich defended the plan during his State of the State speech Tuesday night in Lima, saying it has a "common-sense" focus on helping those who don't have the resources to help themselves.

"The simple fact of the matter is we're going to have to work together to make sure that we are moving our resources to those districts that have unique students, that are not as wealthy, those districts that do not have the population; we've got to do it together because the current system is not serving the boys and girls in our state as effectively as we could be doing it," Kasich said.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/ap/ap/education/ohios-governor-defends-school-funding-plan/nWTSM/

 

 

State of the State tweets: No big deal this time

By Darrel Rowland

The Columbus Dispatch

Thursday February 21, 2013 8:17 AM

In 2010, a state senator caused a furor by tweeting during Gov. Ted Strickland’s final State of the State address. But as the use of social media has grown during the past three years, there were only mildly raised eyebrows rather than sweeping condemnations over tweets that flowed during Gov. John Kasich’s speech on Tuesday in Lima.

Other states are even farther down the twitter highway. Last month, five seats were reserved on the Indiana House chamber’s floor as “tweet seats” to offer commentary on Gov. Mike Pence’s State of the State.

What’s allowed “kind of depends on the tradition within the state,” said Pam Greenberg, who monitors technology issues for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/02/21/state-of-the-state-tweets-no-big-deal-this-time.html

 

 

Kasich to GOP at State of the State: Be reasonable: editorial

By The Plain Dealer Editorial Board The Plain Dealer
on February 20, 2013 at 8:39 PM

Running through Gov. John Kasich's 2013 State of the State speech Tuesday was the notion that fellow Republicans who rule the General Assembly should act with open minds -- and political balance, especially on Kasich's bid for Medicaid expansion.

The speech to a nearly full 1,800-seat hall in Lima (in a county that gave Kasich 58 percent of its vote) suggested Medicaid expansion isn't just a matter of compassion. It's practical, too. And without it, Ohioans would foot the bill, via the federal taxes they pay, for Medicaid expansion in states that do opt for expansion, such as Michigan and Arizona.

As demonstrated by the reservations of conservative House Speaker William Batchelder of Medina, many in the GOP may not see it that way. Nonetheless, a healthy work force is a job-ready work force. And the status quo in Ohio makes hospital emergency rooms de facto doctors' offices for Ohio's non-Medicaid poor. That's madness and something that needs to change.

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/02/post_97.html

 

 

 

Batchelder Predicts 'Tremendous Pressure' to Scale Back Sales Tax Expansion

Hannah Report 2/20/13

As the General Assembly went back to work in the Statehouse Wednesday following their trip to Lima for Gov. John Kasich's "State of the State," House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) reflected on the "controversy" that is expected with broadening the sales tax.

While talking to the media following Wednesday's House session, Batchelder was asked why he thought the governor barely mentioned the HB59 (Amstutz) provision in Tuesday's address.

"I suspect that the governor is hearing from various groups across the state who represent various products -- I certainly heard from people who are in opposition to that proposal," said Batchelder. "It's controversial -- there's no question about that."

http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=192003

 

 

House Seeks 'Guardrails' on Turnpike Plan; Transit, Rail Interests Want More Funding

Hannah Report 2/20/13

Rep. Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) said Wednesday that House members will add some controls on the use of bond funding from the administration's turnpike proposal in new versions of transportation budget bills expected to drop Monday.

"I expect that we will have some guardrails in the substitute bill for the protection of the turnpike and also some guidance toward the use of proceeds from what they call the subservient bonds, the derivative bonds, that will be issued for other projects," Amstutz said.

When introducing the turnpike proposal, the Kasich administration promised the vast majority of bond revenue would flow to Northern Ohio, and vowed to hold toll increases to the rate of inflation, with a freeze for short trips by EZ-Pass users. But those promises weren't codified in the actual budget proposal, drawing skepticism from some lawmakers. http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=192005

 

 

 

Speaker: No Need For Earmarking Turnpike Bond Funds; Transportation Budget Amendments Teed Up

Gongwer 2/20/12

 

Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) said Wednesday he is opposed to earmarking any funding from turnpike bonds for the toll road or its environs, saying such a plan would unnecessarily detract from the Transportation Review Advisory Committee's process.

The speaker's post-session comments came after House Finance & Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) said the panel was considering including certain "guardrails" in legislation to issue $1.5 billion in Ohio Turnpike bonds to fund highway projects around the state (HB 51 ).

Wednesday was the deadline for committee members to submit proposed amendments to both the turnpike bill and the full transportation budget (HB 35 ).

The divvying up of the bond money is a major issue for lawmakers reviewing the turnpike plan and is among issues that could delay its processing somewhat, the speaker said. As such, while the transportation budget is expected to advance through the House next week, the turnpike language will be the subject of closed caucus discussions next Wednesday - a meeting requested by some members to voice concerns with the governor's bond proposal.

The Kasich administration originally indicated that 90% of the bond-backed proceeds would be spent in northern Ohio in the turnpike area but such language was not included in the legislation and Transportation Director Jerry Wray testified against adding it.

Speaker Batchelder said it was unnecessary to set restrictions in law on where the bond money would be spent because the TRAC process for identifying major transportation project allotments is in place and the General Assembly has to appropriate the funds in the first place.

"I think that would be entirely inappropriate given the fact that we already have a system that has awarded transportation department monies. I would have reservations about that," he said.

http://www.gongwer-oh.com/programming/news.cfm?article_ID=820340201

 

 

 

Batchelder Says Governor, Lawmakers Already Hearing From Sales Tax Broadening Opponents

Gongwer 2/20/13

 

The House speaker reiterated Wednesday that the Ways & Means Committee would take the lead in hearing tax-related budget testimony in the coming weeks while adding that he is already personally hearing some negative feedback on Gov. John Kasich's proposal.

Speaker Bill Batchelder's (R-Medina) comments to reporters after session came in response to an observation that the sales tax broadening component of the governor's sweeping budget plan (HB 59 ) did not get a lot of attention from Mr. Kasich during his State of the State address in Lima on Tuesday.

"The governor is hearing from various groups across the state," Speaker Batchelder said. "I have certainly heard from people who were in opposition to that proposal."

"There are a lot of ways you can draft sales taxes. I have also heard objections to an expenditure that would not be going back to local government....," he added.

"At this point I couldn't tell you how wide the concerns are among people who would either have to collect the tax. My sense is there is a concern and always is when you expand the sales tax."

"It's controversial, there's no question about that," the speaker continued. "The question obviously that the governor is asking the people of Ohio to look at is, 'Ought we to get off the income tax and into a different tax base in part?' Obviously the income tax is not helpful to us in attracting business and industry to this state."

Asked whether he thought it would be possible to delete the sales tax broadening and still provide for an income tax cut, the speaker said he wasn't sure but added: "My sense would be that that would be difficult."

"I think there would be tremendous pressure on that point and I'm not sure where my caucus would be on that. Sales tax is difficult. I would say that a number of the folks in our caucus would be very favorably disposed toward a sales tax change so that here could be an income tax change, so I just couldn't pick out which way they would go given a choice."

http://www.gongwer-oh.com/programming/news.cfm?article_ID=820340204

 

 

 

Democratic Bill Seeks Legislative Appointment For Inspector General

Gongwer 2/20/13

 

Two Democratic lawmakers said Wednesday the four top legislative leaders - and not the governor - should have the authority to appoint an inspector general to oversee executive branch operations.

Rep. Connie Pillich (D-Cincinnati) and Rep. Chris Redfern (D-Catawba Island) said they will be backing legislation to implement that change. The bill will also prohibit the IG and the office's staff from participating in political activities.

Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina), however, questioned the need for the bill, saying he has not heard of major problems with current IG Randall Meyer.

Asked about the current system, the speaker said it resembles the Legislative IG, which is appointed by the General Assembly, and the ethics watchdogs for lawyers and judges, who are selected by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Speaker Batchelder also noted that the Senate's approval is required for gubernatorial appointments.

"It just seems to me that's appropriate - particularly when there is advise and consent," he said.

The sponsors of the pending legislation said it comes amid concerns about the office's operations, and the fact it has yet to issue a report on the 2005-era coin investment scandal that involved the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and Tom Noe, a former top Republican donor.

http://www.gongwer-oh.com/programming/news.cfm?article_ID=820340207

 

 

 

 

February 20

GOP leaders not yet backing governor’s plans

By Jim Siegel

The Columbus DispatchWednesday February 20, 2013 4:15 AM

LIMA, Ohio — They praised Gov. John Kasich as a leader and called him a man who is clearly looking to Ohio’s future.

But Speaker William G. Batchelder and Senate President Keith Faber stopped short of saying they are on board with some of the governor’s major budget initiatives.

“His proposals for change are proposals that must be examined in the legislature,” Batchelder, R-Medina, said after Kasich’s State of the State speech.

Faber said: “You got to see a bit of John Kasich’s heart tonight.”

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/02/20/gop-leaders-not-yet-backing-plans.html

 

 

Updated: 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 | Posted: 4:05 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013

Taxes, Medicaid, education focus of Kasich address

By Laura A. Bischoff and Jackie Borchardt

Lima — Gov. John Kasich used his third State of the State address on Tuesday to convince Ohioans and state lawmakers that his budget plan is the right mix of smart government service delivery and business-friendly tax policy.

Kasich detailed progress made in Ohio since he took office in 2011 and urged lawmakers to continue to back his ideas, which he says will bring jobs to Ohio.

“If we unite and we stay together, nothing but nothing can stop us from becoming the greatest state in the greatest country in the world,” Kasich told the nearly 1,700 people in the audience during his hour-long address at the Veterans Memorial Civic Center.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/gov-kasich-state-of-state-to-start-around-645-pm/nWSnM/

 

 

Gov. John Kasich focuses on Medicaid, job creation, tax reforms in State of the State address

By Robert Higgs, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer
on February 19, 2013 at 10:25 PM, updated February 19, 2013 at 10:37 PM

LIMA, Ohio - Gov. John Kasich used his State of the State address Tuesday to tout proposals in his budget plan he says will drive Ohio forward, saying now is not the time to ease up on the gas.

"Keep your eyes on the mountaintop," the first-term Republican governor implored the audience at the Veterans Memorial Civic & Convention Center.

The plan, billed as Ohio's Jobs Budget 2.0, includes a bold overhaul of the state's taxing system intended to bolster revenue from the sales tax while trimming income taxes, particularly for small businesses. It would also tap revenue from the Ohio Turnpike to raise money for much-needed road and bridge projects, revamp the state's school funding formula and expand health care coverage for the poor.

Both Democrats and Kasich's fellow Republicans have found things to like and dislike in his budget, and Kasich used his hourlong speech to push back against the criticism, making an especially impassioned case for the Medicaid expansion, which conservatives have scorned.

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/02/gov_john_kasich_focuses_on.html

 

 

Kasich: 'We can be a shining example'

Published: Wed, February 20, 2013 @ 12:01 a.m.

By MARC KOVAC

news@vindy.com

LIMA

Calling jobs “our greatest moral purpose” and defending a two-year spending plan that he says will ensure the state remains on the economic upswing, Gov. John Kasich outlined his vision for Ohio Tuesday night.

“My mission is to make sure that everybody in our state has a chance to realize their hopes and dreams and that their families can do much better,” the governor said. “Because it’s not good enough for some to do well while we leave others behind. We must [work] everyday to make sure that everyone has a chance in Ohio.”

He added, “We are succeeding here in Ohio turning our state around, and it is fantastic.”

http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/feb/20/kasich-we-can-be-shining-example/

 

 

 

Reality TV comes to the legislature

Monday February 18, 2013 5:31 AM

Columbus Dispatch

Technology is rapidly transforming the relationship between people and their government, as underscored this month by the first live broadcast of committee meetings at the Ohio Statehouse.

The broadcasts, at ohiochannel.org or through public-access TV, so far have gone off without a hitch.

And while many might think the title of the first episode, “Finance and Appropriations Committee,” a bit eye-glazing, the broadcasts couldn’t have begun with a more important subject. This is the committee that is hashing out Gov. John Kasich’s proposed biennial budget, which is the playbook for which services government will provide — or not.

Rep. Ron Amstutz, R-Wooster, opened his Feb. 5 committee meeting by explaining the change: “We are attempting to make it a little easier for the public and interested parties to participate in the process by using electronic technology.”

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2013/02/18/reality-tv-comes-to-the-legislature.html

 

 

Kasich budget Dems could love? Thomas Suddes

By Thomas Suddes, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer
on February 17, 2013 at 12:05 AM

Irony fans, here's a big one: The Ohio House's 39 Democrats could help Republican Gov. John Kasich get his proposed 2013-15 budget passed.

There are ifs, ands and buts. Time was when cross-aisle budgeting was how the General Assembly did business. But the curse of term limits makes legislators strangers to one another, so forming coalitions is tough.

Kasich may have to revive cross-party budgeting. Some of the House's 60 Republicans are underwhelmed by his budget, irked by his bid to expand Medicaid, wary of his tax-cut plan.

But Minority Leader Armond Budish, a Beachwood Democrat, has applauded Kasich for seeking to expand Medicaid. And last week, Rep. Nickie Antonio of Lakewood and her fellow Democrats on the House's budget-writing committee said they could help Kasich get Medicaid expansion done, assuming he addresses other pressing Democratic concerns.

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/02/a_kasich_budget_dems_could_lov.html

 

 

Kasich is thinking big and long-term: Brent Larkin

By Brent Larkin, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer
on February 16, 2013 at 9:00 AM, updated February 16, 2013 at 12:01 PM

Columbus -- An interview with John Kasich invariably begins not with a question, but with a monologue.

The one I had with him Wednesday was no different.

"Look, this state was in so much trouble it was ridiculous," began the governor of Ohio, setting down a golf club and easing into a chair overlooking the Scioto River some 30 floors below. "The state was literally dying. People were leaving as soon as they could get their cars started. We were losing all these jobs. The vision was lost. So we lumbered along."

Kasich is Ohio's best salesman since Jim Rhodes, its most energetic pitchman since Dick Celeste. But when he gets on a roll, his enthusiasm for the job sometimes comes laced with flights of fancy.

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/02/kasich_is_thinking_big_and_lon.html

 

 

Legislative Republicans Still Leery of Medicaid, Tax Proposals

While praising Gov. John Kasich's overall "State of the State" speech Tuesday, legislative Republicans said they still have more study to do before they will come on board with some of Kasich's ideas on expanding Medicaid and broadening the tax base.

Kasich spent much of his speech making a case for the details of his FY14-15 biennium budget, but the legislative majority did not commit to adopting them.

Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina) said the Legislature will do a full analysis on the proposal to expand Medicaid and will look at its options before moving forward. He added that the best options for the state may not be what Washington, D.C. tells Ohio to do.

On the proposal to broaden the base of the income tax while lowering the overall rate, House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) said it is a proposal the Legislature needs to approach cautiously. He noted that other states that tried such a broadening weren't successful. He said the House plans to look at the impact on Ohioans through the plan, and will hear from businesses on the plan.

 http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=192001

 

 

 

Democrats See Holes In Governor's Proposals; GOP Shows Support; Cabinet Reacts

Gongwer 2/19/13

GOP Response: Speaking to the governor's tax change proposals, Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina) said Ohioans have a disproportionately large local tax burden, but the state gives locals autonomy to implement them.

"Most of us, at least most of us on this side of the aisle, believe in local control, and so we have to be very careful in trying to take away that local control and that ability of them to fund their local governments," he said, adding he thinks the best way to manage costs is to drive efficiency.

On the governor's school funding formula and the proposed distribution of resources to individual districts, House Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) said he is confident the approach the governor is taking is the right one, although it might needs some "finessing."

Sen. Faber, however, said he has concerns about the formula for some districts, particularly those that are spending at or below the state average per pupil and are not wealthy, which through the distribution chart are falling on the guarantee.

"I think that most of us agree with the concepts behind the governor's plan and the new school funding plan to try to equalize between districts," he said. "To the extent that we're seeing some anomalies and the devil's in the details, we need to make sure we take a look at that."

http://www.gongwer-oh.com/programming/news.cfm?article_ID=820330202