Ohio House GOP, Dems agree to push 2012 primary to May
Published: Thu, September 1, 2011 @ 8:46 p.m.
COLUMBUS (AP) — The Republican and Democratic leaders of the Ohio House say they will soon introduce a bill that would reschedule Ohio’s 2012 presidential primary from March to May.
Republican House Speaker William Batchelder and Democratic Leader Armond Budish said in a statement today the delay is imperative to allow enough time to gather public feedback on new congressional district boundaries before 2012 ballots are printed.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/sep/01/ohio-house-gop-dems-agree-push-2012-primary-may/?nwRep. Hagan bill would require drug and alcohol tests for elected officials, JobsOhio leaders
State Rep. Robert Hagan, D-Youngstown, said Thursday he plans to introduce legislation requiring drug and alcohol testing for statewide elected officials, legislators and board members of JobsOhio, the private corporation now in charge of Ohio’s economic development efforts.
Also Thursday, Sen. Nina Turner, D-Cleveland, said she plans to introduce similar legislation, requiring legislators to be randomly drug tested once a year in order to be paid.
Both proposals follow and appear to counter an earlier announcement from Sen. Tim Grendell, R-Chesterland, that he will introduce legislation requiring drug tests for people seeking government assistance such as welfare and unemployment compensation.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/ohiopolitics/entries/2011/09/01/hagan_bill_would_require_drug.html?cxtype=feedbotBatchelder, Budish Support Moving 2012 Primary to May
Hannah ReportSpeaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) and House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) late Thursday issued a joint statement announcing their support for moving the date of the 2012 primary election to the month of May, as specified in HB194.
With the uncertainty surrounding a possible referendum of HB194, both Batchelder and Budish said they believe that it is imperative to move the primary date in order to obtain sufficient feedback from the public on congressional redistricting and to ensure that county boards of elections have adequate time to prepare for the 2012 elections.
The date of the primary also determines the deadline for congressional candidates to file their candidacy paperwork. Currently the deadline for the 2012 primary is Dec. 7, 2011 -- 90 days before the March 6, 2012 primary which is problematic if the new district lines are not drawn. However, moving the primary date to May also moves that filing date to March, giving the General Assembly additional time to act.
http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=186996
BIPARTISAN HOUSE LEADERS BACK MAY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY
Gongwer
The top Republican and Democrat in the Ohio House said Thursday they support moving the 2012 primary election to May - a change that was included in legislation that is subject to an ongoing referendum effort.House Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) and House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) said passing separate legislation - to be introduced shortly - would allow the public more time to comment on the Congressional redistricting process and give county election officials enough time to prepare for the election.
"It is important for this institution to maintain a policy of openness and transparency," Mr. Batchelder said in a statement. "Redistricting is an important process that all Ohioans will be affected by for the next decade, so ensuring that we have ample time to solicit feedback from the public and give boards of elections enough time to prepare for next year is extremely vital as we move forward in this process."
In a joint statement issued by the House GOP caucus, Mr. Budish also backed the new timetable.
http://www.gongwer-oh.com/programming/news_articledisplay.cfm?article_ID=801700205&newsedition_id=8017002&locid=2
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