January 11

Unemployment Insurance Cutoff Threat Sends States Scrambling

Arthur Delaney
Huffington Post
Alec Johnson of Delaware, Ohio, paid close attention last month as members of Congress fought over a bill to reauthorize the federal unemployment insurance he'd relied on for the past year. Eventually, they struck a deal averting an abrupt cutoff for nearly 2 million unemployed Americans, preserving the jobless benefits until March.
So Johnson, 59, was annoyed to learn that even after all that fussing, more politicians need to act to keep his checks coming. "I was surprised," he said. "I sort of thought I had a certain hunk of time."
Ohio is one of several states where the local government needs to take quick action to claim the final 20 weeks of federal unemployment insurance, which for Johnson, a laid-off political organizer, would kick in come February.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/10/unemployment-insurance-states-cutoffs_n_1195504.html

Ohio Speaker Bill Batchelder Not the Best at Taking Care of His Medina House

Posted by Erich Burnett on Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 12:52 PM

Cleveland Scene

As speaker of Ohio’s House of Representatives, Bill Batchelder has made it his specialty to ram through popular issues like the recently overturned Senate Bill 5 and everything that makes women hate Republicans.

Yes, the 30-year servant is a busy man around Columbus. But what of his down time in his hometown of Medina?

One would think that upon returning for the weekend, he might catch up on a few projects in need of attention, such as picking up the garbage cans strewn about his lawn, fixing broken railings and downspouts, or perhaps picking up a bit of the accumulating trash.
http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2012/01/11/ohio-speaker-bill-batchelders-home-looking-like-a-ghost-house

Budish Questions Lack of House Dem Appointment to Study Committee
Hannah Report 1/10/12

House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) Tuesday objected to House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) not putting a member of Budish's caucus on the newly created Ohio Housing Study Committee.

The study committee was created in the budget bill to review the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. The legislation called for two members from each chamber to be appointed by Batchelder and Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond.) While Niehuas appointed Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) and Mike Skindell (D-Lakewood), Batchelder chose Reps. Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City) and Peter Beck (R-Mason.)
http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=188226

Politics Notebook: GOP Question Democrats' Lawsuit Bill; Budish Alleges Partisanship In Study Committee Appointments

Republicans on Tuesday questioned the legality of Democrats' request to bill the state for their lawsuit challenging the newly redrawn General Assembly districts.

House Republicans' legal counsel Mike Lenzo said the House and Senate Democratic caucuses might not have followed proper procedure in hiring the law firm Perkins Coie to file a lawsuit on their behalf before the Ohio Supreme Court. (See Gongwer Ohio Report, January 4, 2012)

Since the attorney general is by law the default attorney for state officials acting in their official capacity, Democrats should have obtained a special counsel contract before hiring the firm, he said, noting the GOP caucuses got permission from the AG to hire private attorneys to represent them in a separate redistricting lawsuit.

Housing Committee: House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) said all-Republican appointments to a study committee on the Ohio Housing Study Committee violated the tradition of bi-partisanship on such panels.

With the study committee, which the biennial budget (HB 153 ) created to review operations at the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, set to convene Wednesday, Rep. Budish released his letter to the speaker questioning the appointment of two House Republicans. The Democrat noted that Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) named one member from each party to the panel. http://www.gongwer-oh.com/programming/news.cfm?article_id=810060210

January 10

Charges against Beavercreek Rep. Jarrod Martin dropped

By Laura A. Bischoff, Columbus Bureau Updated 10:56 AM Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Prosecutors in Jackson County dropped drunken driving and child endangerment charges against state Rep. Jarrod Martin involving a July traffic stop, but the Beavercreek Republican will plead guilty to a traffic violation and his driving privileges are restricted for now, according to Martin’s attorney, Charles Rowland II.

The Ohio Highway Patrol stopped Martin for a traffic lane violation when his pickup truck drifted left of center. His trailer didn’t have taillights. During the traffic stop, Martin refused to submit to sobriety tests, which resulted in an automatic one-year license suspension. Rowland said the Jackson County Municipal Court judge granted Martin work driving privileges. Rowland said he is asking the court to restore Martin’s driver’s license.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/charges-against-beavercreek-rep-jarrod-martin-dropped-1310173.html

Trouble with term limits

Published: January 9, 2012 - 06:56 PM

Akron Beacon Journal

Trouble with term limits January 09,2012 11:56 PM GMT Beacon Journal Publishing Co. Copyright � 2012 Beacon Journal Publishing Co. Inc and Black Press. All Rights Reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of the Akron Beacon Journal is expressly prohibited.

William Batchelder proposed a promising vehicle for making changes to the Ohio Constitution, the House speaker successfully pushing for a bipartisan commission to recommend amendments. As the commission’s work began, he also raised what should be a most important priority — changing the eight-year legislative term limits approved by the voters in 1992.

Those familiar with how the legislature works long have realized how deeply term limits have hobbled its ability to take effective action on complicated issues by decreasing the number of experienced members in leadership positions.

What’s more, term-limited legislators usually are on the lookout for their next office, thus gravitating too often toward easy answers. In such an environment, lobbyists, the governor’s office and long-time staffers exert a heavy influence.
http://www.ohio.com/editorial/editorials/trouble-with-term-limits-1.254319

Students may register for YMCA Youth in Government

Jan. 10, 2012  |  

Written by

Marion Star staffrReport

COLUMBUS - Ohio high school students can now register for the State YMCA Student Legislature and Supreme Court at the Statehouse.

Teens will present legislation on issues they believe will improve our state while student justices will consider cases appealed to the Supreme Court.

Lois Nelson, state YMCA director, said, "It is important for students to register now. Student legislators write legislative proposals and student justices prepare their appeal to the Supreme Court."

http://www.marionstar.com/article/20120110/NEWS01/201100315

January 9

Extra jobless benefits in peril

By  Catherine Candisky

The Columbus Dispatch Saturday January 7, 2012 6:33 AM

More than 20,000 long-term unemployed Ohioans will lose up to 20 weeks of jobless benefits unless state lawmakers agree to take advantage of a more-favorable formula for determining which states qualify for the federal aid.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is urging legislators to make the fix, which will cost the state nothing because the benefits are funded entirely by the federal government, said Benjamin Johnson, spokesman for the state agency which oversees unemployment benefits.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/07/extra-jobless-benefits-in-peril.html

Republicans seem to have it all their own way in Ohio: Thomas Suddes

Published: Saturday, January 07, 2012, 8:25 PM

By Thomas Suddes, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

With the usual ifs and buts, Ohio Republicans are sitting pretty as 2012 opens.
First, Republicans redrew Ohio General Assembly districts to guarantee Republican rule of the state legislature through 2022. True, the Ohio Supreme Court (6-1 Republican) could veto those districts.
Don't bet on it.
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/01/republicans_seem_to_have_it_al.html

It's time to rewrite our state constitution

Every 20 years (and this is the year) Ohio voters can call for a review

6:23 PM, Jan. 7, 2012  |  

Written by

Paul E. Kostyu

Move the state capital?

Lower or raise legislators’ salaries? Or how often they should meet – if at all?

Change how public schools are funded? Allow same-sex marriage?

Ohioans will get a rare chance to make all those changes, if they want.

Once every 20 years, under the state constitution, Ohioans have the chance to rewrite the state constitution through a constitutional convention.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120107/NEWS/301080015/It-s-time-rewrite-our-state-constitution?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Ban Double Dipping By State Employees

January 8, 2012

The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

In many states, including West Virginia, state employees who retire and collect pensions are not permitted to "double dip." Should they decide to go back to work in the public sector, their pension benefits are reduced.

That is not the case in Ohio. There, retirees - including some very well compensated ones - are not penalized if they get back on the public payroll.
http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/564073/Ban-Double-Dipping-By-State-Employees.html?nav=511

Hannah Report  1/6/12

CONSTITUTIONAL MODERNIZATION COMMISSION

The Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission met for the first time Dec. 28, naming as co-chairs House Speaker

William Batchelder (R-Medina), sponsor of the legislation creating the commission, and Rep. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron). The

first 12 legislative commission members voted to set a deadline of Jan. 31 for applications to fill the additional 20

commission seats.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) said he expects gambling omnibus HB386 (Blessing) to be the top priority for

the House in January, with hopes of passing it during the month. He also said follow-up JobsOhio legislation is likely to be

introduced.

http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=188202

January 6

Ohio Democrats Sue Over Redistricting Map

Friday, 06 Jan 2012 06:20 AM

By Sandy Fitzgerald

Newsmax.com

Ohio statehouse Democrats want the state’s Supreme Court to reject new legislative district maps, claiming Republicans violated the Ohio Constitution when drawing them up. Republicans say the complaint is ridiculous, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The map, which strongly favors Republican candidates, redrew 99 Ohio House districts and 33 Senate districts. The lawsuit claims the map violates state law that says legislative districts must be compact and not split up counties, townships, cities, and villages. However, the new map divides 51 counties, 108 townships, 55 cities, and 41 wards.

 http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/Ohio-redistricting-lawsuit/2012/01/06/id/423216

January 5

Democrats want new legislative maps thrown out

2 months before primary, lawsuit says GOP failed to honor Ohio Constitution

By  Jim Siegel

The Columbus Dispatch Thursday January 5, 2012 5:53 AM

Ohio Democrats asked the Ohio Supreme Court yesterday to invalidate new Republican-drawn state legislative maps, saying the maps unconstitutionally split too many communities and are based on improper factors, such as the political leanings of each district.

The lawsuit puts the Supreme Court on a tight schedule, with the Ohio primary just two months away.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/05/demswantnewmapsthrownout.html

Democrats file lawsuit over new Statehouse legislative districts with Ohio Supreme Court

Published: Wednesday, January 04, 2012, 4:10 PM     Updated: Thursday, January 05, 2012, 1:39 AM

By Aaron Marshall, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Statehouse Democrats filed a lawsuit Wednesday charging that Republicans violated the Ohio Constitution last year when they drew new Ohio legislative districts.

Republicans labeled the charges ridiculous and said the map passes constitutional muster.
The Democrats are asking Ohio Supreme Court to reject the map passed by the GOP-controlled state Apportionment Board on Sept. 28 and order a new map to be drawn. The map, which tilts heavily to favor Republican candidates, redrew 99 Ohio House districts and 33 Ohio Senate districts.
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/01/democrats_file_lawsuit_over_ne.html

Ohio Republicans will reform public employee pensions

Published: Thursday, January 05, 2012, 4:02 AM

By Other Voices The Plain Dealer

Cleveland Plain Dealer

As vice chairman of the Ohio Retirement Study Council, a body on which I have had the privilege to serve for nearly a decade, I am compelled to respond to your Dec. 27 editorial titled "General Assembly should pass Ohio pension system reforms."

In 2007 and 2008, like nearly every other investment at the time, those made by Ohio's public pension systems were hard hit. This left Ohio's systems in a situation impossible to escape without changes to each system. In short, we could not "invest our way out."
http://blog.cleveland.com/letters/2012/01/ohio_republicans_will_reform_p.html

Dems try again to force Ohio’s hand in creating insurance exchange

Business First by Carrie Ghose, Staff reporter

Date: Thursday, January 5, 2012, 1:14pm EST

Carrie Ghose

Staff reporter - Business First

Democrat lawmakers again are trying to goose Republicans who control the Statehouse into giving Ohio control over its health benefits exchange rather than trying to wish away federal health insurance reform that the GOP detests.
Companion bills were introduced in the Ohio Senate on Tuesday and in the House on Thursday to create a state-run insurance exchange for individuals and small businesses, which are supposed to start operating in 2014 under the federal Affordable Care Act.
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2012/01/dems-try-again-to-force-ohios-hand-in.html?page=all

Democrats Challenge New General Assembly Maps In Supreme Court

Gongwer 1/4/12

Weeks after reaching an agreement on new GOP-drawn congressional maps, Democrats filed a lawsuit Wednesday contesting recent Republican revisions to General Assembly districts.

More than three-dozen voters are listed as parties in the lawsuit alleging the GOP-drawn legislative maps violate the Ohio Constitution's limits on how political subdivisions could be divided. The plaintiffs want the Ohio Supreme Court to declare the Apportionment Board plans invalid and take action to adopt new General Assembly maps.

A Republican spokesman dismissed the lawsuit as "ridiculous" and accused Democrats of trying to disrupt the elections process for political gain.

http://www.gongwer-oh.com/programming/news.cfm?article_ID=810020201

Legislative Democrats File Suit Challenging New General Assembly Districts

Hannah Report 1/4/11

Legislative Democrats Wednesday filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court challenging new General Assembly district maps approved by the Ohio Apportionment Board, arguing that the districts violate the Ohio Constitution because they divide communities and because there is "evidence that other criteria was used such as political indices and campaign contributions."

The lawsuit, which includes former Reps. Steve Dyer, Ray Pryor, and Ken Carano as plaintiffs, claims that the Republican-dominated Ohio Apportionment Board violated Article XI when it adopted a plan that divided counties, cities and other political subdivisions. http://www.hannah.com/DesktopDefaultPublic.aspx?type=hns&id=188173

January 4

Revising the rules

Well-stocked commission is best way to clean up Ohio Constitution

Wednesday January 4, 2012 8:17 AM

Columbus Dispatch

The bipartisan group that started work last week on updating the state’s vintage 1851 constitution should keep in mind that its overarching task isn’t simply to improve a document riddled with outdated provisions; it’s to improve the lives of Ohioans.

The Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission will bring together 12 lawmakers and 20 others to study governance issues, serving as an advance team should Ohioans this year decide to convene a constitutional convention, an unwieldy affair that might produce delegates without the requisite experience or statesmanship. 
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2012/01/04/revising-rules.html

Revising the Rules

Ohio Working on New Double-Dipping Laws

Wednesday, 04 Jan 2012 04:23 AM

By Sandy Fitzgerald

Newsmax.com

Ohio’s “double-dipping” bill is again coming before the legislature in hopes of stopping the state’s public officials from collecting a salary and pension check at the same time. Ohio State Rep. Rex Damschroder believes the legislation will pass this time around, because there is “public outrage” when a well-paid employee, becomes eligible for a pension and then returns to the job, reports the Columbus Dispatch.

Damschroder, a Republican, rejoined the state House this year after serving from 1995 to 2003, when he left office because of the state’s term-limit laws. He said double-dipping was a problem the last time he was in office as well.

http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/ohio-pensions/2012/01/04/id/422949

January 3

Kasich, coalition of leaders woo Shell

Chemical giant seeks location for gas plant

By  Joe Vardon

The Columbus Dispatch Saturday December 31, 2011 5:27 AM

Gov. John Kasich is working to attract another big corporate name to Ohio, and this time he’s getting a little help from both his friends and his sometimes foes.

Kasich is pursuing Shell Chemicals’ multibillion-dollar ethane cracker facility, which Shell plans to build in Ohio, West Virginia or Pennsylvania to capitalize on the growing harvest of natural gas from Marcellus shale. The American Chemistry Council estimates that Shell’s new plant would generate 17,000 jobs in chemistry and other industries, as well as $1 billion in wages and $169 million in tax revenue for Ohio.http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/12/31/kasich-coalition-of-leaders-woo-shell.html

‘Double-dipping’ debate resumes

By  David Eggert

The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday January 3, 2012 7:20 AM

A call to stop public employees in Ohio from collecting a salary and pension check at the same time is before the legislature again.

But will the latest “double-dipping” bill go anywhere in 2012?

State Rep. Rex Damschroder said it should because there is “public outrage” every time a well-paid school superintendent or judge retires, becomes eligible for a pension and then returns to the job.http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/03/double-dipping-debate-resumes.html

ODNR says injection wells near previously unknown fault line may be cause of quakes

Published: Saturday, December 31, 2011, 5:02 PM     Updated: Monday, January 02, 2012, 7:42 AM

By James Ewinger, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

McDONALD, Ohio -- The strongest of at least 11 earthquakes to rattle an area near Youngstown in 2011 hit Saturday afternoon. 
The 4.0-magnitude quake -- which shook Christmas trees and knocked books from shelves -- struck about 3 p.m. and was centered in McDonald, the U.S. Geological Survey said. 
Within an hour of the quake, State Sen. Bob Hagan, Democrat of Youngstown, called for a statewide moratorium on injection wells used in fracking, a procedure in which pressurized fluid is injected into a rock formation to harvest natural gas.  http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/12/quake_leads_to_demand_for_bann.html

Constitutional editors gather in Ohio: editorial

Published: Sunday, January 01, 2012, 8:19 PM

By The Plain Dealer Editorial Board The Plain Dealer

Ohioans periodically are asked, by a statewide ballot question, if they wish to call a convention to revise or replace the Ohio Constitution, last overhauled in 1912.
Voters said no in 1932, 1952, 1972 and 1992. They'll be asked again this November, and there's at least a chance they'll say yes. Either way, the timing couldn't be better for the new Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission, which met Wednesday for the first time.
The commission's two chairmen are experienced legislators: Ohio House Speaker William Batchelder, a Medina Republican, and Rep. Vernon Sykes, an Akron Democrat.
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/01/constitutional_editors_gather.html

Ohio's 4.0 earthquake shakes up fracas over fracking

John Michael Spinelli

Columbus Government Examiner

January 1, 2012

COLUMBUS, Ohio (CGE) - At half past eight on New Year's Eve, when many Ohioans were reveling as they awaited the stroke of midnight heralding the start of 2012, a conference call with reporters was taking place. 

The notice to reporters said ODNR Director Jim Zehringer would be joined by Rick Simmers, Chief of Oil and Gas Management, ODNR, and Dr. Michael Hansen, Ohio Seismic Network, ODNR, to answer questions about the 4.0 magnitude earthquake in the Youngstown-Warren urban area. The ODNR officials were scheduled to talk about the seismic events surrounding the Youngstown Township fluid injection well.

http://www.examiner.com/government-in-columbus/ohio-s-4-0-earthquake-shakes-up-fracas-over-fracking