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No. 24 November 5, 1999 PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS BULLETIN TO YOUR COUNCIL, DEPARTMENT HEADS & STAFF General Assembly Returns. This coming week the Ohio General Assembly will return to the Statehouse for a scheduled two-day session (November 9 and 10). At the top of the agenda will be making further progress in creating a spending plan for Ohio's share of the national tobacco settlement and, perhaps, inserting in statute language which would allow for the implementation of State Issue 1. That issue, which passed on Tuesday by a 61%-39% margin, allows the state to shift future spending for school facilities to general obligation debt, thus lowering the interest rate on such debt to make for cheaper borrowing or increased capacity to fund such facilities. Within the issue is a cap limiting the debt service for such debt to 5% of the state's General Revenue Fund. The House will also begin looking for replacements for two members of that body who have resigned. Representative E.J. Thomas, Chair of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee, resigned to take up a position in the private sector and Representative Joe Haines, Chair of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, left to become Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture. House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson has said that beside the screening for filling these seats, she expects to name a new Chair for the House Finance Committee next week. Cable TV Bill. The League, along with the Ohio Municipal Electric Association, met again this week with representatives of the Ohio Cable Telecommunications Association, staff of legislative sponsors and Senator Lou Blessing, Chair of Senate Ways and Means Committee to try to work out a compromise for SB 67 and HB 188. Those companion bills both try to regulate the ways in which a municipality may enter the cable TV business in competition with a private sector company. Though we would characterize the meeting this week as almost positive, we do not expect any action on SB 67 or HB 188 during the November session. It is possible that some committee action may take place if the scheduled December 8 session of the General Assembly occurs as planned. No Annexation Action in November Session. Despite some of the noise you may have been hearing about it, no action on HB 98 or any other comprehensive annexation legislation will occur in the General Assembly in the November session. The League continues to work with the Ohio Township Association to see if a compromise version of a bill, acceptable to both sides, can be crafted. Municipal Income Tax Bill Up. HB 477, which makes many changes to the Ohio Municipal Income Tax, is up for a hearing (Proponent/Opponent Testimony) in the House Ways and Means Committee at 10:00 a.m. in House Hearing Room 313 on Wednesday, November 10. The League has sent over for consideration a number of additional amendments to this bill and will continue to work with the sponsor (Mottley) to improve this legislation and address the concerns we have received from tax administrators from many municipalities. Should the committee decide to move this bill out, a floor vote of the House would not be possible until at least the scheduled one-day session in December. Should the bill then pass the House, it would go on to the Senate Ways and Means Committee in January. COMMITTEE HEARING SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 8 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 SENATE INSURANCE, COMMERCE & LABOR, 9:30 a.m., North Hearing Rm. SB 169 PUBLIC EMPLOYER INSPECTIONS (Wachtmann) Eliminates the biennial safety inspection required for a public employer that is exempt from the Public Employment Risk Reduction Program and substitutes an optional inspection. (1st Hearing) SENATE WAYS & MEANS, After Session, South Hearing Rm. SB 67 CABLE COMPETITION (Hottinger) Provides for fair competition in the provision of cable television services. (6th Hearing) HB 275 PFDPF BENEFITS (Vesper) Increases benefits paid to surviving spouses of members of the Police & Firemen’s Disability & Pension Fund; eliminates the cost-of-living allowances that apply to certain PFDPF members and declares an emergency. (1st Hearing - Possible vote) WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 HOUSE FARMLAND PRESERVATION SUBCOMMITTEE, 9:30 a.m., Rm. 115 HB 267 FARMLAND PRESERVATION (Krebs) Requires the Director of Agriculture to be notified when land in an agricultural security area is to be appropriated by eminent domain and makes other changes. (3rd Hearing) HOUSE WAYS & MEANS, 10 a.m., Rm. 313 HB 477 INCOME TAX AUTHORITY (Mottley) Modifies the authority of municipal corporations to impose income taxes. (3rd Hearing - Possible vote) HOUSE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, 10 a.m., Rm. 018 SB 82 PUBLIC FUNDS INVESTMENT (Johnson) Permits subdivision or county treasurers to invest in certain no-load money market mutual funds in the absence of a written investment policy on behalf of the subdivision or county or in the cases of exemptions from or noncompliance with specified initial or continuing education requirements by the subdivision or county treasurer. (1st Hearing) HB 473 INVESTMENT AUTHORITY (Myers) Modifies the investment authority of counties and political subdivisions relative to the collateral requirements applicable to the receipt of public funds and the investment of public funds in repurchase agreements and makes other changes. (2nd Hearing) HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT & TOWNSHIPS, 4 p.m., Rm. 121 HB 440 LAW LIBRARIES (Womer Benjamin) Modifies the provisions governing the distribution of fines, penalties, and forfeited bail to law library associations. (2nd Hearing) |
