Ohio Municipal League
175 South Third Street
Suite 510
Columbus, Ohio 43215

614-221-4349 Office
614-221-4390 Fax

email:
Legislative Inquiries
John Mahoney
General Inquiries
info@omunileague.org

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Legislative Luncheon Great Success.

On behalf of the League's Board of Trustees and staff, we would like to thank all who participated in the League's Annual Legislative Luncheon, which was held on Wednesday of this week. The turnout of legislators and municipal officials was great with over 260 attending. The visits members had with their legislators at lunch and before and after the event are invaluable to the League's overall legislative effort.

It is one thing for the members to hear from League staff about the importance of certain issues. It is an entirely different and more essential thing to have those issues portrayed in local terms by local officials to their legislators.

Once again, thanks to all who could make it to this very important and very successful event.

Income Tax Bill Passes Senate.

HB 477, which makes a number of changes to the municipal income tax statute, passed the Ohio Senate this week by a 33-0 vote. We now expect the measure to move on to the Governor's desk for his signature.

The bill, which for the most part avoided many of the more damaging ideas that have been kicked around about the income tax for the past few years, still contains one provision which was opposed by the League. Despite the League proposing a number of amendments to minimize the problems of that provision, the "twelve-day occasional entry" tax break still remains a part of the bill. Through that loophole, supported primarily by the Ohio Society of CPA's, non-resident employees who work for a non-resident company may come into your community, enjoy your municipal services for twelve days a year and let every other taxpayer foot the bill for that work period.

At the League's urging, the Senate did restore the 90-day window for tax refunds, after which municipalities must pay interest on the refund. This current provision of law was proposed in the bill during House consideration as 30-days, a time frame that simply could not be met by many communities. Additionally, last minute attempts to exempt "cafeteria-plans" from the municipal income tax were stifled with League opposition.

Bicentennial Request

Chillicothe, Ohio’s first state capitol is actively involved in the state bicentennial effort and is requesting Ohio’s cities that have their own city flags to send their flag or contact Gus Comstock, Development Director, City of Chillicothe, 35 South Paint St., Chillicothe, Ohio 45601 or call 740/773-8032.

COMMITTEE HEARING SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF MARCH 20

HB 509 UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION (Corbin) Makes changes in the Unemployment Compensation Law. (1^st Hearing)

SB 261 POLITICAL ACTIVITIES (Shoemaker) Allows classified employees to engage in political activities during nonworking hours and makes other changes. (1^st Hearing)

SB 244 POLICE NOTIFICATION (Mumper) Requires every law enforcement agency whose law enforcement officers investigate motor vehicle accidents to develop and adopt a written policy governing the procedures for notifying the next of kin. (2^nd Hearing)

HB 516 RAILROAD CROSSINGS (Damschroder) Allows a sheriff or a chief law enforcement officer of a municipal corporation to designate a railroad grade crossing as a no stop emergency crossing and prohibits a railroad company and the conductor or other person in charge of a train from obstructing an emergency crossing. (3^rd Hearing)

HB 553 RAILROAD TRESPASS (Jolivette) Creates the offense of criminal trespass upon a railroad track. (1^st Hearing)

HB 555 RAILROAD CROSSINGS (Cates) Increases the fine that courts may impose on persons in connection with railroad grade crossing violations, requires persons issued citations for railroad grade crossing violations to appear in court, and creates the Railroad Safety Education Fund in the state treasury. (1^st Hearing)

SB 207 RAILROAD CROSSINGS (Armbruster) Increases the penalty for obstruction of a street, road, or highway by a railroad and makes other changes. (1^st Hearing)

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. (1^st Hearing)

HB 467 PAWNBROKERS (Schuler) Revises the Pawnbroker Licensing Law. (3^rd Hearing - Possible vote)

HB 249 RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT (Tiberi) Prohibits a political subdivision from requiring its employees to reside in any specific area of the state. (1^st Hearing)

HB 397 MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT (Schuler) Permits municipal corporations to create a municipal development commission to act as an urban renewal and redevelopment agency for the municipal corporation. (3^rd Hearing)

HB 544 PLANNING COMMISSIONS (Peterson) Authorizes a regional or county planning commission to send certain notices by electronic mail as well as regular mail and makes other changes. (4^th Hearing - Possible vote)