No. 11
May
4, 2001
PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS BULLETIN TO YOUR
COUNCIL, DEPARTMENT HEADS & STAFF
House Passes $45 Billion State Budget.
The Ohio House this week passed its version
of the state's biennial budget for education and the operation of most state agencies. The
$45 billion budget, including a $1.4 billion increase for primary and secondary education,
passed by a margin of 59-40, with all Republicans voting for the measure and all Democrats
voting against the bill.
Democrats criticized the bill as containing
too little for education and as a measure that would not stand up as constitutional when
viewed in June by the Ohio Supreme Court. Democrats also criticized some of the budget
cuts made in non-educational agencies. Republicans defended the bill as strong on
education spending and as responsible budget belt-tightening in other areas of spending.
The bill still contains the freeze on local
government and library funding, though the chair of the Senate Finance Committee told the
press this week that the Senate will look at thawing that freeze a bit, especially in the
first six months of the state's fiscal year.
The budget (HB 94) now goes to the Senate for
its consideration and changes. Hearings began this week in the Senate Finance Committee,
with two-a-day hearings set to occur this coming week before that panel.
Hearing on Annexation May Be Last.
The hearing scheduled this coming week (see
committee schedule) may be the last chance for public testimony on SB 5, the annexation
bill. The chair of the House Committee on Local Government and Townships, Representative
Twyla Roman, has scheduled a hearing for opponent/proponent/interested party testimony
this coming week. She has also asked that proposed amendments to the bill be in her office
no later than 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 10. Such a deadline usually indicates that
public testimony is ending and consideration by the committee is imminent.
If you wish to testify on SB 5 and have not
already done so, this hearing may be your last chance. If you have any questions regarding
the giving of testimony, please, give us call at the League's office in Columbus.
Bill to Reduce Income Taxes Through
Deductions Introduced.
HB 240 (Cirelli) was introduced in the House
this week. Under provisions of the bill, federal and state taxes paid by individuals would
become deductible from the municipal income tax. Federal taxes paid by individuals would
become a deduction from state income taxes.
This bill would result in substantial
reductions in the yield of both municipal and state income taxes. It would also
necessitate mandatory filing for everyone who pays municipal income taxes.
COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF MAY 7, 2001
TUESDAY, MAY 8
SENATE INSURANCE, COMMERCE & LABOR, 10 a.m., North
Hearing Rm., Chr. Nein, Phone: 466-8072.
SB 99 UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION (Nein) Modifies procedures
for applying for determination of unemployment compensation benefits and claims for those
benefits, modifies the procedures for appealing decisions relative to unemployment
compensation benefits, requires that the information currently submitted by employers in
two separate quarterly reports be merged into one report, and correspondingly modifies the
threshold parameters for forfeiture penalties for late and improper filing of quarterly
reports. (1st Hearing - Sponsor)
SENATE WAYS & MEANS, After Session, South Hearing Rm.,
Chr. Blessing, Phone: 466-8068.
HB 21 PURCHASE CERTIFICATES (Core) Enables super blanket
certificates to be used by subdivisions and local taxing units for qualified purchases
amounting to $5,000 or less, not just those amounting to more than $5,000. (2nd Hearing -
Proponent, opponent & interested party-Possible vote)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9
HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT & TOWNSHIPS, 10 a.m., Rm. 121,
Chr. Roman, Phone: 466-1790.
HB 45 ANNEXATION (Seitz) Revises the laws governing municipal
annexations. (1st Hearing - Sponsor)
SB 5 ANNEXATION (Wachtmann) Revises the laws governing
municipal annexations. (6th Hearing - Proponent, opponent & interested party -
Amendments due to chair's office no later than 10 a.m. Thursday, May 10)
HB 152 RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT (Ford) Prohibits a municipal
corporation from requiring any police or fire officer or employee to reside within the
municipal corporation. (1st Hearing - Sponsor)
HOUSE RETIREMENT & AGING, 10:30 a.m., Rm. 122, Chr.
Schuring, Phone: 752-2438.
HB 215 PERS/LAW ENFORCEMENT (Willamowski) Includes municipal
park rangers in the law enforcement division of the Public Employees Retirement System.
(1st Hearing - Sponsor)
HB 157 PENSION BENEFITS (Schuring) Provides that the annual
cost of living increase paid to retired members and beneficiaries of Ohio's state
retirement systems will be three per cent. (4th Hearing - Proponent, opponent &
interested party)
HB 158 PERS LAW ENFORCEMENT BENEFIT (Schuring) Permits Public
Employees Retirement System members with at least 25 years of law enforcement service
credit to retire with full benefits at age 48, includes transit and highway patrol police
officers as law enforcement officers for PERS purposes, and increases the employee
contribution rate for law enforcement service credit. (4th Hearing - Proponent, opponent
& interested party)
HOUSE ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT, 9:30 a.m., Rm. 114, Chr.
Hollister, Phone: 644-8728.
HB 3 ENVIRONMENTAL BONDS (Blasdel) Declares it to be the
public policy of the state to establish the Clean Ohio Fund for the purpose of achieving
certain goals related to the protection of the environment and preservation of the state's
natural resources. (6th Hearing - Substitute bill)
