General Assembly Back in Full Swing.

The General Assembly returned this week for its first full sessions of the New Year. This year's run of session weeks is scheduled to last into the month of June, though budget numbers, the date of the primary, school funding and any number of other things could change that plan.

The political color for this week was provided by the wrangling over congressional redistricting. The majority Republicans hope to have a map ready and in the form of legislation very soon. The problem with that is, without votes from the minority Democrats, the bill can't be passed as an emergency measure, which would make it a bill effective ninety days after the Governor's signature. And that is too late for a February filing date and a May primary. A leader in the House proposed that the problem be solved with two primaries, one in May for every office except Congress and one in August for Congressional seats. As we all know, some trial balloons float better than others and this one needed absolutely no string to keep it on the ground. Instead leaders of both parties talked to see if Democrat votes could be provided for an emergency measure, even though, with Republicans in the majority, the bill will eliminate one Democratic district from Ohio as our delegation is reduced from 19 to 18 seats. Talks will continue this coming week.

Predatory Lending Bill Heard

In other news, HB 386, a bill which says municipalities should never be allowed to pass an ordinance protecting their residents from any kind of loan vulture, was heard in the Senate Finance Committee this week. Under HB 386, the state would assert itself as the sole regulator of all stripes of consumer finance and assert that, whether the state does its job of regulating or not, no local government can fill in what that local government thinks are gaps in that regulation.

Though the League and most folks would agree that having uniform state regulation of the finance industry is the better approach, when the state refuses to do that regulation, municipalities have the ability, through Home Rule, to provide consumer protection for their residents. This bill came about simply because one city (Dayton) exercised that right.

Though the League's concern over this bill is the clear intent of the bill to thwart Home Rule by legislative fiat, other groups are also opposing the bill because they feel the need for additional consumer protection in the consumer finance area is needed. AARP and a group of anti-poverty advocates held a press conference this week to criticize HB 386 and call for stronger consumer protection in the loan industry.

HB 386 will be up for a proponent hearing this week in the Senate Finance Committee.

Sunday Sales Bill Passes Senate.

SB 156, which would allow restaurants and taverns in certain precincts to sell liquor at 11 a.m. (instead of the current 1 p.m.), passed the Ohio Senate this week. The bill was defended as one that would put bars and restaurants on the same liquor schedule as allowed for sports stadiums. Critics of the bill said this legislation changes what has been voted upon locally.

Anti-Terrorist Legislation Heard.

SB 184, which creates a number of offenses related to terrorism, was heard this week in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Criminal Justice. The League is working with the sponsor (Spada), the Ohio Newspaper Association and other groups to include in this bill an amendment on local security. Under the amendment, specified kinds of discussion related to security could be done in executive session, in the same manner as other executive discussions are held under the Sunshine Law, and certain records related to security would be exempt from the Open Records Law.

While the need for such exceptions became clear after September 11, making adjustments to either the Open Records or Open Meeting Law is always a delicate matter and must be done with as much support as possible. We will keep you informed on this issue as language for this adjustment becomes more clear.

 New Members Picked; One Member Departs.

This week, Toledo City Councilmember Edna Brown became State Representative Edna Brown. She replaces Jack Ford, who left the General Assembly to take over the reins as Toledo's new mayor. And former State Representative Tom Roberts returned to the legislature this week to join the Ohio Senate as the replacement for Rhine McLin. Rhine is the new Mayor of Dayton. And Representative John Barnes has left the Statehouse to join Mayor Jane Campbell's Cabinet in Cleveland.

SENATE WAYS & MEANS, After 1:30 p.m. session, South Hearing Rm., Chr. Blessing, Phone: 466-8068.

HB 129 COUNTY TAX BUDGET (Webster) Permits a county budget commission to waive the requirement that a taxing authority adopt a tax budget for a subdivision or taxing unit. (1^st Hearing - Sponsor)

HB 301 ESTATE TAX INTEREST (Hoops) Prohibits the charging of interest on recoupments of erroneously distributed estate tax revenue and provides, until Jan. 1, 2001, a procedure for converting certain municipal permanent improvement property tax levies to five-year term levies, subject to voter approval. (2^nd Hearing - Proponent, opponent & interested party - Possible vote)

HOUSE STATE GOVERNMENT, 4 p.m., Rm. 122, Chr. Young, Phone: 644-6074.

HB 413 PUBLIC RECORDS EXEMPTION (Fessler) Exempts from the Public Records Law specified residential and familial information of a member of a fire department. (2^nd Hearing - Proponent)

HB 426 EMINENT DOMAIN (Young) Requires acquiring state agencies to make every reasonable effort to provide a copy of the appraisal to the owner of real property appraised at more than $10,000, requires those agencies to update or obtain new appraisals under certain circumstances, and specifies that their acquisition of property must be for a clearly defined public purposes that is to be achieved in a defined and reasonable period of time. (2^nd Hearing - Proponent)

SENATE JUDICIARY ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE, 9 a.m., North Hearing Rm., Chr. Oelslager, Phone: 466-0626.

SB 184 TERRORISM (Spada) Creates the offenses of terrorism; soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism, soliciting of providing support for an act of terrorism; making a terroristic threat and hindering prosecution of terrorism and declares an emergency. (5^th Hearing - Proponent, opponent & interested party)

HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT & TOWNSHIPS, 10 a.m., Rm. 121, Chr. Roman, Phone: 466-1790.

HB 454 LOCAL GOVERNMENT SPENDING (Coates) Raises the threshold amount below which the fiscal officer of a political subdivisions can approve expenditures made without a certificate of available funds. (1^st Hearing - Sponsor)

HOUSE RETIREMENT & AGING, 10:30 a.m., Rm. 122, Chr. Schuring, Phone: 752-2438.

SB 134 OPF RETIREMENT (Blessing) Provides for the establishment of the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund deferred retirement option plan.(1^st Hearing - Sponsor)

SB 198 HOUSING AUTHORITIES (Coughlin) Changes the composition of certain metropolitan housing authorities. (1^st Hearing - Sponsor & proponent)

HB 329 LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUNDS (Blasdel) Allows local government funds under certain circumstances to be distributed among subdivisions under an alternative apportionment scheme without the approval of the largest municipal corporation in the county. (2^nd Hearing - Proponent)

HB 365 GOVERNMENT FISCAL WATCH (Setzer) Authorizes the Auditor of State to declare a fiscal watch when the projected fiscal year-end deficit of a municipal corporation, county, or township exceeds one-twelfth of its general fund revenue from the preceding fiscal year. (2^nd Hearing - Proponent & opponent)

HOUSE ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT, 9:30 a.m., Rm. 114, Chr. Hollister, Phone: 644-8728.

HB 459 WASTE COMMISSION (Schuring) Creates the Solid Waste and Construction and Demolition Debris Commission for the purpose of evaluating various aspects of the solid waste and construction and demolition debris laws. (1^st Hearing - Sponsor)