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No. 2 January 18, 2002 PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS BULLETIN TO YOUR COUNCIL, DEPARTMENT HEADS & STAFF More on BWC Safety Summits. We have a few improvements (which means corrections and changes) to the schedule of the BWC Safety Summits, which we sent you information on last week. The Cleveland Summit will be held at the Ramada Airport Hotel, 13930 Brook Park Rd, Cleveland. The Toledo Summit will be held on February 7 (not the 12th) at the Wyndham Hotel. And, finally, the hours of each Summit is 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with lunch included. The full details of the Summits are available on our website (omunileague.org). This is a great chance for every community to learn more about employee safety programs and save 25% on you workers' compensation premiums. A Tree Named Joe. As the League staff gathered early last Monday morning, as we do once a month, to cut down the trees we need for Legislative Bulletin paper, we got word from our paper mill manager that this month we would need one less tree. Because of your response to our e-mail Bulletin program, we all got to share a touching moment in the woods as a little tree named Joe breathed a sigh of relief. It was a frosty morning, so we'll never know if it was the wind chill or that feeling of being at one with nature that made us all a little misty-eyed. Well, it's never to late to make this tree saving program a part of your life. If you haven't yet and would like to receive your Legislative Bulletin by e-mail every Friday, just e-mail your e-mail address to omunileague@copper.net. And as for Joe, our little buddy? We'll be back for you next month. By the way, for all those who sent in their e-mail addresses this week, your e-mail subscription will begin this coming week. Some idiotic changes in our provider's e-mail service made us switch to a new kind of service, so we're a week behind. Sorry, but we will get you on the new service next week. Thanks for your patience. Look For a May Primary. If things don't spin out of control, it looks like the General Assembly will be able to pass a Congressional redistricting plan next week. The bill, which outlines the plan to reduce the number of members of Congress from Ohio from 19 to 18, is scheduled for a vote on the House floor next Tuesday, with a vote on the Senate floor on Thursday. A final plan was announced by majority Republicans late this week which may attract enough Democrat votes to pass the bill as an emergency measure. The House needs seven Democrat votes for an emergency. The Senate needs one from the minority party for such a measure. Should all work out according to majority leadership expectations, the emergency measure would take effect on the Governor's signature. That would allow time for a February 21 filing date for all offices and a May primary. Special Transportation Committee Gets Underway. A couple of months ago, the General Assembly established a special study committee to look at the future state and local needs and resources that will be available in Ohio for road and bridge programs. That committee is co-chaired by Representative Steve Buehrer and Senator Scott Oeslager and will hold its first meeting on Thursday of next week at 10:00 a.m. in House Hearing Room 018. John Mahoney of the League staff was appointed by Speaker Householder and President Finan to serve on this committee representing municipalities. We will keep you informed on the progress of this committee as we work with the state in the constant struggle to provide the future resources for the many unmet transportation needs in our state. Predatory Lending Bill Up. Another hearing on the Pro-Predatory Lending Bill (HB 386) is scheduled for the Senate Finance Committee this week (see Committee Schedule). The bill attempts to strip from municipalities their ability under Home Rule to pass ordinances that are not in conflict with state regulation on matters related to lending practices. A substitute bill is expected to be unveiled at that hearing. As that substitute was put together with the input of the finance industry, but no input from the League, AARP or poverty advocates we are concerned about that the sub bill may not meet the concerns of any of those groups, but we will just wait and see. Two Bills Supported by League. HB 301 (Hoops) passed out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and the full Senate this week. The bill relieves subdivisions who mistakenly receive an Estate Tax settlement from paying interest to the appropriate subdivision when that subdivision is identified. When that occurs, you just send the amount of taxes that were improperly distributed. The League supported this bill with written testimony available at omunileague.org. Also available on our website is testimony given by the League this week before the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans' Affairs Committee in support of HB 365 (Setzer), which allows municipalities and other local governments to ask for earlier fiscal assistance from the State Auditor in tough financial situations under the state's fiscal watch program. You can get complete copies of these bills and other legislation at http://legislature.state.oh.us. COMMITTEE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 21, 2002 TUESDAY, JANUARY 22 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. (2nd Hearing - Proponent) HOUSE COMMERCE & LABOR, 1:30 p.m., Rm. 121, Chr. Williams, Phone: 644-5085. HB 403 UNIFORM BUILDING CODE (Kilbane) Establishes a statewide uniform building code and two advisory committees to assist the Board of Building Standards in developing and interpreting the Ohio building code. (2nd Hearing - Proponent) HOUSE STATE GOVERNMENT, 4 p.m., Rm. 122, Chr. Young, Phone: 644-6074. HB 468 PUBLIC RECORD EXEMPTION (Trakas) Exempts private single-family dwelling architectural plans in the possession of a public agency from disclosure as a public record with exceptions. (1st Hearing - Sponsor) 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. (3rd Hearing - Proponent & opponent) WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23 SENATE JUDICIARY ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE, 9 a.m., North Hearing Rm., Chr. Oelslager, Phone: 466-0626. SB 208 FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS (Coughlin) Relative to the use, in an OMVI or OMVUAC prosecution, of the results of field sobriety tests. (3rd Hearing - Proponent & opponent) 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. (6th Hearing - Proponent, opponent & interested party - Possible vote) HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT & TOWNSHIPS, 10 a.m., Rm. 121, Chr. Roman, Phone: 466-1790. HB 449 PARK COMMISSION EMINENT DOMAIN (Lendrum) Eliminates the right of appointed boards of park commissioners of metropolitan park districts, municipal corporations, and township park districts to acquire, through an exercise of eminent domain, land for park use. (1st Hearing - Sponsor) SB 106 SCHOOL SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY (Hottinger) Includes as a governmental function under the Political Subdivision Sovereign Immunity Law the design, construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, maintenance, and operation of any school athletic facility, school auditorium, or gymnasium and makes other changes. (1st Hearing - Sponsor) 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. (2nd Hearing - Proponent) 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. (2nd Hearing - Proponent, opponent & interested party) SENATE STATE & LOCAL GOVT. & VETERAN’S AFFAIRS, 3 p.m., South Hearing Rm., Chr. Coughlin, Phone: 466-4823. 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. (3rd Hearing - Opponent) 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. (3rd Hearing - Proponent & opponent) THURSDAY, JANUARY 24 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. (2nd Hearing - Proponent) SB 105 ENVIRONMENTAL CIVIL ACTIONS (Hottinger) Establishes a five-year statute of limitations for actions or administrative penalties brought under certain environmental laws. (1st Hearing - Sponsor & proponent) SENATE FINANCE & FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, 10:30 a.m., Finance Hearing Rm., Chr. Carnes, Phone: 466-8076. HB 386 FINANCIAL SERVICE REGULATION (Blasdel) States the intent of the General Assembly on the relationship of state and local laws regarding the regulation of loans and other forms of credit. (2nd Hearing - Amendment only) |
