OML LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN

No. 04 February 25, 2005

PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS BULLETIN TO YOUR COUNCIL, DEPARTMENT HEADS & STAFF

Budget Dominates Legislative Activity.

As will be the case next week, this week’s activities in the General Assembly centered on the budget, with hearings being held on the General Fund budget, the Bureau of Workers’ Comp budget and the transportation budget. All of these budgets are currently being heard in the Ohio House. The House Ways and Means Committee is also hearing from opponents and proponents of the Governor’s proposals for changing the Ohio Tax Code. The result of those deliberations are eventually to be merged with the state’s biennial General Fund budget, a document which is to be completed by June 30 of this year.

As you can see by the committee schedule below, the only bill being heard next week, other than the budget bills and tax reform, is SB 27, which makes changes in state law related to “adult entertainment establishments.”

League Testifies Against HB 41.

League staff this week testified against HB 41, a bill that would give commuters to the state’s largest cities (those collecting over $100 million annually in municipal income taxes) a 10% credit against the municipal income tax of those large cities. The hearing for HB 41 was in the House Local and Municipal Government and Urban Revitalization Committee. A copy of the League’s testimony is available on our website at www.omunileague.org.

Lancaster City Auditor Mary Green and Baltimore Mayor Robert Kalish testified in favor of the legislation.

HJR 3 (Law), which would place the renewal of the state’s infrastructure bond issue (State Issue 2) on the ballot was also scheduled for a hearing. However, no witnesses presented testimony. The issue is now on hold, in both the House and the Senate, as negotiations continue about whether to increase the number of dollars available for the Issue 2 program and whether there ought to be a relationship between Issue 2 and another attempt to have the voters approve the “Third Frontier” issue. The Third Frontier was presented to the voters a couple of years ago and lost with 48% of the vote. The Third Frontier program, at that time, was billed as a $500 million program to help transform more of Ohio’s economy into high technology commerce.

We will keep you informed on the progress we make in getting Issue 2 back on the ballot for renewal.

Anti-Residency Bill Introduced.

HB 84 (Flowers) was introduced this week. The bill would prohibit all residency requirements for all local government employees, unless those requirements mandate that the public employee lives in the county where the political subdivision is located or in any adjacent county.

The bill is as straightforward as the League’s continued opposition to this ridiculous interference with local decision-making, including decisions made in dozens of communities at the ballot.

House Finance & Appropriations, (Chr. Calvert, 466-8140), Rm. 313, 1:30 p.m.

HB 68 ODOT BUDGET (Patton. T.) To make appropriations for programs related to transportation and public safety for the biennium beginning July 1, 2005, and ending June 30, 2007, and to provide authorization and conditions for the operation of those programs. (6th Hearing-Proponent, opponent & interested party)

Senate Highways & Transportation, (Chr. Armbruster, 644-7613), North Hearing Rm., 2:30 p.m. or after session

HB 68 ODOT BUDGET (Patton. T.) To make appropriations for programs related to transportation and public safety for the biennium beginning July 1, 2005, and ending June 30, 2007, and to provide authorization and conditions for the operation of those programs. (1st Hearing (Presentations from Laurence Bicking of the Public Works Commission & Kenneth Morckel of the Department of Public Safety)

Senate Ways & Means & Economic Development, (Chr. Amstutz, 466-7505), South Hearing Rm., 3 p.m.

SB 1 TAX LAWS (Amstutz) To formally state the General Assembly's intentions in its upcoming deliberations on reforming Ohio's tax laws. (3rd Hearing-Proponent)

Senate Judiciary-Criminal Justice, (Chr. Jordan, 466-7584), North Hearing Rm., 9 a.m.

SB 9 OHIO TERRORISM LAW (Jacobson) To require law enforcement officers to comply with certain federal mandates regarding homeland security; to create the offenses of criminal possession of a chemical weapon or biological weapon, criminal use of a chemical weapon or biological weapon, illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of a chemical weapon or biological weapon, money laundering in support of terrorism, and unlawful possession of a powerful laser; to require applicants for certain specified licenses to disclose any material assistance they have provided to an organization on the United States Department of State Terrorist Exclusion List; to prohibit the state or a political subdivision of the state from conducting business with any person, company, or others that provide material assistance to any organization on the United States Department of State Terrorist Exclusion List; to require a person in a public place to provide the person's name to a law enforcement officer when the law enforcement officer has reasonable suspicion that either the person is or has been engaged in criminal activity or the person has witnessed a felony offense of violence; to expand the homeland security duties of the Department of Public Safety; and to include animal and ecological terrorism in the definition of corrupt activity. (5th Hearing - Proponent/Opponent/Interested Party)

Senate Ways & Means & Economic Development, (Chr. Amstutz, 466-7505), Finance Hearing Rm., 9 a.m.

SB 1 TAX LAWS (Amstutz) To formally state the General Assembly's intentions in its upcoming deliberations on reforming Ohio's tax laws. (4th Hearing)

House Civil & Commercial Law, (Chr. Seitz, 466-8258), Hayes Rm. (formerly 114), 9:30 a.m.

HB 9 PUBLIC RECORDS LAW (Oelslager) To revise the Public Records Law. (3rd Hearing-Proponent)

Senate Highways & Transportation, (Chr. Armbruster, 644-7613), Location to be announced, 2:30 p.m. or after session

HB 68 ODOT BUDGET (Patton. T.) To make appropriations for programs related to transportation and public safety for the biennium beginning July 1, 2005, and ending June 30, 2007, and to provide authorization and conditions for the operation of those programs. (Presentation from Gordon Proctor of the Department of Transportation)

Senate State & Local Government & Veterans Affairs, (Chr. Coughlin, 466-4823), South Hearing Rm., 4 p.m.

SB 27 ADULT ENTERTAINMENT REGULATION (Amstutz) To generally regulate adult entertainment establishments; to permit townships to regulate the location and operation of those establishments; to create an expedited appeal from orders, adjudications, or decisions denying an application for, or suspending or revoking, a license or permit to locate or operate such an establishment; to create an expedited appeal in any case in which a court determines there is a threat of restraint of protected expression; and to create the offense of permitting unlawful operation of viewing booths depicting sexual conduct. (1st Hearing - Sponsor)

House Ways & Means, (Chr. Kilbane, 466-0961), McKinley Rm. (formerly 121), 6 p.m.

HB 1 TAX LAWS (Kilbane) To formally state the General Assembly's intentions in its upcoming deliberations on reforming Ohio's tax laws. (4th Hearing-Proponent, opponent & interested party)

Senate Highways & Transportation, (Chr. Armbruster, 644-7613), Grant Rm. (formerly 110), 9 a.m.

House Ways & Means, (Chr. Kilbane, 466-0961), McKinley Rm. (formerly 121), 10 a.m.

HB 1 TAX LAWS (Kilbane) To formally state the General Assembly's intentions in its upcoming deliberations on reforming Ohio's tax laws. (5th Hearing-Proponent, opponent & interested party)

Senate Highways & Transportation, (Chr. Armbruster, 644-7613), Grant Rm. (formerly 110), 9 a.m.

Senate Highways & Transportation, (Chr. Armbruster, 644-7613), North Hearing Rm., 2:30 p.m. or after session

Senate Highways & Transportation, (Chr. Armbruster, 644-7613), Finance Hearing Rm., 9 a.m. or after session

Senate Highways & Transportation, (Chr. Armbruster, 644-7613), Grant Rm. (formerly 110), 9 a.m.