No. 05 March 4, 2005

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

OML, Other Associations to Show Support for LGF March 16.

Mark your calendar now to come to Columbus and show your support for local government funding on Wednesday, March 16. On that day, the League and many other groups will be arranging for members to testify to the House Finance and Appropriations Committee in support of the local government funds and against the cuts of up to 20% proposed by the Governor. Details and arrangements on that testimony will be coming soon.

Also on that day, the League and other groups will hold a press conference on the first floor, North hallway of the Statehouse (outside the Governor’s ceremonial office) at 10:00 a.m. Groups participating in this day include: the League, the County Commissioners’ Association of Ohio and other county officials, the Ohio Township Association, the Ohio Library Council, the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Firefighters. We are also discussing participation with other groups, including, AFSCME and the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association.

We are asking that as many municipal officials as possible be at the Statehouse on the 16^th to show support for the local government funds and explain to individual members of the General Assembly the importance of these funds in your community. Materials for the day can be picked up from 9-11 a.m. in the area that will be used for the press conference. Members can then help us fill and show support for LGF in the area where the Finance Committee will be meeting and/or make individual visits to lobby their hometown legislators.

Obviously, this is a different kind of event than any one association would ordinarily hold. It is not the usual highly specific schedule, but we hope you can join us for this very important event. We will give you more specific time schedules, as they become available.

Opponent Testimony Scheduled for Open Records Bill.

HB 9, which revises the Open Records law and is opposed by the League, is scheduled to be heard at 9:30 a.m. this Wednesday, March 9. This hearing for opponent testimony will be before the House Civil and Commercial Law Committee will be held in the Hayes Hearing Room (House Hearing Room 114).

We really could use your help with testimony on this bill. If you wish to present opponent testimony on this bill, please, let us know at the League office. If you wish more details on the League’s objections and other suggestions to and for HB 9, we have a letter to the sponsor posted on our website at www.omunileague.org.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 7, 2005

TUESDAY, MARCH 8

Senate Insurance, Commerce & Labor, (Chr. Hottinger, 466-5838), North Hearing Rm., 9 a.m.

HB 67 BWC BUDGET (Schaffer) To transfer the Public Employees Risk Reduction Program and the Occupational Safety and Health Act On-site Consultation Program from the Department of Commerce to the Bureau of Workers' Compensation, to make appropriations for the Bureau of Workers' Compensation for the biennium beginning July 1, 2005, and ending June 30, 2007, and to provide authorization and conditions for the operation of the Bureau's programs. (1st Hearing - Proponent/Opponent/Interested party/Possible vote)

SB 7 WORKERS' COMPENSATION (Cates) To direct the General Assembly in its deliberations regarding the enactment of reforms of the state's workers' compensation law. (4th Hearing - Proponent)

HB 4 INCIDENT-BASED REPORTING SYSTEM (Dolan) To create the Ohio Incident-Based Reporting System in the Office of Criminal Justice Services and to require that law enforcement agencies that receive certain types of funding participate in the system or in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the F.B.I. (3rd 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. (Amendments & Public Testimony)

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. (4th Hearing - Proponent)

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. (6th Hearing - Proponent/Opponent/Interested party)

Senate Highways & Transportation, (Chr. Armbruster, 644-7613), Finance Hearing Rm., 9 a.m.
The committee will also meet at 2:30 p.m.

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. (6th Hearing-Proponent, opponent & interested party - Possible amendment/substitute bill & Possible vote)

Senate Ways & Means & Economic Development, (Chr. Amstutz, 466-7505), Grant Rm. (formerly Rm. 110), 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. (5th Hearing - Proponent/Interested party)

SB 51 TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXATION (Fingerhut) To eliminate the tangible personal property tax beginning in tax year 2006; to create the Tangible Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund from which taxing units are reimbursed for tax revenue forgone as a result of the elimination of the tangible personal property tax; to make permanent the one per cent increase in the sales and use tax currently scheduled to expire on July 1, 2005; to credit one-sixth of the tax revenue collected from the sales and use taxes to the Tangible Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund beginning July 1, 2005; and to authorize the use of any excess money in the Tangible Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund to finance a temporary increase in the existing 2.5% real property tax reduction on homesteads. (1st Hearing - Sponsor)

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. (2nd Hearing-Opponent)

HB 72 WORKERS' COMPENSATION (Buehrer) To make various changes to the Workers' Compensation Law. (2nd Hearing-Proponent)

HB 77 STATE GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION (Gilb) To reorganize the executive branch of state government. (1st Hearing-Sponsor)

House Finance & Appropriations: Agriculture & Development Sub., (Chr. Core, 466-8147), Garfield Rm. (formerly 115), 3 p.m. or after session
Budget hearing: Environmental Protection Agency

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

SB 78 GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION (Grendell) To reorganize the executive branch of state government. (1st Hearing-Sponsor)

House Transportation, Public Safety & Homeland Security, (Chr. Reinhard, 644-6265), McKinley Rm. (formerly 121), 4:30 p.m.

HB 56 TRAFFIC LIGHT CAMERAS (Raussen) To generally prohibit the use by law enforcement agencies of traffic law photo-monitoring devices. (2nd Hearing-Proponent)

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. (7th Hearing - Proponent/Opponent/Interested party)

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. (8th Hearing - Proponent/Opponent/Interested party)