No. 06 March 11, 2005

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

Call for Witnesses – Red Light Camera Bill.

HB 56, which would prohibit the use of traffic law photo-monitoring devices (red light cameras) by all local governments in Ohio, will be up for an opponent hearing in the House Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16 (see Committee Schedule). We’d like to have witnesses for this important hearing.

Please, let us know if you would like to testify on this clear intrusion into Home Rule. The intent behind this bill is to make certain that no municipality ever increase its revenues by increasing public safety. Why anyone would be against that, we don’t know. Any help you can give us on this bill, through testimony or communicating with your member(s) of the House would be greatly appreciated.

Anti-Residency Bill Up for Hearing in the Senate.

Though there is a companion bill in the House (HB 84), the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans’ Affairs Committee will begin hearings on SB 82 with a sponsor’s hearing next week (see Committee Schedule). This bill proposes the same ban on employee residency requirements as HB 84, regardless of whether those requirements are imposed by ordinance, a vote of the people or collective bargaining agreement. The bill would overturn a broad range of residency requirements, including over 100 requirements that have been placed in charters by municipal voters throughout the state.

It is our understanding that this hearing signals that this effort to further intrude on Home Rule will center in the Senate first.

Spring Break Coming Up.

Following this coming week of session, the General Assembly will be on break for two weeks. That may mean that we will not publish a Legislative Bulletin next week, unless warranted by events.

Local Government Funds Press Conference Update.

Our activity schedule for the Local Government Funds Day (Wednesday, March 16) has changed a bit. The location of the press conference for that day (10:00 a.m.) has been changed due to scheduling conflicts at the Statehouse. The new location for the press conference will be the “Crypt” area located in the Statehouse basement near the gift shop. Just look for the big red stagecoach. We hope to see many of you on the 16^th for the press conference and the chance to visit with your local legislators.

The schedule for local government’s testimony on the Local Government Funds has also changed. That testimony will now be on Thursday, March 17. Testimony will begin at 9:00 a.m. before the House Finance and Appropriations Committee. We hope to see many of you there for that event also. If you are planning on testifying on the 17^th, please, let us know.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 14, 2005

TUESDAY, MARCH 15

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

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. (5th Hearing-Opponent)

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. (6th Hearing-Proponent, opponent & interested party)

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. (9th Hearing-Proponent, opponent & interested party)

Senate Ways & Means & Economic Development, (Chr. Amstutz, 466-7505), Senate 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. (7th Hearing-Proponent, opponent & interested party)

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. (5th Hearing - Proponent/Opponent/Interested party)

HB 23 ADULT ENTERTAINMENT REGULATION (Reidelbach) 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. (5th Hearing - Proponent/Opponent/Interested party)

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

SB 82 RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS (Grendell) To generally prohibit political subdivisions from imposing residency requirements on certain employees. (1st Hearing-Sponsor)

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

HB 56 TRAFFICLIGHT CAMERAS (Raussen) To generally prohibit the use of traffic law photo-monitoring devices. (3rd Hearing-Opponent & interested party)

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. (10th Hearing-Proponent, opponent & interested party)

House Finance & Appropriations, (Chr. Calvert, 466-8140), Rm. 313, 9 a.m.
This hearing will be reserved for local government and taxation issues.

HB 66 BIENNIAL BUDGET (Calvert) To make operating appropriations for the biennium beginning July 1, 2005 and ending June 30, 2007. (5th 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. (11th Hearing-Proponent, opponent & interested party)

HB 66 BIENNIAL BUDGET (Calvert) To make operating appropriations for the biennium beginning July 1, 2005 and ending June 30, 2007. (6th Hearing-Proponent/Opponent/Interested party)

HB 66 BIENNIAL BUDGET (Calvert) To make operating appropriations for the biennium beginning July 1, 2005 and ending June 30, 2007. (7th Hearing-Proponent/Opponent/Interested party)