No. 10                                       April   22, 2005

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

State Budget, Issue 2 and a Campaign Bill.

This week and next are relatively quiet weeks in the General Assembly, as the Senate continues its work of wading through the biennial state budget (HB 66). The Senate Finance Committee will not hear local government issues in the budget until May 12. We hope you will continue to talk to your members of the Senate and House about the many important issues in the budget, including the affects that the cuts to the local government funds will have on your community.

This week the major local government and library groups, including the League, met with Governor Taft, Senate President Bill Harris and Speaker Jon Husted to discuss the possible merger of the renewal of State Issue 2, the infrastructure bond issue, and a reworked “Third Frontier” issue for placement on the November, 2005 statewide ballot. The League’s Board of Trustees met on this issue and, after a lengthy discussion, decided that this merger of the issues would serve the best interests of Ohio’s cities and villages. In part, that agreement was based on the recreation of the Third Frontier issue in a more acceptable form for the voters, an increase in State Issue 2 funds of $150 million and the addition of $150 million in development grants for local “shovel-ready” economic development projects. Because of that and many other reasons, the Board agreed that putting the two issues together on the fall ballot as one issue made sense.

Obviously, the marriage of a very popular Issue 2 program with another program that has yet to prove its popularity with voters is never an easy decision. It helps that both issues are about preserving the basic systems needed for Ohio’s economic growth and about investing in the future shape of that growth. Both issues try to preserve jobs and make new jobs in Ohio possible. That can be an attractive package for the voters in November. For the cities and villages of Ohio, it is essential that support for this effort be built in just as an effective way as it was for the original State Issue 2 in 1987 and the renewal of that issue in 1995.

This week, the League also sent letters of opposition to the appropriate committees on both SB 82, the anti-residency bill and HB 56, a bill that would bar the use of red-light cameras by local police departments. Both letters are available on our website.

Next week, as you can see by the Committee Schedule, there are a number of municipal issues up for hearings, including SB 82, the anti-residency bill, in the Senate Sate and Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee.

Though that bill is not marked for a vote, SB 119 is. That bill, which deals with the solicitation and acceptance of campaign contributions from public employees in local elections, is expected to move from committee to the floor of the Senate for a full Senate vote. There is something of a rush to pass this legislation so that it will take effect prior to the township and municipal elections occurring this year. Basically, the bill broadly limits campaign contributions and the solicitation of those contributions from municipal employees in municipal elections. The penalties for such contributions falls to the campaign committee and candidate (incumbent or not) for receiving such contributions. The same holds true for township and county election officials, candidates and their committees. Such limitations have existed at the state level for years.

Though the League has not taken a position on this bill, we will keep you informed on the details of the bill and the change in campaign mechanics it may require of our elected officials as it nears passage.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 25, 2005

TUESDAY, APRIL 26

Senate State & Local Government & Veterans Affairs, (Chr. Coughlin, 466-4823), Grant Rm. (formerly 110), 9 a.m.

SB 82 RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS (Grendell) To generally prohibit political subdivisions from imposing residency requirements on certain employees.  (5th Hearing-Proponent, opponent & interested party)  

SB 119 POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS (Hagan, R.)  To prohibit county elective officers and candidates for county elective office from accepting contributions from certain county employees; to prohibit municipal elective officers and candidates for municipal elective office from soliciting or accepting contributions from certain employees of the municipal corporation and to prohibit township elective officers and candidates for township elective office from soliciting or accepting contributions from certain township employees.  (4th Hearing-Proponent, opponent & interested party - Possible vote)  Full