What the General Assembly Did Not Do During This Session Is:

* Have hearings on, act on or have introduced any comprehensive annexation legislation. The League is still in discussions with the Ohio Township Association on a potential compromise piece of annexation legislation. We are down to the last few, but the toughest, issues involved in this potential legislation. Whether any final compromise, agreeable to both sides, can be reach is still very much up in the air.

* Pass out of committee any bills that would significantly change the Ohio Municipal Income Tax. Currently, HB 477 (Mottley) is under consideration by the House Ways and Means Committee. A new substitute, improved version of that bill, including about two dozen amendments suggested by the League, was introduced to the committee this past week at the second hearing of the bill. The League is supportive of the sponsor's efforts to craft HB 477 as a bill that increases the uniformity of applicability and accessibility of information about the income tax in a bill that is revenue neutral. The bill is not perfect. The League will submit an additional six or seven technical amendments early next week for the sponsor's consideration that will clarify some questions about the bill. We do not expect that to be the end of such technical amendments, given the nature of the bill. We expect HB 477 to be under legislative consideration through the end of 1999, given the limited days of session scheduled.

* Pass in rapid-fire action any legislation related to the regulation of municipal ownership of fiber optic and cable TV systems. Again HB 188 and SB 67 are under consideration, but subject to talks among the interested parties. Those parties include: the League, the Ohio Municipal Electric Association and the Ohio Telecommunications Association. Those discussions are supported by the legislative sponsors and the Chairs of the committees handling HB 188 and SB 67. Those discussions will continue to occur during the recess and we will keep you informed on any progress that might be made in those negotiations.

* Pass legislation mandating one "one-call-before-you dig" system. Legislation has been introduced on this issue (SB 193 and HB 393), but only sponsor testimony in the Senate has occurred so far on this legislation. Again, this is one of those bill's that will involve legislatively-initiated discussions among the interested parties for the purpose of working out differences among those parties. Those talks will begin next week.