Keeping it Brief

State

Bill seeking to prohibit ‘election intimidation’ introduced in Ohio House

  • Prior to the Ohio State House’s recess, State Rep. Adam Miller (D-Columbus) introduced a bill that would prevent Ohioans from destroying ballots or forcing people to share who they vote for in elections. The bill has only been filed, but will be discussed when the Ohio State House session resumes. 

Legislators hope to pass school funding bill they say is fairer

  • State legislators have introduced House Bill 305 and Senate Bill 376 which aim to change the way in which K-12 Schools are funded.

    • “If fully funded after a proposed six-year phase-in, the new plan would eventually allocate an extra $1.99 billion in annual state funding for schools, said State Rep. Gary Scherer, R-Circleville. Ohio currently spends around $10 billion a year on K-12 education”.

  • This bill would help schools that have been capped in their spending under the current system. 

  • “There’s probably no question I’ve been asked more frequently in my 12 years in the Ohio Legislature than, ‘When are you guys going to fix Ohio’s unconstitutional method of school funding?,’” said Ohio Senate Education Committee Chair Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering. “Ohio’s current funding formula is unpredictable, indecipherable, confusing, but most of all, inadequate and inequitable. It is long overdue for an overhaul”.

Ohio seeks more federal help for Great Lakes erosion problems

  • Rep Marcy Kaptur is helping to lead a regional push to request federal funding from Congress to protect areas on the coast from high water levels.

    • “The Trump administration requested $320 million for the program in its fiscal 2021 budget, the same amount that Congress spent on the program in fiscal 2020. Last year, the administration initially sought to slash funding for the program but later reversed course, Kaptur spokesman Griffin Anderson said”.

    • Lawmakers are now asking for a $335 million increase in funding.

  • Both Ohio senators support the increased funding to protect areas near the Great Lakes

Telehealth expansion bill introduced in Ohio Senate

  • HB 679, a bill that “seeks to expand telemedicine provisions already present in law regarding fields such as psychology, speech pathology, therapy and professional counseling, independent social workers and dietitians” is currently being considered in an Ohio Senate committee.

    • “The bill also seeks to keep health benefit plans from charging a patient more for a telehealth appointment comparable to an in-person appointment”.

  • The bill has a lot of support from medical facilities and associations

Ohio Supreme Court, legislation address victims rights bills

  • “The Ohio Supreme Court said a city is not considered a victim under a law that would give restitution to crime victims”.

    • This ruling comes in response to an incident that occurred in 2018 where a resident “reported a shooter to Centerville Police Department, and police and fire department units responded. No shooter was found at the residence, and the man was charged with misdemeanor counts of making a false report to law enforcement and improper use of the 911 emergency system. His sentence included restitution, but the resident argued the city was not due restitution, because they didn’t suffer economic loss”.

    • The city used Marsy’s Law to argue their point, which “gives families and crime victims “constitutional rights that are equal to the rights of individuals accused of committing crimes”.

  • House Bill 610 is currently being discussed in the Ohio State House in relation to this situation. This bill “ensures that crime victims are able to understand, exercise and enforce the rights accorded to them by the Ohio Constitution, and to fill in some of the details to assist law enforcement officials and the courts in applying the rights of crime victims in criminal justice proceedings”.

House bill would impose harsh new penalties on protestors and their organizations

  • HB 784 was introduced by Rep. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) this week. The bill is similar to SB 33 and includes these provisions:

    • New penalties for blocking traffic — Now generally a misdemeanor, doing so during an unpermitted protest would be a third-degree felony carrying a maximum fine of $10,000 and a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

    • Increases penalties for “riot” and “aggravated riot” if there is property damage and creates a new crime called “riot vandalism” — Under the bill, the penalty for riot would now be a fourth-degree felony punishable by 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine, while aggravated riot would be a third-degree felony. Damage to government property or gravestones during a demonstration would be “riot vandalism,” a second-degree felony, punishable by up to eight years in prison and a $15,000 fine. 

    • Creates a new crime called “riot assault” — It says that if someone participating in a riot “recklessly” causes harm to another, the person causing harm is guilty of a fifth-degree felony, punishable by up to a year in prison and a $2,500 fine. If the person harmed is a police officer, the penalty is a third-degree felony.

  • Groups like the ACLU strongly oppose this bill. The chief lobbyist of the ACLU says “With numerous other lame duck priorities facing Ohio and during a worsening global pandemic, House Republicans choose to concentrate on a dangerous, unneeded, and unconstitutional bill encouraging and endorsing vigilante actions,” Gary Daniels, chief lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio said in an email. “The clear goal of HB 784 is to distract constituents from actual problems needing solutions and swirling Statehouse scandals.”

  • This bill comes in reaction to the many protests that occurred over the summer in reaction to the killing of George Floyd. 

Ohio Fairness Act back in committee, supporters and opposition ready to continue fight

  • The Ohio Fairness Act is planned to be heard in the Ohio Supreme Court one year after it passes. The act would change state civil rights law to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. It would still uphold existing religious exemptions under the law. The bill would also “allow mediation as a method for the Ohio Civil Rights Commission to resolve disputes”.

    • The act has received a large amount of support.

  • “The head of the religious right advocacy group Citizens for Community Values previously called the bill “the single greatest threat to religious freedom, parental rights, and the privacy and safety of women and children.”

    • The Executive Director of Equality Ohio explains that claims like this “play to the stereotypes about transgender individuals, and “are aimed at harming and attacking our transgender community”.

EdChoice reappears, expansion approved in the Ohio Senate

  • The Ohio EdChoice programs allows for a select group of students in the public school system to attend a private school. The voucher program for EdChoice was presented on the Ohio Senate floor on Wednesday. 

    • “The bill allows career centers to obtain Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) designations and can allow substitutes to perform outside of their designated area with the authorization of the superintendent”.

    • Discussion was focused on the voucher program and the impact it has on public school funding and resources.

  • Public school advocates strongly oppose this bill, but those who want their children to attend private school are in favor of the passing of the bill. 

Bill allowing arming of teachers passes Ohio Senate

  • SB 317 recently passed, which would allow teachers to be armed in school.

    • Teachers must be authorized by the school board to be armed. 

    • The bill passed 21-10

  • “The bill is in direct response to court decisions that have said school districts don’t have the authority to allow armed teachers in school without the training conducted by the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy (OPOTA), specifically meant for police officers and security personnel”.

    • Republican Senator Bill Coley explains that “if you’re the guidance counselor in the school and you’re a former Navy SEAL, or you’re the gym teacher or history teacher in the school and you’re former special forces, it might not be the worst idea for the school district to let you carry a firearm if you’re willing”.

    • The opposing side explains “No child in Ohio should have to worry about if there’s a gun at school or if the person with the gun has had proper training. No parent should have to worry about their student’s safety regarding a school-district approved gunman”. 

Ohio Biz Fairness Act passes House to prevent future COVID-19 shutdowns

  • The Business Fairness ACt (HB 621) passed with bipartisan support on Wednesday. The bill allows for businesses to remain open, even if the Ohio Dept. of Health orders them to close. They can remain open as long as they adhere to CDC guidelines.

    • “Following the House vote, Gov. Mike DeWine called the legislation “misguided” and threatened to veto it should the senate also approve it, Statehouse News Bureau journalist Karen Kasler reported”.


Ohio house set to vote on bill limiting DeWine action on health quarantines

  • On Thursday, the Ohio House voted on legislation that would “block state health officials’ quarantine orders for residents who have not been exposed or diagnosed with disease”.

    • This bill is partnered with SB 311 which “would enable lawmakers to rescind certain Ohio Department of Health orders or rules aimed at stopping the spread of infectious disease”.

    • “SB 311 would block the Ohio Department of Health from issuing general, mandatory statewide or regional quarantine or isolation orders aimed at prevent the spread of infectious disease, if such orders apply to people who have not been directly exposed or medically diagnosed with those diseases, according to an analysis by the state’s Legislative Service Commission”. 

      • It passed 20-13

  • Opponents argue that these bills block health officials from being able to effectively address the pandemic. Proponents explain that these pieces of legislation updates laws that have been in place since the 1800s.

  • Gov. DeWine is not in favor of these pieces of legislation.

Local

Columbus voters approve green energy aggregation pan

  • “In final, unofficial precinct returns Tuesday Columbus voters were overwhelmingly in favor of issue 1, an "opt-out" green-energy electricity aggregation plan that promises to supply 100% of the city's power needs with renewable energy by 2023”.

    • 76% of voters voted in favor of the passage of issue 1

  • Columbus is the only city in Ohio that has been able to negotiate a 100% new green energy supply.

  • Households and businesses will all be enrolled in this program.

Guest User