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September 2009
Kasich campaign calls Strickland plan “unacceptable”
Republican John Kasich doesn’t think much of Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland’s plan to postpone the last year of Ohio’s income tax reductions to help balance the state budget.
Kasich, the former U.S. House member from suburban Columbus, is Strickland’s likely opponent in next year’s governor’s race.
“The state has been completely mismanaged for years and Ohioans are hurting,” Rob Nichols, Kasich’s campaign spokesman, said on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
“Our people and our jobs are leaving Ohio and to think that we can solve our problems by raising taxes on Ohio families and by imposing additional barriers to businesses wanting to come to our state is unacceptable.”
At a news conference announcing his plan, Strickland had anticipated such criticism.
“Of course, some will try to score political points by branding this delay as a tax increase,” Strickland said. “But again, tax rates are staying the same as last year.”
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TweetOhio State President Gee applauds Strickland tax plan
Gov. Ted Strickland’s plan to balance the state budget by suspending the final year of state income tax cuts got a boost on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee.
“With this move, the governor is taking decisive, responsible action to meet a significant budget shortfall,” Gee said in a press release. “I am hopeful that members of the General Assembly will give prompt and serious consideration to this approach.”
Philip E. Cole, executive director of the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies, also praised the governor.
“On behalf of low-income people throughout the state, we hope that the General Assembly will pass the necessary legislation and allow Ohio to move forward,” Cole said in a press release.
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TweetLehner, Cates seek to remedy report card “death penalty”
Rep. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering, and Sen. Gary Cates, R-West Chester, joined forces on Wednesday, Sept. 30, to push for changes in the state ranking system for school districts.
The proposal got a cool reception from Amanda Wurst, spokeswoman for Gov. Ted Strickland.
Cates said the changes would help districts avoid what he called “the death penalty.”
Both the Kettering and Lebanon districts suffered on the latest report cards because of the problems, they said.
Kettering was on its way to an Excellent with Distinction rating last year, the highest of the six categories, but slipped to Continuous Improvement, equivalent to a “C” rating, because of a measure called Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). This looks at academic achievement across racial, ethnic, economic and other groups.
Lebanon fell from an Excellent with Distinction to Continuous Improvement for the same reason.
The districts got the Continuous Improvement ratings even though they generally were high performing, Cates and Lehner said.
Kettering’s AYP performance for special education students and students whose native language is not English brought the district down. Lebanon suffered because of AYP performance for Hispanics and other students whose native language isn’t English.
Kettering Superintendent Jim Schoenlein attended a news conference with Cates and Lehner and said that in his district the ranking hurt morale. Lehner the low ranking also could make it hard to attract residents to the community.
Cates already has proposed Senate Bill 167 which would change the guidelines to prevent a school from dropping more than one classification solely on AYP performance. Lehner said she will introduce a companion bill in the House.
Wurst, Strickland’s spokeswoman, said the governor “has not been supportive of proposals to change the impact of the AYP on guidelines that determine how schools are performing.”
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TweetGOP starts attack on “Strickland tax increase”
Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland’s press conference on a proposal to suspend the final year of state income tax cuts was still going on when the first Republican blast at the plan showed up.
State Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, sent out an e-mail press release on Wednesday, Sept. 30, headlined “Hottinger Statement on Strickland Tax Increase.”
“Certainly a tax increase will hurt our economic competitiveness and Ohioans are already struggling with meeting their day to day needs,” Hottinger said in the e-mail. “The tax cuts that were passed in 2005 were enacted across the board equally for all Ohioans and this proposal will likewise subject all Ohoans to an income tax increase.”
Strickland supporters have framed the governor’s proposal as a suspension of the final cuts needed to balance the budget, not a tax increase.
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TweetStrickland proposes income tax change to save the budget
Gov. Ted Strickland on Wednesday, Sept. 30, proposed halting a planned income tax reduction as a way to avoid painful cuts to schools across the state.
In 2005 the state adopted a 21 percent reduction in the income tax rate across the board. The reduction was to be phased in over five years. The final 4.2 percent of that 21 percent cut was to take effect this year.
The move is expected to raise $844 million for the state over two years.
Strickland needs legislative approval to make the change.
The governor proposed the move because his plan to put 17,500 slot machines at racetracks has been in limbo since the Ohio Supreme Court said last week that the slots plan is subject to a potential referendum in 2010.
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TweetStrickland to propose suspension of income tax cut?
Gov. Ted Strickland has scheduled a press conference at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, to discuss the state budget.
One solution Strickland has considered proposing at the press conference is suspending the final year of the five-year phase in of personal income tax cuts enacted in 2005, according to Statehouse sources tracking the budget crisis.
The Ohio Supreme Court last week blew a big hole in the budget by ruling that plans to put video lottery terminals at Ohio racetracks was subject to a vote of the people. The referendum would be in November 2010 and the state wouldn’t get money from the slots, pending the outcome of the vote.
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TweetTougher drunken driving law upheld
The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday, Sept. 30 upheld as constitutional a state law that says repeat drunken drivers who refuse to take a breathalyzer test automatically get an extra 10 days in jail once they’re convicted.
The court’s 4-3 decision reversed a ruling by the 3rd District Court of Appeals.
The law says that a repeat DUI offender convicted of a subsequent offense faces a minimum mandatory jail sentence of 20 days if they refused a chemical test when arrested.
In September 2006, a deputy sheriff pulled over motorist Corey Hoover, of Union County, who had a DUI conviction within the prior six years. Hoover failed roadside sobriety tests, was arrested and asked to take a breathalyzer to determine his alcohol level but he refused.
His attorney argued that the new provision in the law is unconstitutional because it imposes a more severe penalty on a defendant who refuses to consent to a warrantless search of her person or property. The trial court convicted Hoover and he appealed.
In the court’s majority opinion, Justice Judith Lanzinger said Ohio’s “implied consent” law has been upheld as constitutional and provides that motorists automatically are deemed to have given consent to tests to determine alcohol and drug use if arrested under the state’s DUI laws.
Lanzinger wrote: “Asking a driver to comply with conduct he has no right to refuse and thereafter enhancing a later sentence upon conviction does not violate the constitution.”
Plus, the sheriff’s deputy pulled Hoover over after he crossed the center line and he reeked of alcohol, failed sobriety tests and admitted he had been drinking, Lanzinger said.
Justice Paul Pfeifer said in a dissenting opinion that previous court decisions upheld administrative penalties for refusing a breathalyzer test but this law adds a criminal sanction for refusing to submit to a search.
Pfeifer wrote that the issue is whether the state can “force a consent to search through the coercive power of threatened jail time… Imposing criminal sanctions for failure to consent goes far beyond the state’s power … to regulate the licensure of drivers.”
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TweetCandidate nights set for Beavercreek, Fairborn, Centerville and Riverside
As election season heats up, you have a chance to meet candidates in your area at local candidate nights. Here’s a list of some of the events going on around Dayton. If you know of any other election events, send an email to ashoemaker@daytondailynews.com
Beavercreek candidates night Beavercreek Women’s League is hosting its annual candidates and issues forum on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 8:30 a.m. at the Hawker United Church of Christ, 1617 N. Longview St. Candidates for Beavercreek Council and School Board will attend.
Riverside candidates night The Riverside Republican and Democratic clubs is hosting a candidates night at Mad River Middle School, 1801 Harshman Road, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. Facilitated by the Dayton Area League of Women Voters. Candidates for Riverside City Council, the Mad River Board of Education and representatives from the City of Riverside, Metro Parks, and Montgomery County Library have been invited to discuss their platforms, and levy issues.
Centerville and Washington Twp. candidates nights There will be two candidate nights at the Washington-Centerville Public Library, 111 W Spring Valley Rd. On Oct. 20 at 7 p.m., there will be an event for Centerville City Council candidates. On Oct. 22 at 7 p.m., there will be an event for Washington Twp. trustee candidates.
Fairborn candidates night On Thursday, Oct. 15, the League of Women Voters is hosting a candidates night for Fairborn mayor and council candidates at 7:30 p.m. at St. Christopher Episcopal Church, 1501 N. Broad Street, Fairborn.
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TweetDayton candidates’ schedules full of fundraisers and candidate nights
In the month before Election Day, candidates in Dayton are having fundraisers and taking part in candidates nights.
Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin is running against challenger Gary Leitzell.
Incumbent commissioners Joey Williams and Nan Whaley are defending their two seats against David Esrati.
Current school board members Yvonne Isaacs, Stacy Thompson, Joe Lacey and Ronald Lee are running for their four seats along with challenger Jim Weir.
Here’s a list of some of the upcoming events. Email me at ashoemaker@daytondailynews.com if you know of any other election events.
Dayton candidate nights
City of Dayton candidate nights for mayor and city commission candidates. School board candidates may also take part in some events.
Oct. 1: c}space, 20 N. Jefferson St., 6 p.m.
Oct. 5: Ruskin School, 407 Ambrose Court, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 12: Mary Queen of Peace Activity Center, 200 Homewood Ave., 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 22: St. Anthony Elementary School, 825 Creighton Ave., 7 p.m.
Fundraiser for Dayton City Commission candidate David Esrati Chef Joe Fish will have you to his home in the Oregon District, 128 Jones Street, to enjoy a spread of bite sized delicacies. You’ll meet candidate David Esrati, and discuss his vision for Dayton. When: Oct. 3, 7 p.m. Click here for more information and to register
Fundraiser for City Commissioner Joey Williams A fall fashion show featuring jazz and jambalaya on Thursday, Oct. 1 at Gilly’s, Jefferson and Fifth streets, starting at 5:30 p.m. Fashion show at 6:30, music and dancing follow. For tickets ($20), call (937) 285-0686. Click here for more information
Fundraisers for Dayton Mayoral candidate Gary Leitzell The next Fundraiser is Sept. 30, at the Top of the Market located behind the Webster Street Market. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Includes hot dogs, burgers beer and wine. Suggested donation $100 per couple, $60 individual.
There will also be a fundrasier on Thursday, Oct. 7, at Dolcessa located at 1106 Brown St. Dayton starting at 6 p.m. Suggested donation $20. Click here for more information and to register
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TweetNational Poll: Nearly half of likely voters blame Bush for job losses
George W. Bush has been gone from the presidency more than eight months but nearly half of the likely voters - 47 percent - across the country blame Bush for continued job losses, according to a Zogby-Scoop 44 interactive poll released on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
The poll found that 36 percent of likely voters believe President Barack Obama’s policies are directly responsible for the job losses.
Democrats were much more likely than Republicans to blame Bush while GOP voters were much more likely to blame Obama. Independents were split - with 38 percent blaming Bush and 42 percent blaming Obama.
The interactive survey of 1,978 likely voters was conducted Sept. 15-17 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percent.
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TweetNew study from opponents: Four-casino plan a bad bet
Issue 3, the ballot issue to permit casinos in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo, is a bad bet for Ohio, according to a study released on Tuesday, Sept. 29, by opponents of the plan.
The study, prepared by researchers at Hiram College for the Ohio Licensed Beverage Association, said:
*The 33 percent tax rate on gross casino revenue is too low - it should be about 55 percent.
*The $50 million-per-casino franchise fee is too low. The state should auction off franchises to the highest bidders.
*The estimate of 34,000 new jobs - 19,000 from construction and 15,000 permanent jobs - is too high. The estimate comes from a University of Cincinnati study paid for by casino backers.
“It’s just …abundantly clear that the costs will outweigh the benefits,” Jacob Evans, vice president of legislative affairs for the OLBA, said at a news conference.
However, the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, the pro-casino group, defended the University of Cincinnati study and said in a statement that the study “painstakingly documents the methodology used to develop the estimate of 34,000 new Ohio jobs and $11 billion in economic impact for the state during construction and the first five years of casino operation.”
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Tweet$2.3 billion cut to schools possible, Strickland says
Without money from slot machines, Ohio may also lose federal stimulus funding for schools and see a $2.3 billion gaping hole in K-12 funding, the Strickland administration said Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Without special permission from the federal government to shift money around, Ohio may have to cut aid to districts by 10.3 percent in the current school year and 15.74 percent next school year, according to an analysis by the Ohio Department of Education.
The Ohio Supreme Court last week ruled that Gov. Ted Strickland’s plan to put 17,500 slot machines at the state’s seven horse racetracks is subject to a potential referendum. Opponents of the slots plan are preparing to collect 241,366 valid signatures from registered voters by Dec. 20 to put it to voters in November 2010.
Strickland and his top aides are reviewing the court decision and have yet to decide what to do next. And it’s unclear if race track owners would invest millions of dollars in their facilities if voters may cancel it all 13 months from now.
“The governor asked the department of education to provide an impact analysis as part of the ongoing review of the court’s decision. He is committed to doing everything possible, as quickly as possible, to protect primary and secondary education because the future of the state’s economy depends on how well we education Ohioans,” said Strickland press secretary Amanda Wurst.
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TweetPoll: Ohio U.S. Senate, Gov races neck and neck
Ohio’s 2010 races for governor and U.S. Senate both are neck-and-neck.
Those are the results of polls of likely voters released on Friday, Sept. 25, by Rasmussen Reports.
In the governor’s race, Republican John Kasich, the former U.S. House member from suburban Columbus, led Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland, 46-45 percent, with 7 percent undecided and 3 percent for other candidates.
In the Senate race, former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman, the suburban Cincinnati Republican, had narrow leads over the two Democrats seeking their party’s nomination.
Portman led Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, 41-40 percent with 14 percent not sure and 6 percent preferring another candidate.
Portman was ahead of Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, 40-38 percent, with 18 percent not sure and 5 percent for someone else.
The poll was conducted on Wednesday, Sept. 23, with 500 likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
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TweetVandalia biking advocate gets bipartisan support
Chuck Smith of Vandalia, chair of the Ohio Bicycle Federation, got bipartisan support on Monday, Sept. 28, for proposed bicycle safety legislation.
“We need to remind everybody to give us three feet,” Smith said at a windy press conference outside the Statehouse in Columbus.
The bill backed by Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, and Mark Wagoner, R-Ottawa Hills, would require a lateral passing zone of three feet when a motor vehicle passes a bicycle or other non-motorized vehicle.
Fifteen other states have passed such legislation, Fedor said. In Ohio, a violation would be a minor misdemeanor, subject to a maximum fine of $150.
Smith, a civilian employee at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base said he commutes to work every day by bicycle, a round trip of about 35 miles.
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TweetDayton mayor, commission candidates taking part in candidate night downtown on Thursday
On Thursday, Oct. 1, the candidates for Dayton mayor and commission will take part in a candidates night event downtown.
Several communities and organizations have scheduled Candidates Night events for Dayton mayoral, commission and school board candidates for the November election.
Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin is running against challenger Gary Leitzell.
Incumbent commissioners Joey Williams and Nan Whaley are defending their two seats against David Esrati.
Current school board members Yvonne Isaacs, Stacy Thompson, Joe Lacey and Ronald Lee are running for their three seats along with challenger Jim Weir.
Here’s a partial list of upcoming events. Oct. 1: c}space, 20 N. Jefferson St., 6 p.m. Oct. 5: Ruskin School, 407 Ambrose Court, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12: Mary Queen of Peace Activity Center, 200 Homewood Avenue, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22: St. Anthony Elementary School, 825 Creighton Ave., 7 pm.
If you know of any other candidate nights taking place for Dayton candidates or other races in the area, please e-mail them to ashoemaker@daytondailynews.com or call (937)225-7353 and leave a message.
Get more information on the upcoming election
Learn more about Dayton commission candidates:
Dayton Mayor
Gary Leitzell, Mayor Rhine McLin
Dayton City Commission
David Esrati, Nan Whaley, Joey Williams
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TweetAdvocates target texting-while-driving at safety summit
Safety advocates made the case for a ban on texting and cell phone use while driving at a safety summit hosted on Friday, Sept. 25, by Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jolene M. Molitoris.
David Teater, a senior director for the National Safety Council, told the group that his life changed in 2004 when his son Joe, 12, was killed in an accident caused by a driver using her cell phone.
Teater showed a video describing the loss - “Death By Cell Phone: If You Care, We Can Make a Difference.”
Teater said a three- pronged approach is needed - public education, laws banning cell phone use and technology that disables the use of cell phones while driving.
Bill Windsor, associate vice president of Nationwide Insurance, cited a survey the company released in September that showed that a majority of the public supports laws restricting any kind of cell phone use while driving.
Molitoris said any law should allow primary enforcement. This means police could pull over someone suspected of texting or cell phone use. Secondary enforcement would permit law officers to cite someone only if the person had been pulled over for a primary offense such as speeding.
Molitoris declined to say, however, whether she supports just a ban on texting, a ban on all hand-held cell phone use or a ban that even would include hands-free cell phone use.
She said she wants to work with the legislature on a solution. Half a dozen bills have been proposed but no hearings have been held so far.
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TweetState to close another youth prison
The state Department of Youth Services plans to close a second youth prison - a move that the state workers’ union says would be a threat to public safety.
DYS announced Friday, Sept. 25, that it will close Mohican Juvenile Correctional Facility in Perrysville by May 2010.
Opened in 1935, Mohican employs 202 workers and houses 148 male inmates with substance abuse problems.
“This just isn’t feasible at this time, or in a year from now,” said Annie Person of the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association. “We still have our hands full trying to manage the crisis created by the other changes implemented this year.”
DYS closed its youth prison in Marion in June and an officer was killed on duty at the Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility earlier this year.
The decision to close Mohican came as the DYS population continues to decline and the state faces budget troubles. The move is expected to save the state $12 million a year.
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TweetProgressOhio opposes Issue 3 casino plan
ProgressOhio, a Columbus-based liberal advocacy group, announced on Thursday, Sept. 24 that it will oppose Issue 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot, the plan that would allow casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo.
“This decision did not come lightly as we have friends on both sides of this issue,” Brian Rothenberg, executive director of ProgressOhio, said in a press release.
“But ultimately we have deep concerns about this specific proposal and the overall impact it stamps into Ohio’s Constitution.”
The release said the group opposed the issue for a number of reasons, including gambling’s “disparate impact on already burdened low income households.”
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TweetMayor McLin endorses Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher for U.S. Senate
Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin is endorsing Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, McLin said on Thursday, Sept. 24.
McLin will make it official on Friday with a joint appearance in Dayton with Fisher. Fisher is running against Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2010. They will appear together at 10 a.m. at The Entrepreneurs Center, 714 E. Monument Ave.
“I’m endorsing Lee Fisher because I’ve known Lee Fisher for a long time. I have a long working relationship with him (from) when he was attorney general and in the state Senate,” McLin said.
She said Fisher has been “very attentive” to Dayton’s needs, including during the time he served jointly as development director and lieutenant governor.
“I believe that he understands the urban issues and I believe we need more people in the U.S. Senate that understand urban issues,” said McLin.
McLin said that she liked and respected Brunner and “I really believed her when she ran for secretary of state, when she said that’s all she wanted to be.”
The mayor said that Brunner’s change of mind “is not in the best interest when the secretary of state is extremely important in the next election.”
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TweetTurner skipped committee hearing to rake in campaign cash, Huffington Post reports
By Tom Beyerlein Staff Writer
The Huffington Post is reporting that U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, was “eating Chinese food and soaking up campaign cash” at a $500-$1,000-a-plate lunch fundraiser in his honor while the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of which he’s a member was hearing testimony on the impact of the recession on minorities.
The committee had a 10 a.m. hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 23, entitled, “The Silent Depression: How are Minorities Faring in the Economic Downturn.”
“The hearing lasted until after 1 p.m., but long before it ended committee member Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) could be found at Hunan Dynasty, eating Chinese food and soaking up campaign cash,” the Huffington Post reported.
It went on that a reporter “visited Turner’s party to find out who was willing to spend $1,000 for his company plus chow mein. Turner wouldn’t say.” The Post said Turner “either did not hear or ignored” the question when he was asked if he attended the committee hearing.
We have a call into Turner’s office seeking comment.
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TweetOhio racetracks try to shield 8,900-plus pages from public view
Ohio racetracks vying for a chance to add slot machines and convert their operations to mini-casinos want to keep more than 8,900 pages of their state license applications from public view.
The seven tracks submitted the applications last week to the Ohio Lottery Commission with the contention that at least 8,943 pages plus another three compact discs of information should be withheld from public release.
The lottery promised to decide by Monday, Sept. 28 on whether any of the 8,943 pages should be released to the public or if the material can be withheld under exemptions to Ohio’s public records law.
Miami Valley Trotting, which operates as Lebanon Raceway in Warren County, wants to withhold its financial statements, tax returns, business plan, vendor list and more. It even contends that its 10-page cover letter accompanying its application should be kept private.
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TweetMayor McLin to endorse Fisher for U.S. Senate?
Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher will appear in Dayton on Friday, Sept. 25, with Mayor Rhine McLin for an announcement about Fisher’s campaign for the U.S. Senate, Fisher’s campaign announced on Thursday.
Such joint appearances usually mean an endorsement for a candidate - in this case Fisher - but Fisher’s campaign declined to provide details of the event.
Fisher is running against Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for the Democratic nomination in the 2010 U.S. Senate race.
The appearance will be at 10 a.m. at The Entrepreneurs Center, 714 E. Monument Ave.
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TweetSenate expected to OK Husted redistricting plan
The Ohio Senate on Wednesday, Sept. 23, is expected to approve giving voters a chance to change the way the state draws legislative and congressional districts after each census.
Senate Joint Resolution 5 is “just one step in trying to create a more bipartisan atmosphere so that we can minimize the focus on partisan politics and maximize the focus on the problems and challenges that affect people in their daily lives,” Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, sponsor of the resolution, said on Tuesday.
The State and Local Government and Veterans’ Affairs Committee approved the bill 6-3 Tuesday, along partisan lines with Republicans voting “yes” and Democrats “no.”
The goal is to put it on the May 2010 primary ballot, said Husted, who is running for secretary of state in 2010.
The plan calls for establishment of a seven-member commission to oversee creation of the districts. Members would include: the governor, secretary of state, auditor, House Speaker, Senate President and the minority leaders of the House and Senate.
A five-vote super majority would be required for adoption of a redistricting plan. Also, two of the votes would have to come commission members not in the majority party.
The commission would replace the five-member Apportionment Board for drawing legislative districts and the legislature for drawing U.S. House districts.
The Apportionment Board is made up of the governor, auditor, secretary of state and a legislator from each party. Right now, Democrats would control the board, 3-2. However, one Democratic member, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, not seeking re-election.
Approval of the resolution requires support from 20 senators. Republicans control the Senate, 21-12. If the Senate approves, the measure would go the House, controlled by Democrats.
Republicans control the Senate 21-12. Approval of a resolution requires support from 20 members.
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TweetStrickland: Voinovich, other tax hike supporters “flat out wrong”
U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and others calling for a tax hike to solve Ohio’s budget and economic problems are “flat out wrong,” Gov. Ted Strickland said on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Strickland’s comments came a day after the Ohio Supreme Court blew a potential $933 million hole in the two-year state budget.
The court gave the go-ahead to a plan to put the slots-at-the-tracks plan that is part of the state budge up for a vote of the people in November 2010.
If backers of the proposed referendum get enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot, it could delay collection of the $933 million Strickland hopes to raise from the slots.
The governor also said he is “looking at” going ahead with the slots-at-the-tracks plan on his own, without legislative approval. The Supreme Court ruling was on part of the state budget bill carrying out the slots plan but some Strickland supporters have said the governor has the executive authority to expand the state lottery to include the slots without legislative approval.
Strickland, a Democrat, lashed out at Voinovich, a Republican and former governor, for saying, according to the Columbus Dispatch, “hot dog” when Voinovich learned of the Supreme Court ruling. Voinovich also was quoted as saying state officials needed to raise taxes to be responsible.
Asked if he categorically ruled out a tax hike, Strickland said he would look at “all the options” but repeated his belief that a tax hike could deepen the recession in Ohio.
He also called Voinovich’s vote against the federal economic stimulus plan “irresponsible.”
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TweetState/local gambling revenues drop - lesson for Ohio?
The money that state and local governments get from gambling operations dropped nearly 2.8 percent from fiscal year 2008 to 2009, the first time such revenues have dropped in more than three decades, a report released on Monday, Sept. 21, said.
The report from the Rockefeller Institute of Government in Albany, N.Y., covers revenue from lotteries, casinos, video-lottery terminals and pari-mutuel betting on horse racing and dog tracks.
The report has a warning for states like Ohio that are anticipating revenue from gambling sources to pay a bigger chunk of the cost of education and other government services.
“Expenditures on education and other programs will generally grow more rapidly than gambling revenue over time,” Robert B. Ward, institute deputy director, said in a press release.
“Thus, new gambling operations that are intended to pay for normal increases in state general spending may add to, rather than ease, long-term budget imbalances.”
Ohio’s two-year budget calls for putting 17,500 video slot machines at the state’s seven horse racing tracks to raise $933 million over two years.
That plan may be put on hold, however, by an Ohio Supreme Court decision on Monday that said the gambling plan could be subject to a referendum in November 2010.
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TweetSlot machine plan may go to referendum vote
In a major blow to Gov. Ted Strickland’s budget plan, the Ohio Supreme Court on Monday, Sept. 21, ruled that putting 17,500 video lottery terminals at Ohio’s seven race tracks is subject to a statewide voter referendum. “While I am disappointed by this decision, we need to fully review the court’s judgment before determining next steps,” Strickland said in a written statement.
The decision casts serious doubt on whether the seven racetracks will move forward on plans to add slot machines.
John Carlo, spokesman for the Lebanon Raceway in Warren County, said he just learned of the decision and won’t be ready to comment until this afternoon. Likewise, Bob Griffin, chief executive of MTR Gaming which owns Scioto Downs south of Columbus, said he needs to go through the decision with his lawyers and see what the Ohio Lottery Commission plans to do.
LetOhioVote.org, which filed the lawsuit saying the plan should be subject to a vote of the people, applauded the court’s decision.
“We’re pleased that the Supreme Court ruled in the fashion they did and we will expedite our efforts to begin the petition process,” LetOhioVote spokesman Gene Pierce said. If the group collects 241,366 valid signatures by Dec. 20, a referendum would be held in November 2010.
Tom Smith, public policy director for the Ohio Council of Churches, also applauded the decision but said LetOhioVote.org has a lot of work to do. “I think that’s a big job. I don’t know how organized they can be,” said Smith.
The Strickland administration is counting on the slot machines to generate $933 million for K-12 funding in the current two-year state budget.
“For both gambling in Ohio and the state budget, this decision turns the world upside down and inside out,” said Republican consultant Terry Casey who follows the gambling industry. “It’s going to be a while before we see what’s going to happen.”
In a 6-1 ruling the court ordered Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to accept LetOhioVote.org’s summary petitions to begin the referendum process.
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Paul Pfeifer said the slot machines legislation is at the heart of the state’s budget. “Without the VLT-enabling legislation, the budget crumbles,” he wrote.
The Ohio Lottery Commission, which is scheduled to meet this afternoon in Cleveland, said it has no comment until it has reviewed the decision.
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TweetUPDATED with Dem reaction -House GOP press conferences to focus on economic development
Ohio House Republicans will use a series of press conferences on Monday, Sept. 21, to announce a package of economic development proposals, according to a press release.
The Dayton-area press conference will be at at 11 a.m. at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, 1 Chamber Plaza, Dayton.
State Reps. Jarrod B. Martin, R-Beavercreek, Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering and Terry Blair, R-Washington Twp. are expected to be in attendance.
The press release said the Republicans were “frustrated with a lack of action on the part of the governor and the Democrat-led House Economic Development Committee.”
Republicans held meetings over the summer with business leaders to help prepare the proposal, the press release said.
Democrats control the House and the governor referred to in the press release- Ted Strickland - is a Democrat.
House Speaker Pro Tem Matt Szollosi, D-Toledo, issued a statement reacting to the GOP effort.
“Over the past 10 months, House Republicans have offered few ideas and said NO to nearly every Democrat-led effort to create jobs and get our economy moving again,” Szollosi said.
“Today’s announcement by House GOP members is a positive sign that they have decided to reverse their opposition to the job-creation initiatives we’ve put forth and start joining our efforts to help get Ohio’s economy moving again.”
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TweetDayton candidates gearing up for candidate nights
Several communities and organizations have scheduled Candidates Night events for Dayton mayoral, commission and school board candidates for the November election.
Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin is running against challenger Gary Leitzell.
Incumbent commissioners Joey Williams and Nan Whaley are defending their two seats against David Esrati.
Current school board members Yvonne Isaacs, Stacy Thompson, Joe Lacey and Ronald Lee are running for their three seats along with challenger Jim Weir.
Here’s a partial list of upcoming events. Sept. 21: Immaculate Conception Church, 2300 S. Smithville Road, 7:15 p.m. Oct. 1: c}space, 20 N. Jefferson St., 6 p.m. Oct. 5: Ruskin School, 407 Ambrose Court, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12: Mary Queen of Peace Activity Center, 200 Homewood Avenue, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22: St. Anthony Elementary School, 825 Creighton Ave., 7 pm.
If you know of any other candidate nights taking place for Dayton candidates or other races in the area, please e-mail them to ashoemaker@daytondailynews.com or call (937)225-7353 and leave a message.
Get more information on the upcoming election
Learn more about Dayton commission candidates:
Dayton Mayor
Gary Leitzell, Mayor Rhine McLin
Dayton City Commission
David Esrati, Nan Whaley, Joey Williams
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TweetCampaign donation to McLin questioned by commission candidate
By Joanne Huist Smith Staff Writer
Dayton City Commission Candidate David Esrati, on his blog, accused Mayor Rhine McLin of accepting campaign contributions from dead people.
Esrati referred to a $50 check listed on a finance report dated July 31, contributed by Selma Ohlmann, who died in February. She was removed from Montgomery County voter roles as being deceased on April 2.
A copy of the check, provided by Friends of McLin, shows the contribution came from an account belonging to Walter or Selma Ohlmann. The signature on the check is illegible.
Mayor McLin said the check was from Mr. Ohlmann.
Only one person, typically the one who signed the check, can be listed in a contributor box on a Campaign Finance Report. McLin’s treasurer listed Mrs. Ohlmann.
Betty Smith, Montgomery County’s deputy elections director, said she compared the couple’s signatures on their voter registration cards, and determined the signature on the check to be that of Walter.
“I see no crime, no foul. I think it was a clerical error,” Smith said. “ (McLin) should amend the report.”
The mayor has two years to amend the report, Smith said. McLin’s opponent Gary Leitzell said a member of his campaign copied the Esrati post onto a Twitter page that carries his name without the candidate’s knowledge. “I don’t even have a cell phone,” he said.
Leitzell considers the error by McLin’s campaign a “non-issue.”
“You would think that after all her years of collecting campaign contributions, (McLin) or her treasurer should have had enough experience to question the signature,” Leitzell said. “I’m not saying a crime has been committed. Someone should have had the foresight to eliminate the problem before the check was cashed.”
Esrati, while agreeing this mistake was not a big deal, questioned whether there could be other errors on McLin’s finance report.
“She doesn’t check her facts,” said Esrati, adding the reports should be posted on the Board of Elections website in a searchable database so all citizens can access them.
Mr. Ohlmann said William Shakespeare aptly named a play that describes this situation, “Much Ado about Nothing.”
More about the Dayton mayoral candidates and this year’s election.
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TweetLocal Ohio Republicans plan announcement
Four Ohio Republican legislators will hold a news conference about an as yet unspecified topic on Monday at 11 a.m. at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, 1 Chamber Plaza, Dayton.
State Reps. Jarrod B. Martin, R-Beavercreek, Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering and Terry Blair, R-Washington Twp. are expected to be in attendance.
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Tweet1,097 state jobs gone
The ranks of state employees thinned by nearly 1,100 workers in the wake of budget cuts that began in the last two months, a new report shows.
The state of Ohio now employs 58,889 workers, down from 59,986 in mid-July. The Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections — the largest employer within state government with 15,461 workers — lost 138 people in the last two months.
House Finance Chairman Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, predicted in July that 2,000 to 3,000 state employees would lose their jobs due to state budget cuts.
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TweetGrocers must pay commercial activity tax
The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday, Sept. 17, ruled that it’s constitutional for the state to collect the commercial activity tax from grocers.
The ruling said that collecting the tax on the grocers’ gross receipts is not an unconstitutional “excise tax upon the sale or purchase of food.” Rather the tax is a tax on the privilege of doing business and the fact that this privilege is measured by gross receipts that include proceeds from the sale of food doesn’t affect its constitutionality, the decision said.
The 6-1 decision was a big win for Gov. Ted Strickland and the legislature. They need the money from the tax to keep the state budget balanced. A win for the grocers would have meant an annual loss of $188 million in taxes and could have led to $355 million in refunds.
In a prepared statement, Strickland praised the decision:
“I am thankful for the Supreme Court’s decision, which protects the integrity of Ohio’s reformed tax code and upholds the broad-based, low-rate structure that gives Ohio the lowest business taxes in the Midwest.”
Tom Jackson, president of the Ohio Grocers Association, which filed the lawsuit, had a different reaction.
“This is a sad day for consumers in the state of Ohio. Obviously the Supreme Court of Ohio did not recognize the constitutional argument that the grocers were making on behalf of Ohioans purchasing food for off premise consumption,” Jackson said in a prepared statement.
“We are extremely disappointed with the Court’s decision.
“In our opinion, the Ohio Constitution and the intention of the legislature were not upheld by this court today—it is very disappointing.
“Our goal was to make sure that any tax dollars would not affect the price of food. It is a sad to think that the consuming public will continue to be taxed one way or another on food for off premise consumption. Today, the Ohio consumer lost.”
Jackson said it appeared there would be no further appeal.
It is one of two cases the court heard oral arguments on this month that could affect the budget. In the second, LetOhioVote.org wants permission to hold a referendum in 2011 on the slots-at-the-tracks gambling plan. This could delay start of the slots program which is supposed to generate $933 million for the state over two years. The court hasn’t rule on that case.
The court’s majority opinion in the CAT case was authored by Justice Maureen O’Connor. Justice Paul Pfeifer dissented.
To read the opinion, click here.
“We’re very pleased,” said John Kohlstrand, spokesman for Tax Commissioner Richard Levin.
The legislature enacted the commercial activity tax in 2005 as part of the state’s tax overhaul. It is a tax on businesses’ gross receipts, levied for the privilege of doing business.
The tax doesn’t apply to businesses grossing less than $150,000 a year. Businesses grossing between $150,000 and $1 million must pay a flat tax of $150.
For businesses grossing more than $1 million, the tax is measured by .26 percent of their gross annual receipts.
The Ohio Grocers Association and others filed suit, claiming that levying the tax on grocers violated provisions in the Ohio Constitution that prohibit the state from levying or collecting any “excise tax upon the sale or purchase of food.”
A trial court ruled in favor of the state but a state appeals court reversed the ruling.
In her opinion, O’Connor wrote that the constitution “does not prohibit the state from using gross receipts to compute the amount of a privilege-of-doing-business tax, even if those gross receipts include proceeds from the sale of food.”
She also wrote that the CAT is a “permissible tax on the privilege of doing business, not a proscribed tax upon the sale or purchase of food.”
In his dissent, Pfeifer wrote:
“It is an incontrovertible fact that if a retailer has sales over $1 million and he sells an additional 40 gallons of milk at $2.50 per gallon, for a total of $100, a tax of 26 cents is levied upon him and the state collects 26 cents.
“Is this not a tax ‘levied or collected upon the sale or purchase of food?’”
Joining O’Connor in the majority were: Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer and Justices Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Terrence O’Donnell, Judith Ann Lanzinger and Robert R. Cupp.
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Tweet9th grade test questions are top secret, court says
Some students and teachers might love to get their hands on standardized test questions in advance but the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that such exams are trade secrets and not subject to disclosure under Ohio’s public records law.
The court said in a 5-2 ruling released Thursday, Sept. 17, that exam questions administered to all Cincinnati Public Schools ninth graders are to remain top secret.
In 2007, Cincinnati Hughes High School teacher Paul Perrea began asking the district for copies of the tests, saying he wanted to have them evaluated for fairness, accuracy and validity. Cincinnati Public Schools denied the requests, saying they were exempt under the trade secrets and copyright material. Perrea took the matter to court in April 2008.
Justice Judith Lanzinger, who wrote the majority opinion, said the material falls under the trade secret exemption because the district spent more than $750,000 developing semester exams for ninth-, tenth- and eleventh-graders, re-doing the ninth-grade questions would cost more than $270,000 and the district has gone to great lengths to keep the questions secret.
If the questions become public, the test would become less effective at measuring student progress and would have to be canceled, the school district argued. The court agreed.
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TweetRepublicans pick Mason Vice Mayor Beck for Ohio House
Ohio House Republicans on Wednesday, Sept. 16, picked Peter A. Beck, vice mayor of Mason, to serve in the Ohio House, representing the 67th District.
Beck, 58, who will take office next week, will replace Shannon Jones who was appointed to the Ohio Senate. Jones replaced Robert Schuler who died in June.
“As a parent and small business owner, I know the difficulties Ohioans are faced during these tough economic times and will strive to work toward finding lasting solutions,” Beck said in a press release. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
Beck, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, is married and has four children, the press release said.
The district includes part of Warren County.
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TweetStrickland names Patt-McDaniel as development chief; first woman to hold job
Gov. Ted Strickland on Wednesday, Sept. 16, removed the interim label and named Lisa Patt-McDaniel director of the Ohio Department of Development.
Patt-McDaniel, 44, will be the first woman to lead the department and will earn $142,500 annually, a press release said. She has been interim director since May.
The department has been without a permanent director since February when Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher resigned the job as he began his 2010 U.S. Senate campaign. Mark Barbash was appointed interim director but resigned in May to resolve personal tax issues.
“I am incredibly impressed with the leadership, commitment, deep knowledge and sound judgment Lisa has demonstrated not only as interim director but in her years as a leader in economic and workforce development for Ohio,” Strickland said in a press release.
“Lisa has listened to our workers and businesses and knows what they need. Lisa is helping to position Ohio for long-term prosperity.”
She has served in several positions in the department since 1990, the release said.
With Ohio unemployment at a 26-year high of 11.2 percent and job losses mounting, Strickland has been criticized for not moving more quickly to fill the job.
Strickland was taking his time to make sure he found the right person for the job, Amanda Wurst, his spokeswoman, has said.
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TweetFisher shows strength in U.S. Senate race
Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, a Democrat, has moved to the front of the crowd in the 2010 U.S. Senate race.
A Quinnipiac University Poll of Ohio voters released on Wednesday, Sept. 16, showed Fisher leading Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for the Democratic nomination and also topping either of the two Republican contenders - former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman of the Cincinnati area or Cleveland-area car dealer Tom Ganley - in the general election.
In a Democratic primary, Fisher led Brunner 26-17 percent, with 55 percent undecided.
In general election matchups, he topped Portman 42-31 percent and Ganley 41-29 percent.
Brunner also beat the Republicans in general election matchups, besting Portman 39-34 percent and Ganley 39-31 percent.
In a GOP primary, Portman led Ganley 27-9 percent, with 61 percent undecided.
The large percentage of undecided voters, particularly in the primary matchups, shows that the Senate race is in its early stages, said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnpiac University Polling Institute.
“Most people have not focused on it,” Brown said.
While Fisher appears to be the frontrunner, he does not appear to be very well know for a candidate with his statewide history. He has been on the statewide ballot four times since 1990.
However, the strong showing by Fisher appeared to reflect an overall uptick in political fortunes for Democrats over the summer, Brown, said.
The poll also showed improvement in approval ratings for Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and President Barack Obama. Democrats’ fortunes overall are tied to Obama’s, said Brown.
“Politics is a team game. He’s the team captain. If he’s doing better, then other Democrats do better,” said Brown.
The poll was taken Thursday, Sept. 10, to Sunday, Sept. 13, with 1,074 voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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TweetObama’s approval rating moves up
Ohio voters have given President Barack Obama a slight boost in his approval rating but they’re split on support for the president’s health care plan.
Those are key findings of a Quinnipiac University Poll released on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
In the poll, voters approved Obama’s performance 53-42 percent, up slightly from the president’s 49-44 percent approval rating in a July 7 poll.
On the health care plan, however, they were split 44-44 percent.
The poll was taken immediately after Obama’s nationally televised prime-time speech on health care and that may have helped him, Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said.
“Obviously, he is an extremely attractive, articulate person and what we are seeing is people like him a little better than they like his policies,” said Brown. “The more they see him is likely to help his approval ratings.”
The poll surveyed 1,074 Ohio voters from Thursday, Sept. 10, to Sunday, Sept. 13, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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TweetHouse approves bill to protect gay rights in housing, employment
In a historic vote, the Ohio House on Tuesday, Sept. 15, approved legislation banning discrimination in employment and housing based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The vote was 56-39.
The bill now goes to the Senate where passage is less likely. Lynne Bowman, executive director of Equality Ohio, said supporters have 16 more months before this session of the legislature ends to win final approval. Bowman’s group advocates for equality for gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual Ohioans.
“This is a new opportunity,” Bowman said. Twenty states and the District of Columbia and 17 Ohio cities already have similar laws in effect, she said.
The vote was the first ever by the House and Senate on such legislation, said Bowman.
Rep. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering, was one of five Republicans who joined 51 Democrats in supporting the bill. Lehner said that as a long-time opponent of abortion, she supported the “unalienable right to life” contained in the Declaration of Independence. She said she also supported the unalienable rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness, also in the Declaration of Independence.
Two of the other Republican supporters were Reps. Ross McGregor of Springfield, a joint sponsor of House Bill 176, and Terry Blair of Washington Township.
Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, R-Napoleon, angrily denounced the bill.
“Keep your hands and your morals and your immoral beliefs to yourselves,” he said, shaking a finger at Democrats. “Don’t punish those who disagree with you…”
This is the fourth legislative session in which such legislation has been proposed, said Bowman.
Advocates accelerated their efforts after Ohio voters in 2004 overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage.
The House gallery was filled with supporters of the bill.
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TweetDems field candidate for Ohio Supreme Court
Ohio 11th District Appeals Court Judge Mary Jane Trapp plans to announce her candidacy for Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
Trapp is holding a press conference with Gov. Ted Strickland at the Statehouse on Wednesday afternoon.
Trapp was elected to the 11th District Court of Appeals in November 2006.
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TweetDoctors holding health care forum tonight in Centerville
Doctors for America’s Ohio physician activists are hosting a Committee for Health Care Reform Forum tonight, Sept. 15 at 6:30 pm at Centerville High School, 500 East Franklin Street.
This is an opportunity for physicians and health care experts to share their perspective and several testimonials will be shared about the health care system. The session will include a question and answer period.
Doctors for America is a grassroots group of more than 14,000 physicians in all fifty states committed to passing meaningful health reform legislation.
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TweetVoters like gambling plans, support cell phone while driving ban
Ohio voters like proposed new gambling plans for the state and they want Gov. Ted Strickland and the legislature to ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.
Those are key results of a Quinnipiac University Poll released on Tuesday. Sept. 15.
In the poll, voters approved both the plan to add video slot machines to Ohio’s seven racetracks and the ballot proposal to permit construction of casinos in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toledo.
Voters approved the slots plan, which is part of the state budget, 60-34 percent. They approved the casino proposal - Issue 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot - 58-37 percent.
Also, in the poll, voters approved making it illegal to use a hand-held cell phone while driving, 75-23 percent.
On a second question, they supported a bill banning text messaging while driving, 89-9 percent.
Several bills have been proposed both in the Ohio House and Senate outlawing text messaging and the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.
The poll was taken Thursday, Sept. 10, through Sunday, Sept. 13, with 1,074 voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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TweetStrickland approval up slightly; voters frown on his handling of economy
Gov. Ted Strickland’s approval rating edged up slightly in a poll released on Tuesday, Sept. 15, but voters disapproved of the Democratic governor’s handling of the state economy and the budget.
The Quinnipiac University Poll found Strickland’s approval rating up slightly to 48 percent approve to 42 percent disapprove. This compares to a 46-42 percent approval rating in a poll released on July 3.
However, voters disapproved of Strickland’s handling of the state’s economy 54-33 percent in the new poll and disapproved of his handling of the budget 47-36 percent.
In a matchup with Republican John Kasich in next year’s governor’s race, Strickland led 46-36 percent, up from 43-38 percent in the July 3 poll.
“The good news for Strickland is he’s not going down any more,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said.
Part of the reason for the governor’s decline in the last poll was the inability of Strickland and the legislature to reach a budget agreement, Brown said. Since then, they came up with a deal, Brown added.
Voters’ discontent with his handling of the economy and the budget should be of political concern to the governor, Brown said.
Strickland fared better than the state legislature. Voters disapproved of the legislature’s performance, 48-33 percent, about the same as the 49-31 percent disapproval rating in the July 3 poll.
The poll was taken from Thursday, Sept. 10 to Sunday, Sept. 13 with 1,074 Ohio voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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TweetObama to visit Lordstown on Tuesday
President Barack Obama is set to make his second Ohio visit this month on Tuesday, Sept. 15, this time to the Lordstown GM plant in northeastern Ohio.
Obama will meet with workers and speak on the economy, the White House said. The president was in Cincinnati on Labor Day to speak at a labor picnic.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is to join Obama in Lordstown, Brown’s office said.
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TweetOhio House vote set on bill to protect gay rights
The Ohio House on Tuesday, Sept. 15, is scheduled to vote on legislation banning discrimination in employment and housing based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
House Bill 176 has bipartisan support and is expected to win approval in the House, controlled by Democrats. Rep. Ross McGregor, R-Springfield, is a joint sponsor and Rep. Terry Blair, R-Washington Twp., is a co-sponsor.
The chance of passage is considered less likely in the Republican-controlled Senate.
“I think it’s very important that we have fairness in employment,” House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, said last week. “….I think it sends a message that Ohio is welcoming to all.”
However, Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, said he questions whether the bill is needed. If the House passes it and sends it to the Senate, it will be assigned to a committee, he said.
“We’ll see what the committee decides,” said Harris.
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TweetSlots may be off-limits to teens
Ohioans can buy lottery tickets at age 18 but they may have to wait until they turn 21 before they’ll be allowed to play slots in Ohio.
Gov. Ted Strickland is asking the Ohio Lottery Commission to change the age limit to 21. Current rules say 18 and older may play or enter the slots playing areas. “After careful consideration of articulated concerns, and the views of the directors of the Ohio Lottery and the Department of Public Safety, I am requesting that the Lottery Commission consider a rule revision to raise the minimum age to play video lottery terminals at Ohio’s racetracks from age 18 to age 21,” Strickland said in a press release on Monday, Sept. 14.
Ohio is moving forward with plans to add 17,500 slot machines at the state’s seven horse racing tracks by May 2010. The plan is designed to generate $933 million over the next two years for K-12 education.
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TweetBrunner must decide Husted residency within 7 days
The Ohio Supreme Court is ordering Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to decide on state Sen. Jon Husted’s residency within seven days.
Husted filed asked the court on Friday, Sept. 11, to order Brunner to break the tie vote at the Montgomery County Board of Elections.
Husted, a Republican who is running for Secretary of State, owns a house in Kettering but his wife and child live suburban Columbus. State lawmakers are required to live in their districts and voters are required to live where they vote.
The board of elections deadlocked 2-2 twice on a complaint that Husted doesn’t really live in Kettering. By law, the secretary of state is the tie-breaking vote on boards of elections.
Husted complained that Brunner has taken too long to decide the matter. The Ohio Supreme Court unanimously granted Husted’s request for a court order compelling Brunner to make a decision.
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TweetAkron mayor backs Fisher in Dem U.S. Senate primary
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic and two other high-profile Akron-area Democrats have endorsed Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in the race for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in 2010, Fisher’s campaign announced on Monday, Sept. 14.
Fisher, whose political base is in the Cleveland area, and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner are running for the Senate nomination.
“Lee has led the state’s efforts to bring jobs and economic development to Akron and Summit County,” Plusquellic said in a press release. “He was instrumental in saving thousands of jobs at Goodyear and Bridgestone/Firestone, and I know he will fight just as hard to create new jobs across Ohio as our next senator.”
Akron City Council President Marco Sommerville and Summit County Executive Russ Pry also are backing Fisher, the release said.
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TweetUPDATED - Third lawsuit challenges slots at tracks
Two Dayton-area Ohio House members on Monday, Sept. 14, filed a lawsuit challenging the plan to put video slot machines at Ohio’s seven racetracks.
The lawsuit contends that the plan violates a provision in the Ohio Constitution that prohibits the state from going into business with private businesses, in this case the seven racetracks, state Sen. Tim Grendell, R-Chesterland, the lawyer filing the suit said.
Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, and John Adams, R-Sidney, will file the suit in the Ohio Supreme Court along with the Ohio Christian Alliance and Rep. Ron Amstutz, R-Wooster, said Adams.
It will be the third lawsuit challenging the slots at the tracks plan approved by Gov. Ted Strickland and the legislature. The plan expands the Ohio Lottery to include the video slots and is supposed to raise $933 million for K-12 education.
Amanda Wurst, Strickland’s spokeswoman, said the plan is constitutional. The constitution gives the governor the authority to establish the terms under which the Ohio Lottery operates and the legislature gave its backing to the slots plan in the budget bill, Wurst said.
The new lawsuit will cite Article 8, Section 4, of the Ohio Constitution, said Grendell.
The section says:
“The credit of the state shall not, in any manner, be given or loaned to, or in aid of, any individual association or corporation whatever; nor shall the state ever hereafter become a joint owner, or stockholder in any company or association in this state, or elsewhere, formed for any purpose whatever.”
The plan calls for the state and the tracks to split the money from the slots, said Grendell.
The Ohio Roundtable, a suburban Cleveland conservative public policy group, previously has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the slots-at-the-tracks plan.
LetOhioVote.org, another conservative group, filed the first suit against the gambling plan. That suit asked the court to let the group mount a campaign to put the gambling proposal before voters in Nov. 2010. This would delay the start of the slot plan, which now is set to begin next May.
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TweetFormer GOP Chairman Bennett scolds party
Former Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett scolded his fellow Republicans on Friday, Sept. 11, and warned them that their credibility is at stake.
Bennett, at a meeting of the party’s State Central Committee, said he was upset at GOP criticism of Democratic Barack Obama’s decision to make a televised address to school children. Bennett said that former Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush had done so without criticism.
Bennett said the criticism was driven by “talking heads. You know who I’m referring to.” Unless things change, “we’re not going to have any credibility as a party,” Bennett said.
Bennett also blasted U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina for “calling the president a liar” during President Barack Obama’s televised speech on reforming health care.
That single remark took the issue away from Republicans, he said. He called for more civility.
“We’re losing the battle with middle America if we don’t understand that,” said Bennett.
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TweetOhio GOP endorses Husted, Portman and two others for 2010
The Ohio State Republican Central Committee on Friday, Sept. 11, endorsed state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, and former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman from the Cincinnati area in two contested 2010 primaries.
Husted got the nod for secretary of state and Portman was endorsed for the U.S. Senate nomination.
The committee also endorsed former U.S. Rep. John Kasich of Westerville for governor and state Rep. Josh Mandel of Lyndhurst for treasurer. Neither has opposition.
The state GOP previous endorsed Auditor Mary Taylor for re-election.
The committee also set up a screening committee to evaluate the two GOP candidates for attorney general - former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine of Cedarville of Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost.
State Chairman Kevin DeWine, Mike DeWine’s cousin, said either candidate would make a strong opponent against incumbent Democratic Attorney General Richard Cordray.
Kasich got a standing ovation after his endorsement and spoke with reporters about leading a united Republican ticket.
“I think (President) Barack Obama has performed a miracle. He’s united the Republican Party,” said Kasich.
Kasich said Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland “has contributed to it.”
Former Ashtabula County Auditor Sandra O’Brien, who’s also running for the GOP nomination for secretary of state, was not at the meeting. Neither was Cleveland-area car dealer Tom Ganley, who’s seeking the U.S. Senate nomination.
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TweetUPDATED with O’Brien, Husted responses - Husted, Portman and two others to get GOP primary endorsements
State Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, and former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman on Friday, Sept. 11, are expected to receive endorsements from the Ohio Republican Party’s Central Committee in 2010 primary races, Jason Mauk, Ohio GOP executive director said.
Husted is running for the GOP nomination for secretary of state against Sandra O’Brien, the former Ashtabula County auditor and unsuccessful 2006 Republican candidate for treasurer.
Portman faces Cleveland-area auto dealer Tom Ganley in the U.S. Senate primary.
The committee also is expected to endorse former U.S. Rep. John Kasich of Westerville for governor and state Rep. Josh Mandel of Lyndhurst for treasurer in uncontested primaries.
The committee is not expected to endorse in the primary for attorney general between former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine of Cedarville and Delaware County prosecutor Dave Yost.
A party leadership summit in June decided to recommend the endorsements, said Mauk. To wait for the results of the May 2010 primary would be a “recipe for disaster,” Mauk said.
“The election is too important. We feel we have superior candidates in these races,” said Mauk.
O’Brien, in an e-mail, lashed out at Husted’s endorsement, calling it “much ado about nothing.” She said the same committee had endorsed Jennette Bradley, the Republican O’Brien beat in the 2006 primary for treasurer.
“Last winter (State GOP Chairman) Kevin DeWine made some very unfortunate comments which offended many conservatives across the State. The split in the Party that his comments have created will be the focal point in next May’s Primary,” she said.
“… Try as they might the Ohio Republican State Central Committee is not going to be able to hold back the rising tide of conservatism within the Party. I wish Mr. Husted well but I will be proud to carry the conservative banner in the secretary of state race.”
Husted responded that as speaker of the Ohio House he passed the “most fiscally conservative budget in 40 years” in Ohio and also passed the “largest income tax cut in Ohio history.”
He said that he hopes to build “confidence and trust in the election system” and that means making sure Republicans, Democrats, independents and others are treated fairly.
Jeff Longstreth, Ganley’s campaign manager, blasted the endorsements and criticized the committee for meeting on Sept. 11, the date of the 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States.
“This thing stinks,” said Longstreth.
He said that at a time when Ohioans are yearning for new voices, “the Ohio Republican Party is choosing to promote the old Washington voices of the past.”
Ganley will not be campaigning on Friday out of respect for what happened in 2001, Longstreth said.
State Republican Chairman Kevin DeWine, responded in an e-mail:
“Our committee is carrying on its normal business on Friday, like thousands of other organizations throughout the country. We have profound respect for the significance of September 11, and our members thought a meeting on that day would offer a unique opportunity to renew our commitment to fighting and winning the war on terror.
“It’s unfortunate that certain people want to politicize a tragic event in our nation’s history, and I think that’s what’s motivating some of this protest. It’s being stirred up by a candidate who doesn’t like the fact that he won’t be endorsed by our committee.
“I think this is nothing more than an effort to create a distraction.”
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TweetBuilding trades labor group backs Garrison for secretary of state
The Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council has endorsed state Rep. Jennifer Garrison, D-Marietta, for Ohio Secretary of State in 2010.
The council “knows that Jennifer will work to administer fair elections,continue her support of transparent government and work to create and protect jobs for Ohioans,” Dennis Duffey, council secretary-treasurer said in a press release.
Garrison is running against Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown for the Democratic nomination.
The council coordinates and supports state-affiliated construction industry trade unions.
“I accept their endorsement and plan to work with their 90,000 members to protect and create Ohio jobs,” Garrison said in the release.
On the Republican side, state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, and Sandra O’Brien, former Ashtabula County auditor, are seeking the secretary of state nomination.
Incumbent Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is running for the U.S. Senate.
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TweetCongressman shouts ‘You lie’ to Obama
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., is getting heat from both sides after he shouted “You lie” at President Obama during an address to Congress on Wednesday night.
Wilson shouted and pointed at Obama after the president said his health care plan would not cover illegal immigrants.
Quickly after the president’s speech, Wilson’s House Web site was shut down and his Wikipedia page was “disabled due to vandalism.”
Wilson issued a statement apologizing for his behavior. The congressman also called the White House according to press reports and apologized to Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
“I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the president’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill,” the statement said.
2008 GOP presidential nominee John McCain was one of several Republicans quick to criticize Wilson’s behavior calling it “totally disrespectful” during an interview on CNN.
In a column posted on the New York Times Web site late Wednesday night, Gail Collins wrote that “when the TV cameras caught the House minority leader, John Boehner, he looked as though he had just swallowed a cough drop.”
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., will work with GOP lawmakers including Boehner, R-West Chester, to decide whether to punish Wilson.
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TweetUPDATE: Schmidt, despite video, said she believes Obama is a U.S. citizen
U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, is taking a lot of heat for a video posted by a left-leaning blog on YouTube that seems to indicate that she believes President Obama is not a citizen of the country, and therefore not qualified to be president.
For those who didn’t click through, the video shows a woman approaching Schmidt at an event and talking about how Obama is not qualified to be president. Schmidt can be overheard saying, “I agree with you…but the courts don’t.”
But in a statement released by her office, Schmidt said she was taken out of context.
“I was trying to be kind to a woman who was trying desperately and passionately to express her views,” she said. “She has the right to her beliefs, no matter how much I disagree with them.”
UPDATE: Spokesman Bruce Pfaff notes that the video posted is a truncated version of the original version, and at the time of this exchange, the conversation between Schmidt and the woman was well under way. The two had discussed several other topics before the woman brought up Obama’s citizenship. Before that, they had talked about the federal courts and the Constitution.
For the record, Schmidt said she believes Obama is a citizen of the United States and constitutionally qualified to be president.
“I may not agree with his politics but there is no doubt he is the President and has my full respect,” she said.
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TweetFisher urges Obama to act on China tire issue
U.S. Senate candidate and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher Wednesday, Sept. 9, wrote President Barack Obama to urge him to place a 55 percent tariff on Chinese tires, a recommendation made by the International Trade Commission.
A Washington Post story Tuesday talked of how Obama would face a decision on whether or not to follow the ITC’s recommendation on Chinese tires. Fisher said doing so would “send a strong signal” to Chinese manufacturers that “we will no longer stand idly by as they flout international trade agreements and damage American industries.
“Let me be clear: I am not a protectionist and I believe that we must participate fully in the global economy,” he wrote. “But as we ask our workers- the most skilled in the world-to compete with foreign manufacturers, we must provide a level playing field for them.”
Fisher referred in his letter to the Denman Tire Company in Leavittsburg, Ohio and Cooper Tire and Rubber in Findlay, which would both be impacted by the decision. Between them, they employ 1,370.
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TweetUAW endorses casino ballot plan
The United Auto Workers Union Region 2B - representing 180,000 active and retired workers in Ohio - has endorsed State Issue 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot, the plan to put casinos in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo.
“No one knows better than our members what the economic downturn has done to the state of Ohio,” Ken Lortz, UAW Region 2B director, said in a press release on Wednesday, Sept. 9. “Issue 3 is first and foremost a jobs creation and economic development issue.”
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TweetLake Erie ruling limits attorney general powers, group says
The Ohio attorney general is the ‘people’s lawyer’ only when the governor or general assembly direct him or her to get involved, according to a ruling by the 11th District Court of Appeals in an environmental case.
Attorney General Richard Cordray’s staff is reviewing the ruling and deciding whether to appeal it, said spokesman Ted Hart on Tuesday, Sept 8.
The Ohio Environmental Council, which joined the suit, plans to press ahead with an appeal, said OEC Deputy Director Jack Shaner.
The case involves the private property lines along more than 300 miles of shoreline along Lake Erie. In 2005, Lake Erie property owners filed suit to fight state Department of Natural Resources regulations over structures along the shoreline and to dispute where the property lines begin. In July 2007, Gov. Ted Strickland changed the regulatory policies and pulled the DNR from the case but then-Attorney General Marc Dann stayed active in the lawsuit, saying he would represent the public interest.
The 11th District Court of Appeals agreed with the trial court about where to set the property lines and also said the attorney general had no standing the case.
OEC Legal Director Trent Dougherty said the decision has implications about the attorney general’s ability to represent the public interest in future environmental and consumer protection cases.
Shaner said the court seemed to have an ideological bent and that they fashioned the decision to fit that point of view.
Eleventh District Appeals Court Judge Diane Grendell is married to state Sen. Tim Grendell, R-Chesterland, who has vigorously rallied property owners in the case.
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TweetFormer Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to headline Ohio judicial selection forum
Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will be the headliner at a forum on Nov. 19-20 in Columbus to discuss the process for selecting justices of the Ohio Supreme Court.
“The time has come to do something to address the widespread perception that campaign contributions influence judicial decision making,” Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer said in a press release on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
“Our goal is to determine whether to pursue a new selection method for Supreme Court justices and to explore the various reforms that other states have implemented.”
Moyer is sponsoring the forum along with the Ohio State Bar Association and the League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund.
“A Forum on Judicial Selection: A Time for Action” will be held at the Ohio Judicial Center and the Center of Science and Industry (COSI).
The Joyce Foundation provided a grant for the forum,the release said.
Ohio voters now elect members of the Supreme Court. Candidates are nominated in partisan primaries but appear on the general election ballot without party affiliation.
Other suggestions have included having governors appoint justices who then would have to run in elections to retain their seats.
Details of the forum and a Web site will be released in October, the release said.
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TweetWhite House releases Obama speech to students
President Barack Obama’s plan to deliver a speech to the nation’s students on Tuesday, Sept. 8, has ignited controversy all over the country, drawing praise from supporters and criticism from the president detractors.
Click here to read the speech and make up your mind.
Here’s a chance to get in on the debate about the president’s speech.
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TweetStrickland promotes woman to lead public safety
Cathy Collins-Taylor, a former Columbus motorcycle cop and current director of the Ohio Investigative Unit, will be the new director of the state Department of Public Safety, Gov. Ted Strickland announced Thursday, Sept. 3.
Collins-Taylor replaces Henry Guzman who resigned last week after he clashed with Ohio Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Richard “Butch” Collins. Collins also resigned.
Collins-Taylor, 52, who starts as director Sept. 19, will make $128,544 and will appoint a new patrol superintendent.
Since March 2007, Collins-Taylor led the department’s Ohio Investigative Unit, which oversees enforcement of state, local and federal liquor and tobacco control laws. She has also worked on homeland security issues within the department.
Collins-Taylor graduated from Ohio State University in 1977 and the Columbus Police Academy in 1978. Collins-Taylor spent 26 years with the Columbus police department, retiring from active duty in 2004. She was that department’s first female motorcycle officer. “Cathy is an experienced professional whose background in law enforcement and safety has prepared her to lead the Ohio Department of Public Safety,” Strickland said in a news release. “I am confident that Cathy will be able to work with the divisions within ODPS to ensure the agency is running effectively and efficiently, and with the safety and well being of the public at its forefront.”
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TweetSen. Voinovich invokes Holy Spirit, quotes Scripture in blast at gambling plans
Invoking the Holy Spirit and quoting Scripture, U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, on Thursday, Sept. 3, lashed out at Ohio’s two gambling plans.
At a Columbus press conference, Voinovich threw his support behind a lawsuit filed by the Ohio Roundtable charging that Gov. Ted Strickland’s plan to install 17,500 video slot machines at Ohio’s seven racetracks is unconstitutional.
Voinovich, a former governor and long-time gambling foe, also pledged to campaign this fall against State Issue 3, the ballot proposal that would permit casinos to be built in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo.
Voinovich also said that had he been governor this year he would have raised taxes to balance the budget, as he had done in the 1990s during tough economic times. Strickland’s slots-at-the-tracks plan is supposed to raise $933 million to balance the budget.
Voinovich said that he got tired like “all of you do” but that he relied on this passage from this passage from Isaiah:
“Those who hope in the Lord shall have their strength renewed…they shall soar as with wings of eagles…they will run and not grow weary and they will walk and not faint.”
Then he added:
“I’m hoping that the Holy Spirit enlightens the people of Ohio as they have in the past and they reject Issue 3.”
Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee which is backing Issue 3, declined to criticize Voinovich.
“I would say Sen. Voinovich has been consistent in his opposition to gaming in Ohio. We certainly anticipated that he would continue to oppose any expansion of gambling in the state.
“We respect his opinion…He’s been a United States senator. He’s been governor. He has the right to express his opinion in any way he wants to.”
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TweetStrickland recommends new chief for school building panel
Gov. Ted Strickland on Thursday, Sept. 3, recommended that Richard Murray be appointed executive director of the Ohio School Facilities Commission, the group that oversees the massive statewide school construction program.
Murray, 59, if approved by the commission, would replace Michael Shoemaker, the former state legislator whom Strickland removed from the job for unspecified reasons.
The resolution that the commission is expected to approve calls for his salary to be no more than $115,000 annually, Strickland’s office said.
Murray, mayor of Marble Cliff, a suburban Columbus village, since 1996 has served as the Ohio Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust director. The organization is a trust between the Ohio Contractors Association and the Laborers’ District Council of Ohio, a 15,000-member construction union.
It helps unions and contractors acquire projects and jobs, a press release said.
“Rich recognizes that quality construction is critical for effective, safe learning environments for our students,” Strickland said in the release.
“His ability to handle complex labor and management issues and his background in the public and private sectors will be valuable experience has he takes on his new role.”
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TweetMontgomery Couny Commissioners endorse Brown for Sec of State
Montgomery County’s three commissioners, all Democrats, have chosen sides in what could be a heated race for the Democratic nomination for secretary of state in 2010.
Debbie Lieberman, Dan Foley and Judy Dodge all are backing Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown, who’s running against state Rep. Jennifer Garrison, D-Marietta.
“As a county commissioner, Marilyn Brown understands the need for cost-effective investments in honest elections,” Dodge said in a press release from Brown’s campaign. “She is uniquely qualified to build on the successful 2008 elections during challenging budget times.”
Clark County Commissioner David Hartley and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman also endorsed Brown, the release said.
The endorsements were among more than 20 office holder endorsements from around the state announced by Brown’s campaign.
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TweetTurner to attend Tea Party Town Hall
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner confirmed Thursday, Sept. 3, that he will attend a town hall meeting on health care reform on Sept. 5 at the Voice of America Park Museum in West Chester.
The rally is being organized by the Dayton and Cincinnati Tea Parties. Turner, R-Centerville, will be among those to answer questions from the crowd at the rally.
Those who want to ask questions of Turner should email them to questions@ohiolibertycouncil.org. The park is at 8070 Tylersville Road in West Chester.
The rally will be from 1 to 6:20 p.m. Turner will be answering questions from 5 to 6 p.m.
Turner is one of a long list of congressional representatives, senators and governors from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana to be invited. The Cincinnati and Dayton Tea Parties, which are organizing the event, have invited both Republicans and Democrats, but so far no Democrat has accepted, they said.
Among those scheduled to appear are House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich and U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland.
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TweetSecond lawsuit to be filed against slots plan; Sen. Voinovich to lend support
A second lawsuit will be filed aimed at halting Ohio’s video slots-at-the-racetracks plan, the Ohio Roundtable announced on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The group will unveil the lawsuit at a Thursday press conference but said in a press release it will be aimed at the “unconstitutional expansion of the Ohio Lottery into the commercial use of slot machines at Ohio’s racetracks.”
U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, a former governor and outspoken opponent of gambling, is expected to attend the press conference, the release said.
One focus of the lawsuit, expected to be filed in the Ohio Supreme Court, is on the legislature’s action authorizing the Ohio Lottery Commission to pass regulations to operate the slot machines as a means of balancing the state budget, the release said.
“Since 1990 over 10 million votes have been cast against casino gambling in Ohio,” David Zanotti, president and CEO of the Ohio Roundtable said in a press release. “The governor has cast aside all those votes and the results of four legal elections.”
Ohio voters have rejected gambling ballot proposals four times since 1990 but Strickland and the legislature implemented the video slots plan without a vote of the people.
Announcement of the lawsuit came on the same day that the Ohio Supreme Court held oral arguments on the first lawsuit challenging the slots’ plan. That lawsuit asked the court to give LetOhioVote.org permission to begin a petition drive to put the slots’ plan before voters in November 2010.
The plan to put 17,500 video slot machines at Ohio’s seven racetracks is supposed to raise $933 million over two years to help balance the state budget.
Gov. Ted Strickland’s spokeswoman Amanda Wurst had this e-mail reaction to the second lawsuit:
“The administration is focused on the successful implementation of video lottery terminals to fund education and meet the Constitutional obligation to balance the budget without increasing taxes on Ohioans.
“The General Assembly authorized VLTs as an activity of the constitutionally-established Ohio Lottery. While this suit is not unexpected, it is unfortunate that taxpayer resources will be squandered just to prove something we already know to be true.”
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TweetGOP lawmakers bash Dems’ energy bill; pitch their plan
U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester., on Wednesday, Sept. 2, led a Republican charge against the “cap and trade” energy legislation passed by the House in June with mostly Democratic support.
At a GOP-sponsored hearing at the Ohio State University, Boehner, R-West Chester, predicted that if H.R. 2454 becomes law AK Steel, located in his district, “would be out of business.”
Reps. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, Pat Tiberi, R-Columbus, Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green and Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indian, also participated in the hearing which included presentations from Michael Carey, president of the Ohio Coal Association, Harry Alford, president of the National Black Chamber of Commerce and other critics of the bill.
Pence said the bill amounted to an economic “declaration of war” against Ohio, Indiana and other coal-dependent midwest states by liberals in the House.
There were no supporters at the hearing but about 40 critics carrying signs with messages such as “Paid for by Big Oil” demonstrated in front of the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, site of the hearing. Four protesters were dressed as cave women, a reference to what they said were the views Boehner and the others held on climate change and energy
“I think it’s very important that we get renewable sources of energy,” said protester Eriyah Flynn, 37, formerly stationed in the Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. She was not one of the cave women.
The House-passed legislation would require utility plants to have emission permits for every ton of carbon dioxide they produce. Plants that reduced emissions could sell permits to others. The bill is aimed at reducing global warming, increasing energy efficiency, using more clean energy sources and creating clean energy jobs.
Boehner and others said the results would be higher energy costs, particularly in the the midwest. They touted their own “American Energy Act” which would include lifting some drilling restrictions, licensing 100 new nuclear reactors over 20 years and using money from expanded domestic energy exploration to support renewable and alternative energy sources.
The Senate is expected to take up the issue this fall.
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TweetCavemen to greet lawmakers at energy forum
When House Minority Leader John Boehner and four other Republican lawmakers convene an energy summit in Columbus tomorrow, they’ll be greeted by protestors dressed as cavemen.
No, it’s not the guys from that series of Geico commercials. Instead, it’ll be a handful of protestors irritated that the lawmakers, which will include Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, Pat Tiberi, R-Columbus and Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, opposed climate change legislation that passed the House earlier this summer.
The group, a coalition called Bring Ohio Back that includes the Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation in Ohio, is calling the group of five congressmen the “Stone Age 5.” Check out the website they’ve put up to bash the group: www.thestoneagers.com
The group is also making light of Boehner referring to the climate change bill as a “pile of sh—.”
A Boehner spokesman said Boehner and other Republicans support an alternative that they feel will be better for Ohio business. They said the bill the House passed would “cripple Ohio manufacturing and farmers, destroy jobs and raise energy prices for families and small businesses./” \
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TweetPenn National funding the fight against VLTs, affidavit says
Penn National Gaming, owner of the former Argosy casino in southern Indiana and the Toledo Raceway, is bankrolling a lawsuit and campaign to stop Ohio racetracks from becoming ‘racinos’ with slot machines, an affidavit filed Tuesday, Sept. 1, says.
The state Attorney General’s office filed the affidavit in the LetOhioVote case, which is scheduled to be argued Wednesday, Sept. 2, before the Ohio Supreme Court.
State Sen. Bill Seitz swore that former lawmaker Tom Brinkman told him in late July that Penn National was funding the LetOhioVote litigation and any referendum campaign that might follow. Brinkman is on the LetOhioVote side of the litigation.
Officials from Penn National could not be immediately reached for comment.
Penn National and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert are pushing a ballot issue that asks voters to amend the state constitution to allow four full-blown casinos, one each in Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
Separately, Gov. Ted Strickland and the Legislature decided to add 17,500 slot machines to Ohio’s seven racetracks to help bring in $933 million in revenue to the state budget over the next two years. The Legislature specifically said that the VLT plan was not subject to a referendum — a provision that is now subject to the lawsuit.
Racinos would compete with Penn National and Gilbert’s casinos for gambling business.
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TweetIt’s a tax on food. No, it isn’t. Yes, it is.
Rapid fire questions came from the Ohio Supreme Court bench on Tuesday, Sept. 1 during arguments on a business tax case that could excuse Ohio grocers from paying $188 million a year and land them $350 million in refunds.
The grocers argued that they shouldn’t have to pay the “Commercial Activities Tax,” a new business tax that replaced other corporate taxes in 2005. They made the case that it amounts to a sales tax on food, which the Ohio Constitution has prohibited since 1936.
Attorney General Richard Cordray, who argued the case himself, said the CAT isn’t applied to specific transactions of food sales but instead is calculated based on gross receipts.
The grocers countered that the gross receipts are based in large part on the sale of food. “The court should reject the Legislature’s attempt to circumvent the constitution,” said Gerhardt Gosnell II, attorney for the Ohio Grocers Association.
Gosnell and Cordray each quoted case law to support their point, with the seven justices asking questions.
Cordray warned that if the justices side with the grocers, it would blow a hole in the state budget and he said “Others will follow with their challenges. They’re waiting to see the outcome of this case.”
Chief Justice Tom Moyer, however, flatly said the amount of money the tax generates from grocers for the state budget is “not our concern.”
Meanwhile, Policy Matters Ohio, a Cleveland-based think tank, concluded in a report on the CAT that it is falling $200 million a year short of projected revenues during the slumping economy. Policy Matters is urging lawmakers to look at ways to bolster the CAT so that it meets projected revenue numbers.
The supreme court is expected to rule on the grocers’ case within six months. It is unclear whether consumer would benefit if the court ordered a CAT refund to grocers. Grocers would continue to pay the CAT on their gross receipts derived from non-food sales, which amount to about one-third of their total sales, according to Tom Jackson, president and chief executive of the Ohio Grocers Association.
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