Home of the Week
Madison graduation 2012
Warren County CC graduation
Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2009 > October > 16
Friday, October 16, 2009
State treasurer candidate stumping for local candidates
Josh Mandel is running for Ohio treasurer in the 2010 election, but he’s traveling around the state during the current election season to campaign for local candidates.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, he is going door-to-door in Miami Twp. campaigning with Township Trustee Deborah Preston. Later on Saturday he will campaign in Lebanon.
Mandel is challenging incumbent State Treasurer Kevin Boyce.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
House budget plan to cut legislators’ salaries
The Ohio House will consider a plan to balance the state budget that will include a 5 percent cut in legislators’ salaries, currently $60,584 year, Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, said on Friday, Oct. 16.
The plan will also embrace Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposal to postpone the fifth year of personal income tax cuts to come up with $850 million over two years, Budish said in a conference call with reporters. The postponement would be for two years - 2009-2010.
The pay cut for lawmakers would not take effect until 2011 because lawmakers are prohibited from taking a salary adjustment during their current term, a press release from Budish said.
Budish said he hoped the plan would get bipartisan support but early Republican response was not positive. Democrats control the House, 53-46.
State Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, proposed the 5 percent pay cut in June but no hearings have been held on the bill.
Morgan said he wouldn’t vote for the bill with the freeze on the tax cuts.
“I would say all he’s doing is playing politics with it to try to embarrass Republicans,” said Morgan.
Strickland applauded the plan. He made his original proposal to postpone the tax cuts on Sept. 30.
“Of all the options available to us, I believe postponing the last part of the scheduled income tax reduction will protect our schools from destructive cuts while avoiding a sales or other tax increase on Ohio families and businesses during this recession,” Strickland said in a press release.
Strickland proposed the freeze on the tax cuts after the Ohio Supreme Court last month ruled that the plan in the budget to put video slot machines at Ohio’s racetracks was subject to a referendum in 2010. This delayed start of slots-at-the tracks, blowing an $850 million hole in the state budget.
Hearings on the plan will start Monday, said Budish. He said hopes for prompt action but didn’t set a deadline. The proposal also would have to be approved by the Republican controlled Senate.
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment |
Columbus Mayor Coleman, wife to end marriage
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, a graduate of the University of Dayton Law School, and his wife Frankie “have decided to amicably dissolve their marriage of 25 years,” a press release from Coleman’s office said on Friday, Oct. 16.
“The mayor and Frankie intend to remain friends and be supportive of their family endeavors,” the release said.
Family members would have no further comment, said the release.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
ONN report: Sen. Brown votes against casino plan
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has cast an absentee ballot against State Issue 3, the proposal to put casinos in Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Cleveland, according to an interview taped by the Ohio News Network and made available Friday, Oct. 16.
Brown said the proposal was not “particularly well done.” The interview is to air on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland also oppose the casino plan.
