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What you need to know about Ohio Politics and Policy

Statehouse Preview – Week of May 1

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AT THE STATEHOUSE: BUDGET VOTES
Last week, a House committee adopted a long list of amendments to the two-year state budget, modifying the Governor’s plan in several ways:
  • eliminates Kasich’s tax policy changes
  • adds funding to combat the addiction crisis
  • generates new Lottery revenue at the racetracks
In addition to funding changes, the GOP-dominated committee additionally put new rules on the Medicaid program, requiring most expansion recipients to satisfy a work requirement in order to stay enrolled. One thing the House amendments did not include was enough revenue or cuts to bring the measure into balance after lagging state tax collections led Governor Kasich to announce the plan is $800 million short of being paid for. After a likely vote on the House floor tomorrow at 11am, the House will send the plan to their Senate counterparts to bring it into balance.
IN COMMITTEE
Key activities happening elsewhere at the Statehouse:
  • Tomorrow, the Senate Judiciary Committee holds its third hearing on SB4, a bill to allow victims of human trafficking to have their criminal charges expunged.
  • On Wednesday, the House Health Committee will hold a second hearing on HB149, a proposal to strengthen laws against “abortion remains trafficking,” something even the bill sponsors admit has never been proven to occur.
  • Also happening: on Tuesday at 11am, charter school proponents will rally on the Statehouse lawn; on Wednesday at 1pm, pro-choice advocates will hold a press conference on the Statehouse steps.
Tomorrow the Ohio House is set to vote to advance the budget without having found sufficient revenue to replace the shortfall. Call your state representative at 1-800-282-0253 and ask them to vote NO on any budget proposal that is out of balance, and tell them to fix the broken tax policies that got us into this mess. Stay tuned for our updates on social media (Twitter and Facebook) throughout the week for budget developments. Did you know? Legislative committee websites post copies of all testimony that has been offered on pending legislation. They are also where to find contact information for the committee chair–the good person to call when a bill you’re interested in isn’t advancing, when you want to ask about testifying, or to get added to a committee’s email list. <

Statehouse Preview: Week of March 27

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AT THE STATEHOUSE

The House Public Utilities Committee will vote on HB114, legislation to convert the state’s renewable energy and efficiency standards into voluntary goals. The bill would benefit the state’s electric utilities, and last week committee members heard from supporters from the coal and utility industry, as well as dozens of opponents including Ohio Advanced Energy Economy, the Ohio Environmental Council and Whirlpool. Read testimony from the March 21 hearing. The state budget (HB49) is back in the full Finance committee this week. All testimony will be heard on aspects of the Governor’s proposed budget. On Tuesday, the Senate Insurance & Financial Institutions Committee will hear from the sponsors of SB91, legislation to provide universal healthcare coverage for all Ohio residents. View the full Senate committee schedule View the full House committee schedule
Citizen Statehouse Lobby Day 
Next Wednesday, April 5, we are hosting a day of citizen training and lobbying which will feature an opportunity to testify on the state budget. If you’re interested in participating in lobby day, sign up with Progress Ohio. To volunteer to testify on the budget, sign up here and we’ll help guide you through the process and be with you on Wednesday.

TAKE ACTION

After just two hearings and only one opportunity for public testimony, the Ohio House is rushing to pass HB114, legislation to roll back Ohio’s renewable energy and efficiency standards. The proposal represents the fifth attempt by opponents of renewable energy and efficiency standards to roll back the bipartisan 2008 legislation, the most recent of which was vetoed by Governor Kasich. The legislation threatens not only our environment and climate, but also Ohio’s advanced energy industry. Some facts to consider:
  • The Public Utilities Commission estimates the state standards contribute just $.29 to the monthly utility bill of the average Ohio consumer
  • Ohio’s energy efficiency standards saved consumers over $2 billion on their electricity bills from 2009-2014 (source)
  • The law has resulted in more than 3,000 jobs and $900 million in investment in Ohio’s wind energy industry; the state has 62 active wind power manufacturing facilities, more than any other state. (source)
Call your state representative today and urge them to oppose HB114. If your representative is a member of the Public Utilities Committee, be sure to call before today’s 3pm hearing. All other Representatives need to hear from constituents before they vote in House Session, Thursday at 11am.

Statehouse Preview: Week of March 20

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AT THE STATEHOUSE
Wow! This might be our busiest week so far in 2017. Testimony on the state budget (HB49) continues in the subcommittees of House Finance:
Three proposals of note get a first hearing this week
On Tuesday, the House Criminal Justice committee will hear about HB97, legislation that would close Ohio’s legal loophole that permits spousal rape under certain circumstances. Also on Tuesday, the Senate Health, Human Services & Medicaid Committee will hear testimony on SB99, a bill to stop enrolling new Medicaid patients under expanded eligibility rules of the Affordable Care Act if the Congress acts on current proposals to reduce federal reimbursements. On Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee will hear more about SB85, legislation to expand eligibility for Ohio’s private school voucher programs.
Other noteworthy bills on the move
Resolutions calling on Congress to hold a convention of the states to consider amendments to the Constitution will move forward in both chambers [see our earlier coverage]. HJR2 will be heard in the House Federalism and Interstate Relations Committee on Tuesday, while SJR1 may be up for a vote in the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear sponsor testimony on HB1, a proposal to extend domestic violence protections to unmarried intimate partners, while the House State and Local Government Committee holds a second hearing on a proposal (HB84) to designate February “Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.” The House Public Utilities Committee holds its second hearing Tuesday on HB114, a proposal to again unwind the state’s renewable energy and efficiency targets, which only recently returned to force thanks to a veto by Governor Kasich during the lame duck session. The legislation is on the fast track in the House, and the hearing will feature both proponent and opponent testimony.
TAKE ACTION
In Congress, the House of Representatives are planning to vote on the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on Thursday, which also happens to be the 7 year anniversary of the ACA. Between now and Thursday, reach out to your member of Congress and urge them to go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan that actually covers people. Here’s some of our recent analysis to help you make your case:
  • AHCA will result in higher insurance costs for Ohio seniors (read more)
  • Cuts to Medicaid could eliminate treatment for over 200,000 Ohioans struggling with addiction (read more)

Statehouse Preview: Week of March 13

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AT THE STATEHOUSE

HB2, legislation to reduce legal protections against workplace discrimination gets its fifth hearing on Tuesday, but as of now, no vote has been scheduled. A bill (HB114) to roll back Ohio’s renewable energy standards gets its first hearing in the House Public Utilities committee on Tuesday. Legislation to automatically “sunset” or close cabinet agencies that fail to receive legislative support (SB79) gets its first hearing in Senate Government Oversight & Reform Wednesday. Two resolutions (HJR2 and SJR1) that call for a constitutional convention to enact a federal balanced budget amendment get hearings in committee this week. View full House and Senate committee schedules. State Budget (HB49) deliberations continue in the House, with multiple subcommittees holding hearings:
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Members of the public are welcome to testify in committees. Click on the name of the committee to view meeting agendas, which include the locations, start time, and instructions for submitting a copy of your testimony in advance.

TAKE ACTION

Support the Affordable Care Act
  • State lawmakers in Columbus have drafted competing resolutions urging the state’s Congressional delegation to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act (HCR6, sponsored by Reps. Goodman and Faber), or, alternatively, to preserve the ACA (HCR5, sponsored by Rep. Sykes).Contact your State Representative and ask them to support HCR5 and oppose HCR6.

Statehouse Preview: Week of February 27

Statehouse Preview is a new service from Innovation Ohio. To receive alerts about breaking news at the Ohio Statehouse, sign up for our Legislative News email list. [UPDATE: Since initial publication, the House cancelled its Tuesday hearing on the Pastor Protection Act.]
AT THE STATEHOUSE
The Joint Education Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday at 2:30 pm in the Senate South Hearing Room on Ohio’s State Plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act. ESSA gave states latitude to reduce the amount of testing required, a move endorsed by thousands of parents and educators. The state draft plan, however, retains the maximum testing requirement. To testify on the draft plan, contact the committee at 614-466-9082, or submit your comments online. The House Economic Development, Commerce & Labor Committee will tomorrow hold its third hearing on HB2, a bill rolling back protections against employment discrimination. Amendments to HB36, the so-called Pastor Protection Act, are expected tomorrow before the House Community and Family Advancement Committee votes to advance the measure at its Tuesday hearing at 3pm (Statehouse Room 018). HB1, a bipartisan measure that extends domestic violence protections to dating partners, advanced out of committee and will get a vote on the House floor tomorrow. HB26, the state’s two-year transportation budget, goes to the full House for a vote this week, after which it moves to the Senate. Democratic amendments to increase funding for public transportation failed in committee last week. The bill gets its first hearing in the Senate tomorrow at 9am. Subcommittee testimony continues on HB49, the state budget. Subcommittees will hear testimony from Departments including Development, Agriculture, Developmental Disabilities, Education, EPA, Health, Mental Health & Addiction as well as on sales tax provisions in the Governor’s proposal. View the House committee schedule for details.
TAKE ACTION
New Bills Need Support Contact your Representative and encourage them to support HB93 and HB97, and ask Speaker Rosenberger to hold hearings. Stop the Pastor Protection Act
    • HB36, which supporters claim will allow ministers to refuse to perform any marriage they disagree with,  something they are already able to do under existing law — will likely emerge out of committee tomorrow and could go to the full House for a vote as early as Wednesday saw its hearing this week canceled, but the measure could come back at any time. Learn more and take action.

Statehouse Preview: Week of Feb. 20

It’s a short week with the President’s Day holiday, but there’s still plenty going on.
OHIO
The House Economic Development, Commerce & Labor Committee will hold a second hearing for supporters of HB2, a bill rolling back protections against employment discrimination. Despite hearing hours of impassioned testimony from members of clergy opposed to HB36, the so-called Pastor Protection Act, the House Community and Family Advancement Committee is likely to vote to advance the proposal at its Tuesday hearing at 9am. The measure could be up for a vote in the full House as early as Wednesday. Sign up to receive alerts on this and other important legislative developments as they happen. HB1, a bipartisan measure that extends domestic violence protections to dating partners, has a committee vote scheduled in the House Civil Justice committee, which meets Wednesday at 4pm. Budget hearings continue on the state’s transportation budget, which will get its first round of amendments this week and a final vote in the House Finance committee on Thursday 2/23.
IN CONGRESS
Our Congressional delegation is back in Ohio as Congress takes a week-long recess, and many members will be attending (or avoiding) town hall meetings in their districts. Find out if there is an event taking place near you. Bring a copy of our ACA fact sheet to talk about what’s at stake for women if the ACA is repealed.
TRUMP
The administration’s revised executive order on the immigration ban may drop at any time. It still includes the same countries, but exempts green card holders. Deportation raids are increasing and it appears that the crackdown will continue to escalate. Homeland Sec. Kelly signed a memo authorizing the hiring of 10,000 more enforcement agents.
TAKE ACTION
The Ohio House is currently reviewing Governor Kasich’s two-year budget proposal and need to hear from their constituents. This week, One Ohio Now asks Ohioans to write a letter to the editor of their local paper to ask lawmakers to prioritize community needs in the budget process.

Budget Continues Trend Toward Regressive Tax System, Asks Poorest to Pay More

Last month, Ohio Gov. John Kasich unveiled his last two-year budget proposal, featuring another large cut in the state income tax — $3.1 billion — paid for with new and increased taxes on everyday purchases like cable TV subscriptions, beer, wine, and increased taxation of oil and gas extraction. This is not the first time Kasich has proposed cutting the state income tax — the state’s most progressive tax. The tax is designed so those at the top income level pay the highest rate. The state’s estate tax on inherited wealth was eliminated completely in the Governor’s first budget. Over the past 12 years, Ohio has already reduced tax collections by over $3 billion thanks to repeated cuts to the income tax. Taxpayers in the top 1% of income-earners are keeping an additional $17,500 in their bank accounts every year as a result of Kasich tax policy, and his latest proposal would bring that annual benefit to over $20,000. While $20,000 is still not enough to create one good-paying job, even if you believed that’s how the money would be spent, it is foregone revenue to the state that could be investing it in priorities that really matter. People with low-incomes spend much of their income on things that are taxed. As a result, they pay a much larger share of their income on taxes in states with regressive tax systems that rely heavily on sales taxes to fund state spending. According to the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy, the poorest 20% of Ohioans pay nearly 12 percent of their income on state and local taxes, compared to just 5.5% paid by the top 1%. We crunched the numbers, and here’s how dramatic the shift has been over the span of the four Kasich budgets: tax_shift_blog Combined, the state’s income and estate taxes have declined from about 46% of state general revenue to just under 30%. At the same time, sales taxes have increased from 43% to over 50%, now picking up the largest share of the cost of state government. share of GRF      

The Week Ahead at the Ohio Statehouse: Feb. 13, 2017

Happy Monday! It looks to be a busy week at the Ohio Statehouse, with continued hearings on the state budget (see our coverage of that here) while committees work to advance a range of important–and in some cases, dangerous—legislation. Week Ahead
Here are a few things to watch this week and a call to action:
Budget hearings continue this week. The state transportation budget takes center stage, while committees get to work on hearings about state agency funding requests. We continue to encourage you to call your State Representative and let them know which critical needs the state should be funding instead of $3.1 billion in income tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy.
The House has put House Bill 36, the so-called “Pastor Protection Act” on the fast-track for passage. HB36 supporters claim the bill will “protect pastors and churches” from participating in any marriage to which they have a religious objection. While there is no evidence that any member of clergy has ever been forced to perform a wedding against their will–both the Ohio and US Constitution already grant this type of religious freedom–the sponsor says the bill is necessary to avoid the hypothetical possibility of lawsuits. Opponents have noted that the bill’s very broad language could have unintended consequences leading to further discrimination.
On Wednesday, the Community and Family Advancement Committee will hold what may be the only hearing featuring testimony from opponents. Anyone wishing to speak against HB36 must submit written testimony by 4pm Tuesday to the Chair’s office. The hearing will be held in Room 114 of the Statehouse, and is open to the public.
Call to Action

Call Speaker Rosenberger and your State Representative at 1-800-282-0253 and ask them to oppose HB 36, legislation which is unnecessary and could have harmful unintended consequences.

Attend the hearing on Wednesday at 4 in room 114 to send a strong message of opposition.

If you are a faith leader, testify in committee or send a statement by 4pm Tuesday to Rep05@ohiohouse.gov.

State Representative Bill Seitz has introduced House Bill 2, which would limit legal remedies for Ohioans experiencing employment discrimination. Among its provisions, HB2 prohibits lawsuits against individual managers and company officials who engage in sexual harassment, discrimination or retaliation. Taking individual employees off the hook could render Ohio’s anti-discrimination law completely unenforceable. The bill will be heard Tuesday at 1:30 in the House Civil Justice Committee.
On Wednesday, Sen Uecker will testify on Senate Bill 28, his proposal to mandate cremation or burial of aborted fetal remains. The bill is a response to a [bogus] video alleged to show Planned Parenthood engaging in the sale of fetal remains, something that investigations—including one by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine—found to be untrue. This unnecessary and costly requirement would be another in a long list of efforts to create undue burdens on women exercising their constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. SB28 gets its first hearing in the Senate Government Oversight & Reform committee on Wednesday at 9:45 a.m.
In more encouraging news, House Bill 1, a bipartisan proposal to address disparities in the handling of domestic violence cases involving unmarried intimate partners, will also be heard in committee this week. HB1 would allow victims of dating violence to seek court-issued protection orders and access to shelter facilities. The hearing takes place on Wednesday at 4pm in the House Civil Justice Committee.

Budget Ignores Looming Threat of Obamacare Repeal

care-928653_1280 Advocates across Ohio were pleased last week to learn that Governor Kasich’s proposed two-year state budget would preserve the expansion of Medicaid, a partnership with the federal government under the Affordable Care Act that has provided health benefits to over 700,000 Ohioans. When combined with subsidies to pay for private health insurance plans through the insurance exchanges, $535 million has been added to the budgets of Ohio families since the law was enacted while the state’s uninsured rate has dropped from 11 percent to just 6.5 percent of Ohioans. According to Bloomberg, without the ACA, Ohio stands to lose $3.5 billion in federal funding in 2019, an enormous new hole in a state budget that is already tight. Absent a continuation of the federal healthcare law, the damage to Ohio budgets only increases from there. By 2028, Ohio could lose over $42 billion in federal funding if the law is repealed, according to Policy Matters Ohio. That is in addition to the $billions in losses that could be expected at Ohio’s hospitals as a result of repeal leaving fewer patients able to pay.

Questions for administration officials

  • What steps has the administration taken to work with Ohio’s Congressional delegation and federal officials to convey the urgency for Ohio’s budget, and the need to preserve coverage for 700,000 Ohioans?
  • If federal support for expanded Medicaid coverage is reduced or eliminated in repeal efforts, would Ohio cut benefits or eligibility for Medicaid as a result? If so, how?
  • If you believe that Medicaid expansion is a net positive for the state, will the administration seek a repeal of the proposed tax cuts in this budget in order to make up for the shortfall? What other backup plans are in place to address the risk from ACA repeal to a balanced budget?
  • Ohio hospitals could lose as much as $15 billion by 2028, if the ACA is repealed (Policy Matters estimate) and Ohio’s uninsured rate begins to climb. Are Ohio hospitals at risk of closing if the ACA is repealed? Which ones?

What’s Next?

Want to do your part to advocate for budget policies that actually help? Here are a few things you can do today: Read the budget materials released by the administration. Watch testimony by administration Medicaid officials, tomorrow at 9am on OhioChannel.org. Call the office of House Finance Committee Chair Ryan Smith at (614) 466-1366 and ask to get email notices when Finance committee hearings are scheduled. Contact your State Representative and let them know that preserving health coverage is more important than another income tax cut that mainly helps the rich. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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