Terra Goodnight · June 19, 2018

Statehouse Preview: Week of June 18

This week, the Ohio House will hold its second-to-last session (they return next Wednesday, along with the Senate) before shutting down for a long legislative recess that could last until after the November election. Later this morning, the House Rules committee will meet to finalize the list of bills that will be on the floor tomorrow for votes. As we’ve noted before, this could include Stand Your Ground gun legislation, various new abortion restrictions, or a measure to regegulate local phone companies. Check the House Calendar later for updates on the June 20 agenda.

Bills In Committee

HB123, a bill to restrict predatory practices of payday lenders, gets its first hearing in the Senate Finance committee today. Cleveland.com reports that lawmakers are already working on an amendment that would ease restrictions on lenders. HB114, legislation that, as currently written, would weaken Ohio’s renewable energy and energy efficiency standards, is up for a 7th hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee tomorrow. The measure has already passed the House, and could be one that lawmakers send to the Governor before going on recess.

Education Takeover Shelved

We’re happy to learn that, for now, HB512 is on hold. On Friday, it was reported that the controversial measure to weaken the authority of the state’s mostly-elected school board by shifting oversight of much of the Department of Education’s work to a gubernatorial appointee has been shelved. Read our original look at the likely legislative intentions behind HB512.

New Bills Introduced

HB703 would allow permit-holders to carry concealed weapons into schools, onto college campuses and in other gun-free zones regardless of posted policies. Bill sponsors: Reps. Becker, Patton, Thompson, Retherford, Lang, Dean, Antani, Riedel, Roegner and Henne. HB704 would require drug testing of applicants for unemployment insurance. Bill Sponsors: Reps. Schaffer, Koehler, Retherford, Becker, Hood, Antani, Blessing.