Statehouse Preview
Week of April 27, 2020
Statehouse work continues online this week (see below), but House Speaker Larry Householder has informed House staff to return for in-person work beginning next week.
The House has scheduled sessions on May 5 (if needed), 6, 7, 13, 14, 19 and 21st, and plans tor resume committee meetings in some of the larger hearing rooms with accommodations made for social distancing.
The Senate, for its part, has a session scheduled for Wednesday but is widely expected to cancel it in favor of a meeting date later in May. The chamber and its leader, Senate President Larry Obhof, have not indicated when or if they plan to resume business as usual.
Today, Governor DeWine will continue his series of daily COVID-19 briefings with a much-anticipated update about the state’s plans to allow the limited resumption of certain businesses and activities. Briefings are expected to continue daily.
The House of Representatives’ Economic Recovery Task Force will continue to hear from (mostly) business owners about their economic hardships. Only one representative of workers has appeared before the panel in its three weeks of almost daily hearings.
Also today, the state Controlling Board, a panel of legislators empowered to approve spending outside the normal legislative process will consider proposals from the DeWine administration’s Office of Budget and Management and Department of Job and Family Services related to the state’s COVID-19 response. The hearing will also be streamed online.
Statehouse Meetings and Events
Monday
- 10 am – Economic Recovery Task Force – Speakers include representatives from Stark County Minority Business Association, Mechanical Contractors Association of Ohio, Chillicothe Fireworks, Brumbaugh of Garner Trucking, cityBRANDS Holdings, LLC, Lake Erie Shores & Islands, Allen Company, Lakota Sports Organization, BASEC Management, Inc., DBA Wendy’s and Body Alive Fitness. Virtual meeting streamed live online at ohiochannel.org.
- 12 pm – Controlling Board – Senate North Hearing Room and streamed live online at ohiochannel.org.
- 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – streamed live on ohiochannel.org.
Tuesday
- 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – streamed live on ohiochannel.org.
Wednesday
- 1:30 pm – Ohio Senate (if needed) – stream lived on ohiochannel.org.
- 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – streamed live on ohiochannel.org.
Thursday
- 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – streamed live on ohiochannel.org.
Friday
- 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – streamed live on ohiochannel.org.