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Dec 16 2020

Lame Duck – Gun Hearings Wednesday, Marathon Sessions Thursday

Since our Monday coverage, the schedule has changed a bit and we have more clarity about what the rest of the week will look like.

The House and Senate will each hold their final session of the year on Thursday at 11 am. Expect these to go well into the afternoon or evening with all the measures likely to come up for a vote. It’s safe to assume that the bills scheduled for committee hearings and votes this week will be on the agenda.

In committee action, more gun bills are set to be heard in committees today (HB425, Duty to Notify and HB796 Duty to Retreat).

A conference committee debating a bill to combat theft in office by public officials (Senate Bill 10) may add language to the bill to strip power from the Franklin County Prosecutor to investigate wrongdoing by Statehouse officials, now that a Democrat is set to occupy that office.

A proposal (House Bill 798) to partially repeal HB6 — but keep portions bailing out coal & nuclear plants and eliminate Ohio’s renewable energy standards — will be heard today, but it seems unlikely that will make it to the floor of both chambers this week.

A Senate bill prohibiting medication abortion via telemedicine (SB260) will be on the House floor tomorrow while a House bill to make it harder to sue your employer for civil rights violations (HB352) is likely up for a Senate vote.

Bills likely up for a vote in Senate session Thursday:

  • HB352 (Employment/Civil Rights Laws)
  • HB425 (Duty to Notify/Concealed Handguns)
  • HB621 (COVID-19 Business Openings)
  • HB796 (Duty To Retreat/Stand Your Ground)
  • SB10 (Theft in Office–**possible Franklin County Prosecutor amendment**)
  • SB310 (State Capital Budget)
  • SB360 (Firearms Dealers)

Bills likely up for a vote in House session Thursday:

  • SB3 (Drug Sentencing)
  • SB10 (Theft in Office–**possible Franklin County Prosecutor amendment**)
  • SB260 (Telemedicine Abortion)
  • SB310 (State Capital Budget)

Written by Terra Goodnight · Categorized: coronavirus, Gun Safety, Statehouse Update · Tagged: COVID19, Lame Duck, lame duck session, stand your ground, state capital budget, telemedicine abortion

Dec 01 2020

On the Agenda: COVID-19, Education Funding and More

Back from the Thanksgiving holiday (and without a mask mandate in the Statehouse), Ohio lawmakers have another packed week of committee hearings and floor votes as they attempt to wrap up the 2019-2020 legislative session.

On the agenda include more bills to strip power from the Governor to control the pandemic, Stand Your Ground, abortion restriction, school funding reforms, and the repeal of HB6.

A detailed list of committee hearings we’re watching is provided below, but bills we are watching this week include:

  • Fetal burial and cremation (SB27)
  • School funding reform (HB305, SB376)
  • Rollbacks of COVID-19 public health orders (SB374 and HB621)
  • HB6 repeal (HB772, SB346)
  • Stand Your Ground (SB383)

Full House Committee Schedule

Full Senate Committee Schedule

Ohio Channel Broadcast Schedule

New Legislation This Week

The following bills were introduced since our last update. You can keep an eye on all the bills we’re tracking here.

House Bill 796 (Koehler) – Stand Your Ground – to expand the locations at which a person has no duty to retreat before using force under both civil and criminal law.

Senate Bill 383 (Johnson) – Stand Your Ground – to enact the Ohio Duty to Retreat Act providing an expansion of the locations at which a person has no duty to retreat before using force under both civil and criminal law.

Senate Bill 387 (Burke) – Face Masks – to terminate certain provisions of the “Director’s Order for Retail and Business Compliance for Facial Coverings throughout the State of Ohio,” issued on November 13, 2020, and to declare an emergency.

Written by Terra Goodnight · Categorized: Education, K-12 Education, Statehouse Update · Tagged: COVID19, Lame Duck

Apr 27 2020

DeWine to Announce Reopening Plan

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.

Written by Terra Goodnight · Categorized: coronavirus, Legislative Updates, Statehouse Update · Tagged: Amy Acton, Business, Controlling Board, coronavirus, COVID19, dewine, Economic Recovery Task Force, Governor, householder, obhof, ohio house, Ohio Senate, Speaker Larry Householder

Mar 23 2020

Ohio Lawmakers Focus on Coronavirus Emergency

This week, the legislature is back in session for the first time in nearly a month, taking up a number of emergency measures necessary to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Items we know will be on the agenda:

  • Rescheduling the March 17 primary election
  • Waiving standardized testing and other requirements for schools
  • Extending the time to renew a drivers’ license
  • Changes to laws requiring in-person meetings of various governing bodies, boards and commissions

Other legislation that could be in the mix include:

  • Addressing expanded eligibility for private school vouchers to prevent a continued negative fiscal impact on local districts

The process at the Statehouse this week will look very different.

No regular committees are scheduled to meet, other than the powerful Rules committees in each chamber, which determine which measures will be going to the floor for debate and vote.

The House is scheduled to meet three times: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 1pm, while the Senate is in session on Wednesday (and possibly Thursday, if needed) at 1:30. At this hour, we are even hearing that the Senate may be called into session later today. 

No regular committees are scheduled to meet, other than the powerful Rules committees in each chamber, which determine which measures will be going to the floor for debate and vote.

What those sessions will look like is up in the air – while members’ desks are normally well-spaced, it is possible that debate and vote may be extended to limit the number of people in the chamber at any one time. 

The mechanism for enacting the above changes to state law is likely to look very different. Instead of three committee hearings before a bill goes to the full House or Senate for a vote, It is likely that policy changes enacted this week will be made by members offering, debating and voting on amendments on the floor of their respective chambers, potentially incorporating them into unrelated legislation that has already gone through the committee process. This faster, less hands-on process is arguably necessitated by the public health emergency but offers far less transparency, predictability and almost no opportunity for public input.

If you have an issue that requires legislative attention, contact your state lawmakers as soon as possible. 

We’ve provided more guidance below on how to get help from state leaders during this crisis.

Who to Contact for Help

Remember, part of a lawmaker’s job is to provide constituent services. If you are experiencing challenges accessing benefits that you or your business may be eligible for, or in dealing with a state agency, your state lawmakers should be able to help you navigate those programs and get resolution. 

In some cases, issues you are experiencing may highlight previously-unknown gaps in state programs and benefits. Letting your lawmaker know is one of the best ways to get those systemic gaps onto the radar of policymakters and into the legislative agenda at the Statehouse.

  • Contact your State Senator
  • Contact your State Representative

 The Governor’s office also operates a constituent helpline. If you are having trouble with a state government program or agency, they are there to help. 

  • Contact the Governor’s office

If you observe someone engaging in fraudulent behavior, such as price-gouging or scamming consumers, contact the office of the Attorney General of Ohio.

  • File a consumer complaint

New Legislation

Below are bills that have been recently introduced to deal with the current public health emergency:

  • House Bill 557 (Sobecki) – Video Meetings – to authorize public bodies to meet via teleconference and video conference during a public health state of emergency as declared by the Governor, and to declare an emergency.

Committee Hearings to Watch

  • Tuesday, 11 am – House Rules and Reference. Statehouse Room 116.
  • Wednesday, 10:30 am – House Rules and Reference. Statehouse Room 116.

Find details about all upcoming committee hearings:

  • House Committee Schedule
  • Senate Committee Schedule
  • Ohio Channel Broadcast Schedule

In-Session

  • House: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 1:00 pm – watch online 
  • Senate: Wednesday (and Thursday, if needed) at 1:30 pm – watch online

As always, we will be sharing updates on Twitter using the #OHLeg hashtag for legislation, #OHBudget for budget updates and #OHGov for executive actions. Follow us to stay up-to-date on what’s happening at the Statehouse.

>> Sign up for legislative alerts and other updates at innovationohio.org/signup

Written by Terra Goodnight · Categorized: Statehouse Update · Tagged: committees, coronavirus, COVID19, education, election day, Governor, lawmakers, legislation, private school vouchers, Public Education, Statehouse, statehouse preview, Vouchers

Mar 18 2020

Coronavirus crisis reinforces need for paid sick days during the outbreak — and in the future

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

This commentary on the need for paid sick leave originally appeared in the Ohio Capital Journal on March 18, 2020

Every day, working Ohioans need access to paid sick days to address short-term health conditions for both themselves and their families, and these needs are amplified during a public health crisis like the current COVID-19 outbreak.

The coronavirus has exposed vast shortfalls in our state’s social safety net programs, demonstrating the reality that many working people face on a regular basis: an impossible choice between their health and their paycheck.

As the spread of the virus continues, it reinforces the need for paid sick days to help the working people and families impacted during the outbreak — and for those needing to address short-term health conditions in the future.

Nationally, 7 in 10 low-wage working people do not receive any paid sick days from their employer.

Unfortunately, even without the strain of a pandemic, our broken caregiving systems fall short of providing families with the support they need to address their own health, or the health of a loved one, without risking their job or their paycheck.

The United States is one of few developed nations in the world without a guaranteed paid sick leave law, which leaves behind 1 in 4 U.S. workers, or more than 32 million people, without access to any paid sick days.

Low-wage and hourly workers, the majority of whom are women and people of color, are less likely to have access to paid sick days. In fact, nationally, 7 in 10 low-wage working people do not receive any paid sick days from their employer, exacerbating health and economic disparities facing lower-wage working people and their families.

Disparities can cause working people without paid sick leave to feel compelled to show up for work even when they are showing symptoms.

Paid sick days have been shown to reduce the spread of illness, and the policy would help contain the spread of coronavirus by allowing working people to stay home — without risking their jobs or their paycheck — if they are infected with the virus, need to care for a loved one with the virus, or need to stay home from work with children following school or childcare closures. 

However, disparities in access can cause working people without paid sick leave to feel compelled to show up for work even when they are showing symptoms. This is particularly true for low-wage working people in the service industry (like those in restaurants, retail, childcare, and home healthcare); domestic workers (such as nannies, house cleaners, and caregivers);  contract workers (also known as the gig economy); and part-time workers, who are less likely to have access to the policy.

Many of these workers are in high-contact positions, which can’t be done remotely, making it more difficult to contain the outbreak, and hitting low-wage workers harder.

In Congress, the U.S. House recently passed, with bipartisan support, a coronavirus economic relief package, which includes access to 14 days of paid sick leave for many working people. The bill also expands access to paid family and medical leave, a policy designed to help working people address the longer-term medical conditions for themselves or their family, something that will inevitably be brought on by the coronavirus.

Despite limitations in who is covered by the legislation, it would take important steps in extending crucial economic support to working people impacted by coronavirus.

The bill is currently sitting in the U.S. Senate awaiting action, delaying crucial support for impacted workers. Every day that this bill passage is held up, tens of millions working people in Ohio and across the country are left without any access to paid sick days or paid family leave, causing potentially devastating damage to their ability to support themselves and their families. 

Ohio has an opportunity to continue to lead on our response to this crisis

Here in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine has demonstrated leadership on the national level with his swift action to enact sweeping health precautions and economic relief support for Ohioans affected by the virus, including changes to the state unemployment compensation system.

These changes will help support working people who are laid off, facing closures of their employers as a result of the coronavirus, or in mandatory quarantine.

However, the gaps in the state unemployment compensation policy leave, as well as the federal economic relief package still held up in Congress, leave behind many working Ohioans who will be impacted by this public health emergency. 

Ohio has an opportunity to continue to lead on our response to this crisis. In order to fully address the far-reaching health and economic consequences of the coronavirus outbreak in Ohio, our state leaders must enact emergency paid sick days to ensure that working people are not forced to choose between their health and their economic security. 

Written by Erin Ryan · Categorized: Economic Development and Jobs, Healthcare and Human Services · Tagged: coronavirus, COVID19, health care, illness, Income Inequality, Inequality, low-wage workers, Ohio, Ohio Capital Journal, sick leave

Mar 11 2020

Paid Sick Leave Needed To Protect Public Health

A briefing on paid sick days legislation to address public health emergencies and short-term health issues

Prepared by the Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network

Issue Overview

The United States is one of the few developed nations in the world without a guaranteed paid sick days law, which leaves behind 1 in 4 U.S. workers, or more than 32 million people, without access to any paid sick days. Low-wage and hourly workers, the majority of whom are women and people of color, are less likely to have access to paid sick days: 7 in 10 low-wage workers do not receive any paid sick days.

Without access to paid sick days, many working people are forced to make the impossible choice between staying home to recover when they are ill and continuing to work, risking transmitting the illness to others, for fear of losing their paycheck or their job.

This is amplified during a public health crisis, such as the coronavirus outbreak. The disparities in access to paid sick days can cause working people, particularly low-wage working people in the service industry, like those in restaurants, retail, childcare, and home healthcare, to feel compelled to show up for work even when they are showing symptoms. Many of these working people are in high contact jobs and are unable to work remotely, which could make it more difficult to contain the outbreak and could mean that low-wage working people are hit harder.

Access to paid sick days has been shown to reduce the spread of illness, and it can make a difference in the ability to contain the spread of the coronavirus. There is a cost to doing nothing: Without access to paid sick days, more working people will go to work sick because they are forced to choose between earning the paycheck they need and staying home to prevent spreading the virus further, which can make it difficult to contain the outbreak and lead to widespread and prolonged economic disruptions.

Policy Recommendation

It is crucial that our state takes swift and substantive action to provide access to paid sick days for public health emergencies, such as the Coronavirus crisis, as well the ability for working people to earn paid sick days for other short-term health issues they face year-round.

Ohio leaders should enact an Emergency Paid Sick Days measure that:

  • Requires all employers in the state of Ohio to allow for employees to accrue up to 7 paid sick days annually for regular use to address and recover from short-term illnesses, access preventive care, care for a sick family member or seek assistance related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.
  • Requires all employers in the state of Ohio to provide an additional 14 days of paid sick leave, available immediately at the beginning of a public health emergency, including the current Coronavirus outbreak.
  • Ensures paid sick days measures include coverage for the following circumstances:
    • an employee’s child’s school is closed due to a public health emergency
    • an employer is closed due to public health emergency, or
    • an employee or an employee’s family member is quarantined or isolated due to a public health emergency
  • Covers all employees within the state of Ohio, including hourly workers, part-time workers, small business employees regardless of employee size, and contract workers (also known as workers in the gig economy).
  • Guarantees job-protection and anti-retaliation protections for employees who take paid sick days.

National landscape

In response to the coronavirus crisis, federal lawmakers have introduced Emergency Paid Sick Days legislation, which would require employers to provide 14 paid sick days for a public health emergency and allow employees to accrue up to 7 paid sick days for regular use.

Additionally, state leaders across the country are stepping up to call for action on paid sick days amid the coronavirus outbreak, including Colorado, which will soon require employers to provide emergency paid sick days to service and hospitality workers who are exhibiting flu-like symptoms and being tested for coronavirus.

Private sector companies are also recognizing the need to enact emergency paid sick days policies for their workforce, particularly service industry companies that directly interact with people and are unable to work remotely. Walmart, McDonald’s, and Olive Garden have all announced paid sick leave policies related to the coronavirus outbreak.

The need for paid sick days extends beyond public health emergencies, like the Coronavirus outbreak, and lawmakers at the state and local level have recognized the importance of addressing short-term health issues workers face every day:

Since 2011, 13 states and the District of Columbia have passed paid sick days laws:

  • Arizona,
  • California
  • Connecticut
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Maine
  • Michigan
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Washington

At the local level, 20 Cities and 3 Counties have enacted paid sick days

  • San Francisco, Oakland, Emeryville, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego and Berkeley, Calif.
  • Seattle and Tacoma, Wash.
  • New York City and Westchester County, N.Y.
  • Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • Montgomery County, Md.
  • Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth, Minn.
  • Chicago and Cook County, Ill.
  • Austin, San Antonio and Dallas, Texas

Media Coverage

Can You Lose Your Job If You Are Quarantined During The Coronavirus Outbreak? What You Need To Know, Forbes, February 26, 2020

Avoiding Coronavirus May Be a Luxury Some Workers Can’t Avoid, The New York Times, March 01, 2020

Analysis | Our lack of paid sick leave will make the coronavirus worse, The Washington Post, March 03, 2020

As coronavirus spreads, the people who prepare your food probably don’t have paid sick leave, The Washington Post, March 04, 2020

‘If We Don’t Work, We Don’t Get Paid.’ How the Coronavirus Is Exposing Inequality Among America’s Workers, TIME, March 04, 2020

America needs paid sick leave laws to stop coronavirus from spreading, The Hill, March 04, 2020

Ohio House Dems urge governor to create paid sick leave amid virus fears, The Columbus Dispatch, March 9, 2020

Walmart, Apple and Olive Garden are among major employers updating sick leave policies as coronavirus cases spread, The Washington Post, March 10, 2020

Ohio House Dems ask Gov. DeWine for paid sick leave program, NBC4, March 10, 2020

Written by Terra Goodnight · Categorized: Healthcare and Human Services, Statehouse Update · Tagged: coronavirus, COVID19, paid sick leave

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