From the Statehouse 2006 No. 01
by Jennifer Garrison
Jan. 15, 2006
FROM THE STATEHOUSE – 2006 ARTICLE 1
This week the Ohio House of Representatives voted out six (6) pieces of legislation. The following paragraphs identify and explain these bills.
Amended House Bill 279 will make it illegal to remove or alter the serial number or identifying information of a firearm. The bill also includes an amendment to protect the privacy of individuals by prohibiting Social Security Numbers from being on certain documents filed at a county recorder’s office. I voted “yes”. The bill passed.
House Bill 310 updates the definition of voyeurism in Ohio law and expands it to include the act of videotaping, filming, photographing, or otherwise recording another person. Current law defines voyeurism as the act of photographing another person for the purpose of sexually arousing or gratifying oneself. However, since the current law was passed, technology such as camera phones and video tape have been used by voyeurs. It also prohibits anyone from trespassing or invading the privacy of others for the purpose of sexually arousing or gratifying oneself. This bill passed. I voted “yes”.
Substitute House Bill 294 allows County Treasurers to more quickly foreclose on long uninhabited vacant properties that are blighting their local communities when property taxes have not been paid. There are safeguards in the law to allow notice to the property owner of record. The bill passed. I voted “yes”.
Substitute House Bill 313 revises the Uniform Depository Act allowing governments to invest in certificates of deposit which allows the entities to diversify their investments. Currently 32 other states allow government investment in CD’s. One potential advantage would be the ability to negotiate higher interest rates for the deposits. The bill also allows the governments to take advantage of the financial institutions FDIC insurance. I voted “yes”. The bill passed.
In particular interest to southeast Ohio is House Bill 288 which updates Ohio’s Mineral Rights Law. House Bill 288 revises the law governing the vesting of abandoned mineral rights. The bill addresses technical problems with Ohio’s dormant Mineral Statute. Current law specifies that any mineral interest held by any person can be deemed abandoned and vested in the owner of the surface of the lands subject to that mineral interest except under certain circumstances. The bill revises some of those circumstances and adds specified notification and affidavit requirements for allowing vesting to occur.
The bill was proposed by the Ohio State Bar Association to fix problems in the current law. I am a co-sponsor of this bill and voted “yes”. The bill passed.
Finally, House bill 363 allows the board of trustees of a County Law Library Association to assume responsibility for paying the law librarian’s salary. In Sandusky County, Ohio the law library association voluntarily chose to pay the librarian’s salary. Recently, a state auditor’s ruling forced the county to reimburse the law library association for the pre-paid salary. This is a permissive law allowing a law library association to pay the compensation for the law librarian. In Sandusky County the law library association was in a better position to pay the salary than the county. This law merely allows the practice. I voted “yes”. The bill passed.
You can reach Jennifer Garrison at her Columbus office at 614-644-8728 or in the district at 740-373-2414 or by e-mail at jennifer@jennifergarrison.com. Her website is Riffe Center | 77 South High Street | Columbus Ohio 43215-6111 | (800) 282-0253 | District93@ohr.state.oh.us
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