From the Statehouse 2007 No. 27
by Jennifer Garrison
Nov. 9, 2007
FROM THE STATEHOUSE – November 9, 2007
Our work in the Ohio House of Representatives this week aimed to help two vulnerable populations in our state: schoolchildren and military veterans.
First, the House passed House Bill 190. This bill, originally written to specify administration dates of statewide student testing, was changed in the Senate to include measures that address reporting and tracking teacher misconduct. This issue was brought to light in a series of articles published in the Columbus Dispatch that gave examples of teacher sexual misconduct with students.
The House Education Committee, of which I am a member, held extensive hearings over the past few weeks in order to here from administrators, teachers, students and the Ohio Department of Education in regards to the current practices relating to teacher misconduct and possible areas of improvement.
The Ohio Department of Education took several administrative steps in an effort to eliminate issues related to tracking misconduct and taking proper disciplinary steps. As a result, there is now a searchable database available to the public at www.ode.state.oh.us. This database provides detailed information on the misconduct of 1700 educators. The names of past offenders, what they were reported for, any disciplinary measures taken, and the school district in which past incidents took place are now easily accessible to the public.
Despite the increased efforts of local school districts and the state to improve this system, it became apparent that legislation was needed to adequately address vital concerns. House Bill 190 will require school districts to conduct FBI and Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation background checks on all employees every five years. The scope of the original language in the bill has expanded to include additional benefits and safety measures for children and their parents. Because of this measure, as well as recent steps taken by the Ohio Department of Education, the level of safety in classrooms throughout Ohio has been increased, but further measures and continued efforts to address the issue of safety in the classroom will remain an important issue in the foreseeable future.
This bill passed with broad bipartisan support, including my “yes” vote. It now goes to Governor Strickland for his consideration and signature. It is important to note that over 99% of teachers are good educators, but a system was needed to notify schools about the misconduct of the less than 1% who should not be teaching our children.
The House also took action to assist Ohio veterans. House Bill 372 combined proposals by Representatives Peter Ujvagi (D-Toledo), William Healy (D-Canton), and others in a benefits package brought by Ross McGregor (R-Springfield) that I feel is a fitting and necessary acknowledgment of the sacrifices veterans have made and continue to make in order to preserve the freedom we enjoy.
The benefits in this bill include: a six-month window for returning veterans to renew professional licenses; a waiver of probate court fees for survivors of military personnel killed in action; and a tax exemption on veteran pension income. Ohio is one of only five states that do not provide any kind of tax exemption on military pensions. Passage of this bill not only corrects this, but it also allows veterans to return to their communities and workplaces quickly and without any other undue burdens during this already difficult time of transition.
This bill passed overwhelmingly, including my “yes” vote. It will now go to the Senate for its consideration.
You can reach Jennifer Garrison at her Columbus office at (614) 644-8728 or in the district at 373-2414 or by e-mail at jennifer@jennifergarrison.com. Her Web site is Riffe Center | 77 South High Street | Columbus Ohio 43215-6111 | (800) 282-0253 | District93@ohr.state.oh.us
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