From the Statehouse 2008 No. 06
by Jennifer Garrison
Feb. 29, 2008
From the Statehouse:
February 29, 2008
A busy agenda full of important legislation highlighted last week’s session in the Ohio House of Representatives. I would like to highlight two of those bills that will pay special dividends in our area.
When an expecting mother considers where to have her baby, she undoubtedly seeks out high-quality, modern facilities. That search is impossible, however, without a regulatory process managed by the state that ensures maternity wards and newborn-care facilities throughout Ohio are up to health standards.
The state has not updated the licensure process for maternity homes and newborn-care facilities since the 1950’s. That changes with Substitute House Bill 331. This legislation brings the Department of Health’s regulatory process in line with the 21st-century care that is expected and delivered at these facilities. It updates these licensure programs, streamlines reporting, and ensures that the best possible care for newborns and mothers is available in maternity wards throughout Ohio.
H.B. 331 passed unanimously, including my “yes” vote. It now heads to the Senate for its consideration.
The other legislation could eventually affect how we all vote. Amended Senate Bill 286 is Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s emergency legislation allowing for the mid-day pickup and transfer of optical scan ballots from a local precinct to a board of elections office for tabulation at that central location. This provision applies only to counties (Cuyahoga, Van Wert, Mercer) that voted to implement optical scan voting systems prior to February 1, 2008. It expires on May 1, 2008 to allow for more discussion and debate of proper procedures before the November general election.
Ohio law dictates that ballots cannot be counted before the polls close on Election Day at 7:30 p.m. However, S.B. 286 allows ballots to be collected by a bipartisan team of two elections workers between noon and 3 p.m. to be processed at a central location. The results of this count will not be available to the public until after the polls close. It is the intent that this process will not only produce expedited results, but it will also improve accuracy. Prevailing wisdom says that the longer election officials work into the night, the more susceptible they become to error.
The legislation also clarifies a section of the Ohio Revised Code that pertains to an “overvote.” An “overvote” occurs when a person votes for too many candidates or choices in a given race. Current law stipulates that if that happens, it invalidates the entire ballot. This legislation specifies that an optical scan ballot that contains more than the permissible number of marks for a particular office, issue, or question is invalidated only for that office, issue, or question. That means if you overvote in one race, your votes on other races or issues will still count. The bill also still allows for the human interpretation of voter intent on optical scan ballots if the machine is unable to read the ballot because of erasures or other extraneous markings. I voted “yes”.
Governor Strickland just signed that bill into law after we passed it unanimously. I hope that these new steps will truly make elections more fair and accurate.
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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