From the Statehouse 2005 No. 30
by Jennifer Garrison
Nov. 19, 2005
FROM THE STATEHOUSE – ARTICLE 30
This week the Ohio House of Representatives voted on a number of bills. Senate Bill 190 extends the Ohio job training tax credits that employers may seek to offset training costs for their employees for one year, to December 31, 2006. This bill passed. I voted “yes”. The bill specifies $20 million in tax credits are available. $10 million will go to the manufacturing industry; $5 million for non-manufacturing companies with fewer than 500 employees; and $5 million that is not industry specific. If a company receives these tax credits to train an employee and relocates the claimed employees within 2 years, the company must repay the total amount of tax credits received. The Ohio Department of Jobs and Families Services must prepare an annual report about the job training tax credits each year and submit it to the Governor and General Assembly.
Substitute House Bill 11 grants high school diplomas to certain veterans of the Vietnam conflict. In the Senate an amendment was added to the original bill that would permit school districts, educational service centers and county MR/DD boards in 2006 to use money appropriated for the purchase of school buses to pay the additional cost of fuel for buses. I voted “yes”. The bill passed.
This week the House voted on House Bill 85. This bill provides that commercial electric customers can be included in a governmental aggregation only with the prior approval of the customer. This legislation fixes an unintended result of electric deregulation legislation. The bill also requires the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to establish and maintain a “do not aggregate list” which will be publicly available on its web-site. I voted “yes”. The bill passed.
Under the law today, private citizens are permitted to file an affidavit with the Clerk of Courts alleging a person committed a criminal offense. The Clerk of Courts is permitted to make determinations if the affidavit has merit. House Bill 214 removes the Clerk of Courts from this process and the affidavit goes directly to a judge or prosecuting attorney to determine if a complaint should be filed. The goal of this legislation is to stop the practice of clerks, who sometimes have no legal training, from making a determination as to the merits of a filing. I voted “yes”. The bill passed.
Senate Bill 55 creates the “One Nation Under God” license plate for purchase at the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. I voted “yes”. The bill passed.
Substitute Senate Bill 87 clarifies that hospice care and services are considered skilled care. This clarification allows an individual receiving the care to remain in a residential care facility until death if they choose. Current law provides residents of residential care facilities who require more than 120 days of part-time intermittent skilled nursing within 12 months must be discharged or transferred to another facility. The intent of this legislation is to allow terminally ill patients to receive quality end of life care in a safe and comfortable environment.
Substitute Senate Bill 87 also corrects an oversight in House Bill 66 regarding Medicaid “choices” voucher pilot program. This bill affords participants the option of utilizing their voucher to cover the cost of home or community based services, if they so choose. The intent is to provide a program with a continuum of care. I voted “yes”. The bill passed.
I will report on the remainder of my votes next week. I wish each of you a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.
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 www.jennifergarrison.com