Week in Review - Ohio



Health Policy Institute of Ohio Prepared by: Mary WachtelReport created on April 21, 2014To read more about a specific bill, go to and type in the bill number Bill Updates?HB296SCHOOLS-EPINEPHRINE AUTOINJECTORS (JOHNSON T, DUFFEY M)?To permit public schools to procure epinephrine autoinjectors in accordance with prescribed procedures and to exempt them from licensing requirements related to the possession of epinephrine autoinjectors.?Current Status:???4/16/2014 - Sent to Governor for Signature?Recent Status:???4/9/2014 - Consideration of Senate Amendments; Concurred Emergency Clause Vote 87-0 Bill Vote 89-04/8/2014 - PASSED BY SENATE; Emergency Clause Vote 32-0 Bill Vote 32-0?SB330PRIOR AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENTS-MEDICAID (CAFARO C)?To amend the law related to the prior authorization requirements of insurers and of the medical assistance programs administered by theDepartment of Medicaid.?Current Status:???4/15/2014 - Introduced?Recent Status:????Health-Related Bills Introduced Since 4/13/2014?SB330PRIOR AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENTS-MEDICAID?(CAFARO C) To amend the law related to the prior authorization requirements of insurers and of the medical assistance programs administered by the Department of Medicaid.?Week in ReviewFriday, April 18, 2014HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICESThe Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) launched a statewide health initiative called "Safe Sleep is Good4Baby" to support Ohio's infant mortality reduction efforts. Ohio has one of the worst infant mortality rates in the nation, ranking 47th in 2010. In 2012, it had an infant mortality rate of 7.6 per 1,000 births, according to a release from OHA.U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) led a roundtable discussion on the issue of heroin abuse Wednesday, saying drug abuse is a problem that must be continually addressed because of its negative effects on families, the economy and prisoner recidivism. Portman told panelists and attendees at Youth to Youth International Center in Columbus that the current heroin "epidemic" and drug abuse in general affects "every facet of our economy and our lives." The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) announced this week it is seeking proposals for small grant awards to support projects on providing mental health services to young children. Applications are due by 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 30. AGRICULTUREOhio Department of Agriculture (ODAg) Director David Daniels received the 2014 Distinguished Service Award from the Ohio-West Virginia Youth Leadership Association (YLA). The award is presented annually to a person who actively advances programs and opportunities for Ohio youth and champions their accomplishments, according to YLA.Eligible farmers and ranchers can begin enrolling Wednesday in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) disaster assistance programs restored by the recent passage of the 2014 farm bill, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) said it is accepting nominations to honor Ohio farmers who are leaders in conservation for the 2014 Conservation Farm Family Awards. ARTSThe Ohio Arts Council's Riffe Gallery will celebrate its 25th anniversary from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 1. The 4,000-square-foot gallery opened March 17, 1989 with State of the Art: New Works by Ten Ohio Artists. The Ohio Arts Council announced that it approved a third round of grants for FY14 worth about $424,000. The 112 grants approved at the April board meeting bring the total FY14 grants to 710 awards and $9.6 million. Grant recipients are required to match state money one-to-one with other public or private money. ATTORNEY GENERALOhio now classifies two chemical compounds used in synthetic drugs as illegal, as new administrative rules sought by the Board of Pharmacy and Attorney General Mike DeWine are now in effect. DeWine and the board turned to administrative rules as a remedy last year because illicit chemists were tweaking their formulas every time the General Assembly put new forbidden compounds into the law, effectively staying ahead of the Legislative and therefore, enforcement, process. BALLOT ISSUES Attorney General Mike DeWine Monday certified the petition language for a revised constitutional amendment that would legalize same-sex marriage in Ohio while allowing religious institutions to refuse to perform ceremonies for gay couples.BUSINESS/CORPORATEAdditions to the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors include seven new members elected to three-year terms at the chamber's annual meeting and legislative reception in Columbus. The board includes business representatives from five geographic regions of Ohio and directors who serve in at-large positions. All are nominated by a committee of the chamber of commerce.CONSTITUTIONAL MODERNIZATION COMMISSIONThe Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission (OCMC) is currently seeking to fill three jobs including counsel to the commission, communications director and administrative assistant. Deadline to apply is Tuesday, April 29.ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTThe Kasich administration is rolling out a statewide initiative to support minority business development in Ohio which involves deploying a regional plan for seven business assistance centers in six geographic areas of the state in cooperation with local minority and development organizations.The Ohio Third Frontier Commission has announced the 2014 recipients of Ohio's New Entrepreneurs (ONE) Fund, awarding nearly $1 million to four business accelerators in the state. Cuyahoga County was the big winner with three awardees, accounting for 70 percent of the funding.TourismOhio is expanding this year's "Too Much Fun for Just One Day" advertising campaign, beginning the season nearly one month early on Monday and extending it an additional month through July.The Obama administration is partnering with the state development office in hopes of spurring $180 million in private investments for Ohio small business and manufacturing. The U.S. Department of Treasury and the Ohio Development Services Agency (DSA) Thursday announced the award of more than $18 million in federal loan funding to be allocated to the state's Collateral Enhancement, Capital Access and Targeted Investment initiatives. The programs support small businesses and manufacturers deemed "creditworthy," but that have nevertheless failed to secure private capital to expand and create jobs. ECONOMYThe Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is catching up on leading indicators reports, releasing the January figures on Tuesday. According to ODJFS, the composite index of leading economic indicators for Ohio rose from 94.4 to 94.5 in January. This suggests slow but continued growth in the spring. Initial claims for unemployment insurance, the valuation of permits for new housing construction and the average workweek of production workers in manufacturing decreased in January. EDUCATIONGov. John Kasich appointed Brad Lamb, a Cuyahoga County bailiff and former president of the Fairview Park school board, to fill the State Board of Education vacancy left by the resignation of Bryan Williams.The State Board of Education continued work Monday to prepare for new elements of the A-F report card system coming online in future years, while also discussing how to regulate instructional aides for students with autism. Also Monday, board Vice President Tom Gunlock called out two provisions in the House version of K-12 mid-biennium review (MBR) legislation, HB487 (Brenner), that he said "disturbed" him.The State Board of Education voted Tuesday to recommend that the Legislature remove several amendments made to HB487 (Brenner), the education portion of the mid-biennium review (MBR). Board Vice President Thomas Gunlock, who mentioned his displeasure Monday with provisions added to HB487 dealing with "value-added" measures and how the state report card grades K-3 literacy, asked members of the Legislative and Budget Committee Tuesday to introduce and support a resolution addressing the provisions, which they did. The resolution, which was offered by Michael Collins and seconded by C. Todd Jones, suggests deleting lines 1270-1278, 1295, 1385-1386 and 1394-1399 of the bill. Members of the State Board of Education heard testimony Tuesday from several witnesses supporting adding sexual orientation to non-discrimination language in Rule 5 of the Ohio Operating Standards. A proposal to do that had been offered by board member Stephanie Dodd in the Operating Standards Committee on Monday, but failed to pass. Instead the committee recommended removing all anti-discrimination language, inserting instead a provision requiring schools follow state and federal laws. Despite that, those who support the measure asked the board Tuesday to add that protection for homosexual public education employees. Families of online charter school students and their supporters gathered Wednesday at the Statehouse to talk up their schools and meet with lawmakers on legislative priorities such as lifting enrollment caps. Rep. Andrew Brenner (R-Powell) spoke to Ohio eSchool Families and Friends Coalition in the Statehouse Atrium, noting he's sponsoring mid-biennium review legislation, HB487, that includes provisions to give online school students the right to play sports or join clubs in their district of residence. The Ohio State University recently released research that it said found the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment - Literacy (KRA-L) test "can predict with striking accuracy" if students entering kindergarten will be proficient readers by the third grade. The study, conducted by the Crane Center for Early Childhood (CCEC) Research and Policy at Ohio State University's College of Education and Human Ecology, found that two-thirds of children who showed potential reading problems when tested in kindergarten later failed the reading portion of the third-grade Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA). ELECTIONS 2014The Ohio Republican Party Central Committee endorsed four House members left off the initial list of recommended candidates. Reps. Robert Hackett (R-London) and Doug Green (R-Mt. Orab) were left off inadvertently in the first round of endorsements, while Reps. John Becker (R-Cincinnati) and Ron Maag (R-Lebanon) have addressed disagreements with Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) that led to their initial exclusion. A fifth, Rep. Ron Hood (R-Ashville), remained excluded, with party leaders saying he didn't seem interested.Democrats attacked Auditor Dave Yost for comments he made suggesting that if he audited Cuyahoga County over Ed FitzGerald's plan to send absentee ballot applications in defiance of state law, county officials could be held personally liable for misspending public . John Kasich's re-election campaign went to air first for the 2014 gubernatorial election, launching a television spot entitled "Deliver," a positive ad that seeks to reintroduce voters to the governor's history. The minute-long spot, which airs statewide, outlines Kasich's upbringing in Pennsylvania, where his father worked as a mailman, and his time at Ohio State University and in Congress. Republican J.D. Winteregg has made a campaign video that strikes at his primary opponent, U.S. Rep. John Boehner (R-West Chester), in a spoof of Cialis commercials. The one-minute spot shows couples playing together similar to the well-known commercials for the erectile dysfunction drug, as well as video of Boehner and President Barack Obama interacting. The ad said that "electile dysfunction" can cause "extreme discoloration." A new poll conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP), a Democratic pollster, shows Gov. John Kasich and his likely opponent, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, tied at 44 percent apiece among voters. The poll also showed leads for two other Democrats running statewide. Sen. Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) has a lead over current incumbent Secretary of State Jon Husted 45 percent to 44 percent, with 12 percent undecided. Cuyahoga County Judge John O'Donnell leads incumbent Justice Judith French for the Ohio Supreme Court. O'Donnell gets 29 percent of the vote, compared to French's 22 percent, with 49 percent unsure. Endorsements made over the week include the following:- The Greater Cleveland Partnership endorsed State Issue 1, the reauthorization of the State Capital Improvements Program.- NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio endorsed Kenny Yuko for Ohio Senate District 25 and the following House candidates: Anthony Fossaceca (District 6); Kent Smith (District 8); Janine Boyd (District 9); Gigi Traore and Stephanie Howse (District 11); Jill Zimon (District 12); Nickie Antonio (District 13); Michael Piepsny and Steve Holecko (District 14); Todd LeVeck (District 16); Michael Stinziano (District 18); David Leland (District 22); John Otis (District 27); Micah Kamrass (District 28); Emilia Sykes (District 34); Michele LaPore Hagan (District 58); Mathew Lark (District 57); Charlene Schneider (District 62); Joseph Lanese (District 76); Jeff Lehart (District 87); and Chris Redfern (District 89).- The Plain Dealer endorsed Ed Jerse for the Senate District 25 Democratic primary; John Barnes for the 12thHouse District Democratic Primary; and Bill Patmon for the 10th House District Democratic primary. ENERGYThe Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) got its third chairman in just over three years Wednesday as the governor swore in former state budget director and House finance chairman Tom Johnson to the state's top energy post. Honesty and fairness were watchwords during his first meeting on the job, when the commission reviewed a typical docket of electric, gas and other utilities cases that included the requested audit of American Electric Power's (AEP) alleged "double recovery" of capacity-related charges. The American Petroleum Institute (API) said a new poll it conducted shows "strong bipartisan majorities of registered Ohio voters support increased investment in energy infrastructure." ENVIRONMENTColumbus has been ranked 21st in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Energy Star 2014 list of American metropolitan areas with the most certified green buildings.The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) has approved a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to dredge the Cleveland Harbor and Cuyahoga River, but the dredged material cannot be placed in Lake Erie as USACE had requested.FEDERALSen. Charleta Tavares (D-Columbus) issued a statement Tuesday in observation of the Global Day of Action on Military Spending, which coincided with the April 15 tax filing deadline. She also signed a letter to Congress from the Women Legislators Lobby, for which she is a state director, expressing concern about the share of federal discretionary spending going to the Pentagon each year. On Monday, the day before taxes were due, the White House provided a link to a website that shows how much of an individual's federal taxes go to areas including education, veterans' benefits, health care, national defense and interest, among other categories. The calculator can be found online at GAMINGOhio's four casinos have had 2,500 incidents reported to the state's incident management system since they were opened, the Ohio Casino Control Commission was told Wednesday. Karen Huey, the commission's director of enforcement, gave the commission its first update on the statistics at the casinos. Of those incidents, about half were criminal matters. GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSEThe Senate has added a voting session on Thursday, May 8 at 11 a.m. and cancelled the session it had set for Tuesday, May 13, opting to meet on Wednesday, May 14 instead. A special commemoration of the Repose of Abraham Lincoln in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda will take place Tuesday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB). The day will be marked with a re-enactment of the day former President Abraham Lincoln was viewed in repose during Ohio's state funeral after his assassination in 1865. A photo exhibit will also be available. The event is free and open to the public. GOVERNOR Gov. John Kasich appointed Todd McKenney as a judge on the Barberton Municipal Court.The governor made the following appointments during the week:- John W. Bridenbaugh of Defiance (Defiance County) to the Northwest State Community College Board of Trustees for a term beginning April 11, 2014 and ending June 9, 2017. - Jeffrey A. Erb of Stryker (Williams County) to the Northwest State Community College Board of Trustees for a term beginning April 11, 2014 and ending June 9, 2019. - George W. Adelsberger of Bellefontaine (Logan County) reappointed to the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council for a term beginning April 11, 2014 and ending Dec. 31, 2016.- Victoria R. Morris of Cincinnati (Hamilton County) to the Radiation Advisory Council for a term beginning April 14, 2014 and ending Sept. 6, 2018. - Steven M. Cavanaugh of Holland (Lucas County) to the University of Toledo Board of Trustees for a term beginning April 14, 2014 and ending July 1, 2022.- Mark R. Policinski of Cincinnati (Hamilton County) to the Ohio Rail Development Commission for a term beginning April 17, 2014 and ending Oct. 20, 2019. The governor signed the following bill during the week:- HB477 (Brown), which authorizes the conveyance of state-owned real property and declares an emergency. HIGHER EDUCATIONMiami University (MU) announced that Conrado Gempesaw, its provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, is leaving to become president of St. John's University in New York City, a position he'll assume July 1. The Youngstown State University (YSU) Foundation reports that it has surpassed the $225 million mark in assets and is now among the top third of university endowments in the nation. Specifically, the foundation reported $226.3 million in assets in FY13, according to the annual endowment survey by the National Association of College and University Business Officers and Commonfund Institute. Bowling Green State University (BGSU) and Owens Community College signed a deal committing to future partnerships on transfers and information sharing, building toward a joint enrollment program. The "Owens Pathway to BGSU" program would let students planning to transfer from the college to the university to live on the BGSU main campus in Bowling Green while taking Owens courses beginning in fall 2015, providing "the opportunity to have a residential college experience," the institutions said. INSURANCEThe Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) issued a consumer alert Wednesday for drivers and passengers of transportation networking companies, which connect passengers with potential drivers in personal vehicles via smartphone apps. Companies such as Uber and Lyft recently started operating in Ohio. Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, the insurance director, said insurance gaps could exist for drivers and passengers, because drivers' personal insurance might not cover commercial activities, and liability insurance the companies provide might exclude such items as medical payments or uninsured driver coverage. JUDICIALChief Justice Maureen O'Connor Friday named Mindi L. Wells interim administrative director of the Supreme Court of Ohio effective Wednesday, April 30. Wells currently is the assistant administrative director at the Court.Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor will join state and national experts next month for a policy forum on unintended consequences and marijuana legalization. O'Connor will moderate a panel anchored by Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Professor Douglas Berman, Federal Policies Director Dan Riffle of the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, and Deputy Attorney General David Blake of Colorado, which legalized personal marijuana production and use in November 2012 and opened its first retail stores in January of this year. The Ohio Supreme Court established a new governing precedent Wednesday for when a property sale is "recent" enough to override a subsequent tax appraisal that is higher or lower than the purchase price. Overriding the Board of Tax Appeals 6-1, the Court set a "bright line" test of more than 24 months from the lien date in a reappraisal year, saying failure to set a cutoff period could hamstring any effort by a public officer to conduct an appraisal. MARRIAGEAs promised, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Black issued a ruling Monday that ordered the state of Ohio to recognize gay marriages performed legally in other states, writing that "Ohio's marriage recognition bans are facially unconstitutional and unenforceable under any circumstances."Then on Wednesday, Judge Black issued a stay on his ruling that Ohio must recognize legally-performed out-of-state gay marriages while the state appeals. The judge, however, ordered the state to recognize the marriages of the four plaintiff couples in the case for the purposes of listing both parents' names on the birth certificates of their children conceived through an anonymous donor or adopted. NATURAL RESOURCESThe Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) said it will require installation of seismic monitors for horizontal drilling within three miles of a known fault because of a "probable connection" between drilling and earthquakes in Mahoning County.The 2014 Ohio spring hunting season opens Monday, April 21, with the youth wild turkey season on Saturday and Sunday, April 19-20, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).The Ohio Wildlife Council approved its 2014-2015 white-tailed deer hunting regulations, allowing use of straight-walled cartridge rifles during the 2014 gun week and decreasing deer bag limits in several counties. The council also voted to remove bobcats from Ohio's list of endangered and threatened species, but the animal remains a protected species with no hunting or trapping season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).POLITICS Gov. John Kasich and former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will headline the Ohio Republican Party's annual state dinner Saturday, May 10 at the Columbus Renaissance Hotel, the party said.Former President Bill Clinton will be the featured speaker for the Ohio Democratic Party's annual state dinner Friday, June 13, the party said.More than a week after unsuccessfully trying to strip provisions out of HB483 (Amstutz) that would eliminate a secretary of state administrative rule regarding the disclosure of outside spending by businesses and unions, House Democrats announced Thursday they will introduce legislation that would put the rule into Ohio law. Reps. Debbie Phillips (D-Athens), John Carney (D-Columbus) and Denise Driehaus (D-Cincinnati) said the rule, instituted by former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC, sets reasonable limits for campaign spending by corporations that do business with the state. SECRETARY OF STATESecretary of State Jon Husted announced Tuesday that 9,271 new entities filed to do business in Ohio in March 2014. These numbers are up compared to March 2013, when 8,808 new entities filed with the secretary of state. Husted said the secretary of state's office has assisted with 24,804 new business filings to date in 2014 (January-March). This is a slight increase from the same time period last year, in which there were 23,965 new business filings. Secretary of State Jon Husted announced Tuesday that more than 100,000 Ohioans have requested absentee ballots since the beginning of early voting for the 2014 primary elections. Husted said as of Friday, April 11, as many as 31,709 Ohioans had voted absentee, and 109,415 ballots had been requested since the start of early voting. The numbers were reported by the county boards of elections. Secretary of State Jon Husted's office announced a Ballot Board meeting for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 22 to address the new Freedom to Marry constitutional amendment proposal. The board, which will meet in the Senate Finance Hearing Room at the Statehouse, is to decide whether the proposal should appear on the ballot as one or more issues. STATE GOVERNMENTThe Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) recently awarded four quarterly grants through Ohio's Lake Erie Protection Fund. This fund was established to help finance research and projects aimed at protecting, preserving and restoring Lake Erie and its watershed. The fund is supported by Ohioans through donations or purchase of a Lake Erie license plate displaying the Marblehead Lighthouse or the Lake Erie life ring. TAXATIONDemocratic lawmakers seized on tax day Tuesday to send the message that Republicans are gradually shifting the state income tax burden from wealthy Ohioans to poor and middle-class Ohioans. Senate Assistant Minority Leader Charleta Tavares (D-Columbus) joined Sen. Eric Kearney (D-Cincinnati); Sen. Nina Turner (D-Cleveland), secretary of state challenger; and Rep. John Patrick Carney (D-Columbus), attorney general contender, at a Statehouse rally sponsored by AFL-CIO affiliate Working Americans and attended by Policy Matters Ohio, ProgressOhio and Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans. TRANSPORTATIONAs summer construction seasons ramps up, state and labor leaders gathered Friday at an I-71 rest stop where a state transportation worker was killed to urge drivers to comply with the new "move over" law enacted in SB317 (Patton), which requires motorists to move over for highway workers just as they would for public safety vehicles parked on the berm.The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) said it spends $4 million on picking up litter each year, which the agency said is a "preventable problem." "Not only is litter expensive, but it takes us away from more important roadwork," said ODOT Director Jerry Wray in a statement.UTILITIES Former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) Chairman Todd Snitchler will remain in Columbus as a member of McDonald Hopkins, the law firm announced Monday. He will advise clients on energy policy and strategy, government affairs and regulatory matters.actionTRACK - Hannah News Service, Inc.? ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download