News and Notes: Ohio

What's going on in the Buckeye State?

The Inspector General has issued his report on Frankie Coleman, finding that she was paid for 56 hours of time when she was not working and that she initially lied to investigators about it. I have more to say about this on the state sub-page.

The opportunity for amendments to improve the statewide video/cable franchising law (Am. Sub. SB 117) has passed and the Ohio House will vote on the measure tomorrow. Bill Callahan declares the law as it stands is "extremely bad news." It strips Ohio communities of their power over cable monopolies, allows cable companies to abandon neighborhoods that they had been serving, and does not guarantee that the new fiber-enhanced video broadband access will be universally (or even widely) available across the state.

The National Rifle Association will push to change the law so that victims of a felony are no longer required to prove that shooting in self defense was justified, and Gov. Ted Strickland (D-New Lisbon) reportedly supports the bill. Just to be clear, a prosecutor could still attempt to prove that a shooting was not justified in a particular case -- it is a matter of shifting the burden of proof from the shooter to the state.

Gov. Strickland has not only vowed to veto a proposed bill to allow electronic betting on archived races at horsetracks, he has now joined with Attorney General Marc Dann to call for a ban on cash prizes from table-top gaming devices that are appearing in bars and restaurants all over the state. Dann's support for a ban has developed out of his frustration with his earlier efforts to enforce the existing legal distinction between outlawed games of chance and permissible games of skill.

The Ohio Senate unanimously passed the state budget in the form approved by the Finance Committee, after Democratic leader Sen. Teresa Feder (D-Toledo) withdrew her proposed amendment that would have imposed stricter accountability standards on charter schools. Fedor hopes to get something done about charter school accountability in the joint conference committee that will attempt to reconcile differences among House and Senate versions of the budget.

News and Notes: Ohio

A few things making news in the Buckeye State:

Gas Price Spike Continues - Retail gas prices as high as $3.50 are front page news in the Toledo Blade, the Akron Beacon Journal, and the Cincinnati Enquirer, especially with families considering changing their Memorial Day plans due to the expense. CNN is reporting that the current spike is a record-breaker, with the average retail price having exceed $3 for 20 days and having set a new record high every day for the last eleven.

Senate Hearings on Budget Continue - The Dispatch has a story discussing possible changes to the two year, $52 billion budget passed by the House, with Senate hearings on the matter continuing today. Republican senators are talking about increasing the additional funding for higher education that the GOP-led House added to Strickland's proposal (without figuring out a source for the extra money). The basic plan for k-12 educational funding is not expected to change.

Income Tax Credit for Adoption Increased From $500 to $1,500 - Final Senate action was yesterday, and Gov. Strickland is expected to sign.

No Booze At State Fair - The governor rejects proposals to allow beer and wine sales, which are banned except at the final concert at Crew Stadium.

Credit Report Freeze Bill Passes House - A bill co-sponsored by Rep. Timothy DeGeeter (D-Parma) and Rep. Jimmy Stewart (R-Athens) that would enable consumers to freeze, and later temporarily or permanently unfreeze, their credit reports has passed the lower chamber. This is an important improvement for victims of identity theft. It requires payment of fees ($10 to each of the big three credit report agencies to implement the freeze), a feature that rankles consumer advocates. There is a similar law in about 35 other states, and a number of states don't require fees.