WMD Blast: Kasich and Shelton Edition

Kasich Goes Full Obama and Enlists Help of Children to Lobby His Agenda?

Columbus Dispatch's The Daily Briefing blog has the story.

He's probably joking, but this is exactly the sort of thing one might expect from our governor these days.

What's next, John? An Enemies List???

Judy Shelton LIED to Her Own Party

Judy Shelton is the Central Committee Chairman in Butler County. She's been engaging in some shenanigans with the Board of Elections to rearrange the precincts. She actually told the Central Committee that it wouldn't happen and that those who were concerned were "ill-informed" but here is the Hamilton Journal News reporting that the lines will be redrawn.

So, Republicans of Butler County I ask you this: NOW WILL YOU VOTE THIS CHARLATAN OUT???

Why is this such a big deal? Shelton is consolidating her power base by minimizing the number of seats in Central Committee in Tea Party areas of the county. Having Dave Kern as Executive Chairman is nice and all, but if the Tea Party wants to wield actual power in this county, they have to get Judy Shelton replaced with someone who holds real conservative values.

TEA vs. ORP

Let's get ready to RUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMBLE!

Regular readers of WMD know that I'm a huge fan of neither side in this fight, so I can be fairly objective about calling this particular match. The TEA Party has the best of intentions and wants to get our agenda moved forward. The ORP has the experience in politics and elections (which are NOT the same thing).

Tom Zawistowski (Tom Z. from here on...) ran for Chairman of the ORP because he thought that the party was the best way to advance our agenda. He learned a valuable lesson just days before the election...

I did not understand until I had the opportunity to talk to Matt Borges last Saturday and he told me privately, and then said publicly, that the Ohio Republican Party's role is to elect candidates and specifically to re-elect Governor Kasich. When I asked him about policy, he looked me in the eye and said "We don't do policy." When I specifically asked him about policies like the "Navigator" bill in the Senate, he repeated "We don't do policy." Even after I pointed out that if Navigators are allowed to register voters, with the presumption being that they would register mostly democratic voters, and that would devastate the Republican Party, he held firm.

His words took me back to one of the first times that I met Bill Batchelder over three years ago. We were asking the "Party" to help us with something, perhaps it was Issue 3. Speaker Batchelder candidly said something like, "You don't understand, we raise money to win elections and after we win elections we stay out of the way until the next election where the cycle repeats itself." They were not involved with Policy. We did not get that. Even when current Chairman Bennett would say something like, "The Ohio Republican Party is a Party without Policies." We did not get that. It did not make sense to us.

ORP's objective is to win elections and over the years the collective wisdom at ORP was to stay out of policy and let the elected officials handle those concerns. It makes sense from the point of view of keeping the party out of the line of fire when it comes to the hot button issues of the day. The problem with this strategy is that rank-and-file members and grassroots activists (but I repeat myself) don't want to see their agenda -- that they worked so hard for -- be tossed aside by thoughtless politicians. Those folks look to the ORP and see a level of indifference that is simply mind-boggling.

Now the ORP is trying to raise money off the IRS scandal in which conservative groups (read TEA Parties and liberty groups) were targeted for more scrutiny than usual. Which from the ORP perspective it is their way of reaching out and magnifying the issue. From the TEA Party perspective, it is ORP reaching their hands out for cold hard cash with one hand while slapping these very groups in the face with the other.

In an email distributed to Republicans throughout Ohio, Matt Borges, the Chairman-Elect of the ORP, asks for recipients to "Help us hold them accountable and demand answers!" by donating money to the Ohio Republican "Party". Tom Zawistowski, Executive Director of the Portage County TEA Party, said "After using TEA Party and social conservative groups to help elect Republicans who have failed to represent our conservative views and values, the ORP is now attempting to use the illegal targeting of TEA Party groups by the IRS to raise money for itself. They are doing so under the totally false claim that the ORP will in any way help our Liberty Groups fight the IRS. They can't and they won't. I find that totally classless. In fact the ORP itself has been fighting TEA Party and social conservative attempts to hold our own elected republicans from straying from their conservative campaign promises. They are not helping us, they are fighting us." Zawistowski is the recent past President of the statewide Ohio Liberty Coalition. His letter in February of 2012 stating that the OLC would not comply with the IRS demands, began the successful effort by TEA Party groups all over the nation to challenge the IRS which resulted in the apology that was issued yesterday.

Zawistowski continued by saying "I find it reprehensible that the Ohio Republican "Party" would take advantage of this situation by claiming that they would help "hold them accountable" when in the Chairman's race, in which Mr. Borges was chosen over me, he made it perfectly clear that the ORP "Does not do Policy" and they are not in the business of holding anyone accountable for anything. Particularly if they are Republicans who want to grow government by Expanding Medicaid and who want to support gay-marriage. Anyone who gives money to the Ohio Republican "Party", which by it's own admission is not a political party at all but actually just a perpetual campaign organization, is wasting their money and will not help us fight the IRS. Donations should be made to the Ohio Liberty Coalition which is actually holding the IRS accountable for this illegal activity and defending Freedom of Speech for all Americans. Donations can be made to the OLC on its webpage at www.OhioLibertyCoalition.org."

Donating to the ORP will have exactly ZERO impact on the issue at hand. What's worse is the ORP intelligentsia know that. That they do it anyway is the biggest insult of them all.

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St. Rep. Retherford Honors Women’s Basketball Team from Miami University Hamilton

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Representative Wes Retherford (R-Hamilton) presented a House resolution to the Miami University Hamilton Women’s Basketball Team for its 2013 state title during session of the Ohio House of Representatives this week.

The 2012-2013 Harriers were the first women’s team to win both the regular season title and the Ohio Regional Campus State Championship in the same year.

“It was my honor to recognize the Lady Harriers of Miami University Hamilton for their outstanding achievements this basketball season,” Rep. Retherford said. “Their championship was hard-earned, and these young women will continue to make Miami Hamilton, the City of Hamilton and the State of Ohio proud as they pursue excellence in the future. I look forward to the team bringing home many more championships in the future.”

During the presentation, Rep. Retherford and the team were joined by Reps. Margaret Conditt (R-Liberty Twp.), Tim Derickson (R-Hanover Twp.), and Peter Beck (R-Mason).

Kasich Appoints John Carey to Serve as Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents

Release:

COLUMBUS – Today Gov. John R. Kasich appointed John Carey to serve as Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents. As Chancellor, Carey will lead the University System of Ohio – the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the nation – and will further the Administration’s efforts to better integrate higher education into the state’s job creation and workforce development efforts.

Carey’s appointment is effective April 29, and is subject to the advice and consent of the Ohio Senate. Carey replaces Jim Petro who retired effective February 1. Dr. Stephanie Davidson has been serving the Board as Interim Chancellor since Petro’s retirement.

Said Kasich, "John Carey can help to continue to transform Ohio's system of universities into a university system, and in doing so, higher education can become a stronger partner in Ohio's job creation efforts. As Chancellor, Carey will work with businesses to ensure that coursework and curricula give students the skills they need to meet the needs of employers. The reforms we've made to date have led to greater collaboration among the universities, an increased emphasis on research commercialization, and a funding plan that focuses on improving graduation rates. As a result, universities can better control their costs and help more Ohioans get their degrees so they are better prepared for the jobs that exist. John Carey is a thoughtful, devoted public servant who focused on job creation throughout his legislative career, and I am excited to see him inject this job creation mentality into the Ohio Board of Regents."

John Carey served 9 years in the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served as Chairman of the Primary and Secondary Education Subcommittee, and 8 years in the Ohio Senate, where he served as Chairman of the Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee. Most recently, Carey was Assistant to the President for Government Relations and Strategic Initiatives for Shawnee State University in Portsmouth (Scioto Co.). Prior to his work as a legislator, Carey was mayor of the City of Wellston (Jackson Co.).

Carey is a graduate of Ohio University with a degree in political science. He was born in Chillicothe (Ross Co.) and currently resides in Wellston with his wife and two sons.

Senate President Faber Announces Legislation to Ban Internet Cafés

Release:

(Columbus) – Ohio Senate President Keith Faber announced today that legislators will take immediate action to ban Internet cafés in the state of Ohio.

“In the last 24 hours, my caucus received briefings from law enforcement officials, and we’ve been given enough information at this point to make an informed decision about how to proceed,” Faber said. “I am convinced that these entities are not only illegal but that many of them also engage in criminal activity within their facilities. Ohioans did not contemplate this kind of unregulated activity when they voted to approve gaming in this state, so the time to act is now.”

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, Public Safety Director Tom Charles and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien joined Faber for the announcement. Faber added that he will personally introduce on Thursday a moratorium bill that immediately halts the expansion of Internet cafes. The bill contains an emergency clause that, with the governor’s signature, makes it effective immediately.

“The moratorium requires all operators to file new affidavits on a form prescribed by the attorney general,” he said. “Failure to properly comply will carry penalties of up to $1,000 per day and other potential sanctions.”

The moratorium is necessary because an existing moratorium on Internet café expansion expires in June.

Faber also announced that senators would immediately begin work on House Bill 7, the legislation that would enact a ban on Internet café operations in Ohio. He added that his goal is to move the legislation in May.

MATT'S CHAT: Because Ohio is business friendly.....

Senate President Faber Announces Medicaid Reform Initiative

Release:

(Columbus) – Ohio Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina) announced today the appointment of a Medicaid reform task force led by Senator Dave Burke (R-Marion).

“The House has indicated they don’t have the votes to get the governor’s Medicaid proposal done in the budget,” said Faber. “Therefore, I do not believe that issue is on the table as it relates to this legislation. That is not to say we are ending the discussion. My caucus wants to look at Medicaid reform in a comprehensive way outside of the complexities of the budget. This issue has a significant financial impact on the state, and we need to understand every intended and unintended consequence before we make any commitments.”

Faber added that any Medicaid proposal must include flexibility from the federal government and systemic reform, including cost and accountability controls. He said the Senate would work in concert with the Ohio House and the Kasich administration to explore reform in a stand-alone bill.

“We believe there is a path to Medicaid reform that covers the people who need it in the short term, while reducing costs in the long term. We want to achieve an outcome that addresses the concerns expressed on all sides of this debate.”

Burke added, “Over the next several weeks, the Senate will be talking with constituents and interest groups about Ohio’s Medicaid program. Our work will involve multiple stakeholders, including the Governor’s Office of Health Transformation, and our goal is to improve the Medicaid program for the lives we serve and the taxpayers who pay the bills.”

Burke announced the following seven objectives for his task force:

Establish firm annual per member, per month spending targets
Establish performance measures and targets that focus more on outcomes not outputs
Increase consumer involvement in the delivery of Medicaid services
Remove costly legislative mandates that prohibit innovation and flexibility
Streamline legislative oversight
Invest in research and evaluation for Medicaid and the entire health care system in Ohio
Eliminate statutory regulations that impede the cost-effective delivery of health care in Ohio

The task force will begin its work immediately.

MATT'S CHAT: I don't know why we need a committee to JUST SAY NO! The hospital lobbying special interest groups must be dropping serious coins on these guys...let's see who gets bought...

Legislation Providing Certificate of Birth for Stillborn Infants Passes Ohio House

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Representative Brian Hill (R-Zanesville) has announced that the Ohio House of Representatives today passed House Bill 95, which revises Ohio law to provide the issuance of a “certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth” for stillborn babies.

House Bill 95 codifies existing practices of the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), which has changed the title of the certificate from “Certification of Stillbirth” to “Certification of Birth” in response to feedback from grieving parents regarding the previous wording. The legislation requires the ODH or the state registrar to reissue any certificates “recognizing the delivery of a stillborn infant” as a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. It also requires the local registrar, upon the issuance of a burial permit, to inform the parent or parents of a fetus of at least 20 weeks that suffers a fetal death about the option to apply for a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth, as well as the application process.

“This legislation attempts to show more respect and sensitivity to grieving parents who have suffered a loss of an infant,” said Rep. Hill, who sponsored House Bill 95. “I believe that by retitling the certificate to reflect our understanding of the heartbreak these parents are facing, we can more appropriately show respect for these parents as well as the young life that was lost.”

House Bill 95 passed with unanimous support on the House floor. It will now move to the Ohio Senate.

Ohio House Sends Health Insurance Navigators Legislation to Governor

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Representative Barbara Sears (R-Monclova Twp.) is pleased to announce the Ohio House’s concurrence on Substitute House Bill 3, legislation that gives the State of Ohio the authority to regulate health insurance navigators.

Health insurance navigators are individuals or entities charged with helping citizens obtain information relating to health insurance offerings through health exchanges. The legislation makes changes to the Ohio Revised Code, specifically regarding the licensing and education requirements for insurance agents who wish to serve as a navigator, as well as the manner in which the state will regulate navigators under the federal health care law.

“It is important to outline the role of insurance navigators specific to what they can and cannot do while providing information on health insurance options through our federal exchange,” said Rep. Sears. “This bill requires strong consumer protections, such as training and continuing education for insurance navigators, criminal record checks, conflict of interest disclosures, and certifications. Although Ohioans have overwhelmingly taken a strong position opposing health care exchanges, it is important that we ensure appropriate protections and regulations as we deal with this law.”

Substitute House Bill 3 specifies that navigators are not licensed insurance agents and therefore are prohibited from engaging in selling insurance and related functions.

The House voted to concur on Senate amendments with strong bipartisan support.

MATT'S CHAT: Ohio Republicans are stabbing us in the back yet again...I can not wait until the next time Barb Sears tries to pass herself off as a conservative again.....

Ohio Democratic Party Shenanigans Enter ORP Chairman Race

I am not going to go in to the details of this, but if you haven't heard from elsewhere: Ohio's Democrats have taken notice of the ORP Chairman race and have decided to have their smearmeister, Jerid Kurtz, do his usual slime...

Kurtz called Tom Zawistowski, who is a Tea Party leader and is running for ORP Chairman, and told him to check his email and that there would be information he could use against ORP Executive Director and front-runner for the Chairmanship, Matt Borges. The information that Jerid provided via email (information which I have not confirmed and really isn't as "hot" as Jerid would have us believe because if it were, Jerid would have used it already) regards Borges' old voter registration in another state.

Tom Z. did the right and honorable thing when he received this email. He sent it to Borges so he could be ready to defend himself to this attack when it comes from Kurtz or whichever operative ends up running that particular hit. But that didn't stop the establishment hacks in the ORP State Central Committee from running their own sleaze against Tom Z.

State Central Committeewoman Sarah Brown of district 29, sent an email out to the entire state committee claiming that Tom was working with Jerid. You couldn't devise a more ridiculous or absurd lie than that but that is how far the establishment is prepared to go to protect their anointed one: Matt Borges.

Borges has enough skeletons in his closet as it is. If the state central committee is stupid enough to elect him, then it would appear that any legitimate means to reform the party are dead. The Know-It-Alls in Columbus think they can shut down anyone who opposes their scheming, but all they are doing is losing voters who are sick of this sort of backroom deal-making that can only ultimately benefit Democrats.

Ms. Brown ought to be ashamed of herself playing in to Jerid's hands like that. What utter tomfoolery and asinine charlatans we have on the state central committee. Personally, I am disgusted with them and their nonsense.

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Varnau Vermin Update: Pathological Denial Continues

Dennis Varnau really should seek professional help.  The man appears to be a pathological sore loser and darn near psychotic when it comes to his vendetta against Brown County Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger.  He made his wife run for and get the coroner's job so she could be his extension and weapon in his never ending black helicopter conspiracy.  The guy really needs some meds.  Here is the latest from the Brown County Press:

Letters have been sent to Ohio Governor John Kasich
and Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine claiming that
Brown County Sheriff Swayne Wenninger is
unqualified to hold his office.

On March 21, Joe Podolsky of Felicity faxed two
documents to the office of Kasich and one to the
office of Ohio Lt. Governor Mary Taylor.  The first page
of one document faxed to Kasich reads “Now you
know what is going on in your state.  Show me you
can do something with/about the information
because you now have the knowledge the same as
everyone else. Just how good are you?, Sincerely
Joe Podolsky.”

The other pages of the document were a four page
letter written to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine on March 21 by Dennis Varnau.  Varnau told DeWine “I want to personally make sure you are completely aware of an ongoing pattern of corrupt activities (enterprise) that is well into its ninth year of operation unabated. I am a victim of this enterprise who has lost four years of salary vestment in the PERS retirement system and other benefits approximately worth at least around $500,000.00.  The taxpayers of our county are also victims of this criminal enterprise who have unawares lost a much greater amount of money, public service, and safety.”

Varnau continued, “The corrupt activities enterprise was created on or about October 9th, 2003, when Republican visiting Judge Robert Ringland sealed (contrary to State law) the criminal  record of Sheriff Dwayne ‘Wenninger.  Wenninger was accused of knowingly falsifying his candidate election documentation for the year 2000 election.  The jury found Wenninger “not guilty” of knowingly falsifying the documentation”.

Varnau goes on to say the verdict did not change the fact that Wenninger was unqualified, and then goes on to allege that a juror in the Wenninger case recently got special treatment from the justice system.

“Leroy Louderback, a friend of Mr. Wenninger,  was one of the jurors who found Mr. Wenninger “not guilty.” That vote to acquit turned out to be a valuable “get out  of jail free” card for Mr. Louderback. On December 16, 2012, Leroy shot his son to death, because his son John Louderback, supposedly had verbally threatened to kill Leroy.  Contrary" to forensic evidence and other information, Leroy was "no billed” by a Grand Jury for voluntary manslaughter on February 28, 2013. One way or another Leroy would have walked away from any charges, either at grand jury or from court, because Leroy was one of many in court who heard Judge Ringland tell Mr. Wenninger that he was not the sheriff during his criminal trial.”

Varnau then recounts the history and his arguments of his civil case against Wenninger.  The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case, upholding the judgement against Varnau by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Varnau then references two letters written to his wife, Dr. Judith Varnau in her capacity as Brown County Coroner and to Brown County Prosecutor Jessica Little.

Little requested a legal opinion on behalf of Judith Varnau concerning the qualifications of the Sheriff.

So, let me get this straight....This conspiracy of Mr. Varnau's imagination now includes Judge Robert Ringland, the Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals, the Ohio Supreme Court, and even citizens of Brown County.  I guess all the grand jurors in Mr. Louderback's case are in on it, too. 

Mr. Louderback and every member of the grand jury should sue Mr. Varnau for defamation of character.  Judge Ringland should sue. 

But, in Dennis's world, the case would go before a judge in on the grand conspiracy led by the Illuminati under the command of secret commander of the Universe, Dwayne Wenninger, who apparently is the head of this international cabal that wants to control a small rural county in Ohio.

Yeah, that sounds believable, doesn't it?

To top it off, he is claiming he has been denied half a million in retirement from the state retirement system that he would have gotten if he had been sheriff.  Hey, Dude!  WAKE UP!  Time and again, for sheriff and for prosecutor, the voters of Brown County have found you to be the egotistical, self serving, psychotic and delusion LOSER!  Get over it!

I hear your cry for help, Dennis, I do...unfortunately, I am not a licensed therapist....just like you are not the elected sheriff....

Ohio House Finance Committee Unveils Biennial Budget Sub Bill

Release:

COLUMBUS—The Ohio House Finance and Appropriations Committee today introduced Substitute House Bill 59, the two-year budget proposal that refines the recommendations in Governor Kasich’s executive budget proposal that was introduced in the House in February.

Building upon the Governor’s strategic vision, the bill continues to make sweeping policy reforms in all areas of government in an effort to make Ohio’s state government more efficient, effective and focused on providing tangible results for Ohioans.

“Governor Kasich laid out a powerful, forward-thinking budget, and we believe we have built upon those proposals in a way that will have a positive impact on all Ohioans,” said Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina). “Providing healthcare and employment services, as well as reforming state tax policies and funding schools, are continuing themes in both the House and executive versions of Sub. House Bill 59. The substitute bill that was introduced today is the product of countless hours of discussion and a thorough examination of the way our state government operates.”

Providing Permanent Income Tax Relief & Continuing Further Tax Reform

Reforming Ohio’s tax structure is one of the key issues included in Sub. H.B. 59. The bill initiates meaningful income tax reform to stimulate job growth and put more money back in Ohioans’ pockets. It permanently reduces income taxes by 7 percent in FY 2014, which will provide nearly $1.5 billion in income tax relief over the next two years.

Among other changes, the bill:

Exempts grain elevators from the commercial activity tax (CAT)

Lowers the motor fuel tax on liquefied natural gas to 28 cents per gallon

“We remain committed to continue working with the Governor on reforming Ohio’s tax code within the budget-making process,” Chairman of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) said. “We believe that the targets set by the administration for providing individuals and businesses with relief from the state income tax remain within a reasonable range. However, we decided that it is advisable to hold back a range of potential means of lowering the income tax until additional analysis is conducted.”

Helping the Unemployed Find Work

The House version of the budget includes a strong effort to help Ohioans find gainful employment, access important job resources, and improve their employability. A variety of funding initiatives, which total $250 million over two years, have been included in the state budget, including:

$75 million increase per year in additional funding for employment services and job readiness
$30 million increase per year in additional funding for local governments for mental health services
$20 million increase per year in additional funding for local governments for addiction services
$6 million funding increase for job co-ops and internships

“We heard compelling testimony from a variety of witnesses that low-budget, community-based programs often provide the most cost-effective results,” said Chairman Amstutz. “We are focusing our efforts on assisting potentially employable individuals with overcoming the personal challenges that prevent them from obtaining or keeping a job.”

Primary & Secondary Education: Ensuring Money Follows the Child

Education, a continuing priority for the Ohio House, has received particular care and consideration in Sub. H.B. 59. The budget builds upon sound principles in the executive proposal for primary and secondary education by making changes to target more state aid increases to rural and lower wealth school districts.

“We applied a number of refinements to the education items and funding mechanisms that the governor proposed, but the general construct of the administration’s recommendations remains throughout,” said Chairman Amstutz.

Among other proposals to boost Ohio’s schools and educational standards, Sub. H.B. 59:

· Ensures that none of Ohio’s 600+ school districts will receive less state aid than they did in FY’13

· Increases funding for career-technical education to prepare high school students for future career opportunities

· Increases funding for special education, disadvantaged aid, and transportation

· Provides core funding levels to allow all schools to be competitive

· Provides additional funding for school districts to implement the Third Grade Reading Guarantee through the K-3 Literacy Program

Higher Education: Making College More Affordable

Additionally, Sub. H.B. 59 takes significant strides to improve Ohio’s higher education through comprehensive policy improvements. Among these proposals are:

Moving funding for Ohio universities to an outcome-based system rather than a population-based system

Giving families peace of mind in their child’s tuition costs by capping tuition increases at 2 percent for all state schools. Additionally, the bill allows schools to participate in a newly adopted “cohort plan,” which allows universities to institute a stable, four-year cost of education, capped at a one-time increase of up to 6 percent that cannot change from year to year

Providing $1.1 million in additional funding for the Ohio College Opportunity Grant

Increasing funding for the Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) Fund by $250,000 over the biennium, to help Ohioans who are preparing for their GED examination
Increasing funding for co-op internships by $6 million in FY 2015

“We took strides to make it more affordable to obtain a higher education degree and to give Ohio’s students the necessary tools to succeed in the future,” said Rep. Amstutz.

Healthcare & Medicaid: A long-term, fiscally responsible plan that assists Ohio’s families

Healthcare is a major component of this budget, and the House worked to institute policies that will positively affect all Ohioans. Major spending reductions in Sub. H.B. 59 are a result of the removal of the Medicaid eligibility expansion under the federal Affordable Care Act, an action the House has elected to take because there remain too many uncertainties with the federal program to warrant the expansion’s adoption.

“We have struggled the most with the questions around expanding Medicaid eligibility under the so-called Affordable Care Act,” said Speaker Batchelder. “Our members spent countless hours in hearings, analysis and discussion regarding ways to approach the needs of Ohioans in poverty as well as those without health insurance. However, there is not a consensus that extending Medicaid coverage is a sustainable or effective solution to the needs of adults living below the poverty line. We will further examine the federal program as implementation details continue to come forth, especially considering the ongoing gridlock involving the federal budget and growing uncertainty over sustainability of federal borrowing and spending.”

“There were many health-related variables we considered in this budget,” said Chairman Amstutz. “There is compassion for our citizens faced with barriers of addictions and mental illness, which they must overcome to achieve stable, meaningful employment. Given this common interest, we are calling for an all-hands-on-deck focus on comprehensive solutions that are based at the community level, as well as for the creation of a bipartisan legislative committee to keep a finger on the pulse of the Medicaid issue. We recognize that Medicaid is an area that will continue to require considerable discussion in the coming months and years, as it is an issue that is important to the well-being of all Ohioans.”

In addition to maintaining current Medicaid eligibility rates and establishing a joint study committee to monitor the issues surrounding Medicaid, Sub. H.B. 59 focuses on those who need help, ideally to the point where they no longer rely on public assistance. The budget accomplishes this by increasing funding to local governments for addiction services and mental health, as well as increasing temporary workforce funding for individuals in need.

Other initiatives included in Sub. H.B. 59 include:

Increasing funding for the Local Government Innovation Program by $4 million per year

Creating the Local Government Exchange, which is an effort to encourage more local governments to publish information on the internet to help reduce costs and increase transparency

Establishing the Ohio Oil and Gas Fund, using proceeds from drilling on state lands: 50 percent of royalties from drilling will be invested in Clean Ohio programs and the remaining 50 percent invested in our state parks

Increasing funding for RECLAIM Ohio, a funding initiative that encourages juvenile courts to develop or purchase a range of community-based options to meet the needs of juvenile offenders or at-risk youth

Increasing funding for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank by $2 million over the biennium

Making additional modifications to human trafficking law

Increasing funding for the Ohio Historical Society, Ohio Arts Council and the Hayes Presidential Center

“This budget upholds our commitment to Ohioans to assure their ability to be healthy, prosperous and self-sufficient,” said Speaker Batchelder. “With the help of many interested parties who came to the Statehouse and shared their views with the committee, we have addressed many issues that will have a profound impact on the daily lives of Ohio’s citizens. We will continue to strengthen Ohio’s economy and job climate in everything we do, whether that means keeping our taxes competitive or improving the quality of life in Ohio. I am proud of the work that Chairman Amstutz, Vice Chairman McClain, and all the subcommittee chairs have done on this budget proposal, and I look forward to working with the Senate to further strengthen the bill.”

Zawistowski to Run for Ohio Republican Party Chairman

When confronted with the reality that there was no other candidate than Matt Borges, Tea Party "leader" Tom Zawistowski announced today his intention to run for Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. In an email sent to WMD, Zawistowski reveals the thought process that leads him to believe it is time for a liberty movement leader at the top of the Ohio GOP.

After the letter went out, we started to contact State Central Committee members asking them to not vote for Mr. Borges. Many of them told us that they had to vote for Mr. Borges because he was the only candidate. Some even said that they were told that "no one else wanted the job" and "no one else wants to make the commitment." No one wants to be Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party? What does that say about the Ohio Republican Party? Nothing good. The fact is that their is only one candidate, because the party does not want any other candidate. So, even though the vote is not until April 25th, the vote is only a formality that the State Central Committee members have to go through even though they are being denied any choice for their vote. So, many Liberty Leaders, who did not want Mr. Borges, started to make calls asking other prominent Republicans to run and none would. We decided that if we did not want Mr. Borges, then we needed to offer an alternative. Otherwise we were just all talk and no action. That is the initial reason that I decided to run for Chairman.

Tom Zawistowski

Then after considering carefully what I was about to do, it became clear to me that this was actually the only logical thing to do at this point in our movement. First, I was qualified. I can do the job and do it well. Second, we are all sick and tired of fighting each other and would really like to come together and take the fight to our true enemies, the "regressive" left. The best way to do that, would be to bring the various factions of the Republican coalition together and focus their collective energies to be effective. I believe that I can do that and if I can do that I should do it. If they reject my bid, and more importantly push through Medicaid Expansion, then it will be clear to all of us that they do not intend to change the direction of the Party or more importantly embrace us as part of the party. The bottom line is that we have been dancing with the Republican party for four years and it is time to either come together or go our separate ways. I think most of us are more than ready to go our separate ways, but that something that we all know is not the quickest way to reach our goals. Therefore, I believe that we must try, one more time, to reach our hand out to the Republican Party to form a conservative alliance

WMD is of the opinion that Zawistowski would indeed be the better choice, but knowing the State Central Committee as we do it is more likely that Don Quixote will finally strike his windmill. We would, however, be pleasantly pleased and surprised if the alternative were to actually happen.

For far too long, the players in the smoke-filled backrooms of the party headquarters have been making their deals and setting the rocky course for our party. This sort of move is exactly the kind of reform that WMD considers necessary in order for real change to take place.

PREDICTION: ORPSCC will stick with the establishment and go with Borges even though it is the wrong move.

DOCUMENTS:

Tom Zawistowski letter to ORP Dated 4/2/13:

ORP Letter 4213

Tom Zawistowski Letter to ORP State Central Committee:

ORP State Central Com Members

BUTLER COUNTY: Carpenter Shenanigans Rebuffed

I take no small measure of delight in this Journal piece outlining the hiring of an office manager.

As usual, one commissioner tried to bring in a crony...but in a rare moment of clarity, Don Dixon decided not to back Cindy Carpenter's plan.

Carpenter really wants to find Jeff Wyrick a job. She has failed again.

Let's go to the tape...

Commissioners Don Dixon and T.C. Rogers voted for Cooper’s employment, while commission President Cindy Carpenter voted no.

Among the five finalists who interviewed with the commission, was Jeff Wyrick, according to county Administrator Charles Young. Wyrick served a deputy clerk for Carpenter when she was county clerk if courts.

Rogers said he knew going into the interviews that Wyrick was Carpenter’s choice for the position, but said Cooper impressed him because she is currently running a large office and has the educational background for the job.

That leaves us with Dixon and here is what he had to say...

Dixon agreed. He said Cooper has a number of skill sets to bring to the job, including consensus building and dealing with personality issues in the office.

“She is energetic and optimistic. It will be a fresh set of eyes,” Dixon said.

The fact that she is from outside the county is also a plus, he said.

“She doesn’t know anybody from Butler County, she has never worked in Butler County and to my knowledge she is not related to anybody in Butler County,” Dixon said.

Someone on Facebook translated that last statement as "Let me call my family...We can get someone real soon to take that high paying, rich benefit county job, and keep the gravy train flowing."

SIDEBAR QUESTION: Has Dixon managed to get all of his cronies jobs???

Anyway...

The best part of the whole story was this:

Carpenter could not be reached for comment.

Of course she wasn't available, she was too busy scheming her revenge.....

Somewhere, Chuck Furmon is smiling because he doesn't have to deal with any of this crap anymore...

He's Gay and He Opposes Gay Marriage....With Logic....

A very interesting read.  Go check out the whole thing.  Here are some excerpts:

  In our sometimes misguided efforts to expand our freedom, selfish adults have systematically dismantled that which is most precious to children as they grow and develop. That’s why I am now speaking out against same-sex marriage.

By the way, I am gay.
Natural law, tradition, religion, intellectual curiosity, and free inquiry no longer play a role in deliberations. Same-sex marriage legislation is defended solely on grounds of moral relativism and emotions.
Pure sophistry is pitted against reason. Reason is losing.
Here’s the problem: The national discussion of same-sex marriage treats the issue like a game of checkers, where opponents can quickly gain each other’s pieces without much forethought about the consequences. This unreflective view of the discussion has prevented any real debate.
In years past, defenders of marriage found it easy to win the battle on the checker board. Appeals to religion and tradition won hands down almost effortlessly. While same-sex marriage advocates argued for a more thoughtful consideration of the topic, they were mostly just bulldozed over.
The tide has turned. Same-sex marriage proponents now have all the “kings” on the board, and rule it. One only needs to consider media headlines from the last few weeks. We are bombarded with approvals of same-sex marriage. To the casual onlooker, not steeped in this issue, it would seem that conservatism has embraced same-sex marriage. Each day brings fresh news of Republican political elites, Fortune 500 companies, NFL members, and even Dirty Harry himself, Clint Eastwood, throwing their support behind genderless marriage.
The game we are actually playing is chess, not checkers. This sounds confusing, because chess and checkers are played on the exact same sixty-four square game board. Checkers is easy and it’s fast. It’s one of the first games children learn how to play. Chess is hard, requiring thought about the intended and unintentional consequences of every single move that may or may not be made.
In developing their goals for policy and law, politicians often look no further than the next election cycle. They’re concerned about votes. Supporting same-sex marriage now looks like a winner for them.
The sense of urgency regarding same-sex marriage, now palpably frenetic, is in itself a sign of our national discussion’s devolution into nothing more than slogans and emotions.
Our nation’s individual state legislatures and courts—including the Supreme Court— need to apply the brakes. Now.
As in chess, the unintended consequences deserve sound consideration.
Genderless marriage now enjoys an aura of equality and fairness, which suggests that the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment had same-sex marriages in mind as they penned their magnificent giant leap forward for humanity. While this situation is highly unlikely, those who selfishly seek additional “rights” for themselves have found their justification in the penumbra they now sense surrounding legitimate civil rights.
Same-sex marriage will not expand rights and freedoms in our nation. It will not redefine marriage. It will undefine it.
This isn’t the first time our society has undefined marriage. No-fault divorce, instituted all across our country, sounded like a good idea at the time. Its unintended consequence was that it changed forever the definition of marriage from a permanent relationship between spouses to a temporary one. Sadly, children became collateral damage in the selfish pursuits of adults.
Same-sex marriage will do the same, depriving children of their right to either a mom or a dad. This is not a small deal. Children are being reduced to chattel-like sources of fulfillment. On one side, their family tree consists not of ancestors, but of a small army of anonymous surrogates, donors, and attorneys who pinch-hit for the absent gender in genderless marriages. Gays and lesbians demand that they have a “right” to have children to complete their sense of personal fulfillment, and in so doing, are trumping the right that children have to both a mother and a father—a right that same-sex marriage tramples over.
Same-sex marriage will undefine marriage and unravel it, and in so doing, it will undefine children. It will ultimately lead to undefining humanity. This is neither “progressive” nor “conservative” legislation. It is “regressive” legislation.
Nowhere on any marriage license application in any state are the applicants asked, “Do you love each other?” Yet this is the basis on which same-sex marriage proponents seek to change our laws. Is the state really in the business of celebrating our romantic lives?
The mantra I heard repeatedly in Minnesota was that “marriage is about love, commitment, and responsibility.” But these three things are not the state’s interests in marriage. Marriage, from the state’s perspective, is about kids. Period. That’s the reason the institution exists. We should tremble at and fear the notion of undoing it.
For a nation that has no trouble selfishly creating a seventeen-trillion-dollar (and growing) deficit it will soon hand off to its children and grandchildren, perhaps this is asking too much. But for the sake of all children and those yet to be born, we need to slow down and seriously consider the unintended consequences of undefining marriage. Otherwise, we risk treating our progeny as expendable pawns, sacrificed in the name of self-fulfillment. We can do better than that.

Portman's Continuing Expedient Flip Flops: Gun Rights?

Rob Portman always campaigned as a conservative.  He made appeals to God and to the Constitution, advocating for limited government, balanced budgets, and for government to stay out of people's lives.  Well, now we see that was all just shilling to get votes.  Rob Portman evidently believes none of these things, or if we are to believe his logic, he has "evolved."  More likely, Rob Portman listens to his handlers and his PR folks and they are telling him what he thinks he can do so he can run for President.  Well, Mr. Portman, this conservative is no longer fooled.  His latest epiphany appears to be on gun rights.  Rob Portman used to brag about his gun ownership.  Well, apparently, that has changed.  So, if we follow his previous logic on why he changed views, either his lefty wife or maybe the family dog got scared by a gunshot and now all guns need to be taken away and we need to know who has them.  According to the National Association for Gun Rights, Rob Portman is cooking up an anti gun bill that will give Obama the centerpiece of his anti-gun agenda:

Sen. Rob Portman is rumored to be working on an anti-gun deal that would federally expand background checks on gun owners -- the key component of Barack Obama’s anti-gun agenda.

This would be contrary to everything Rob Portman has said he believes.  However, for him, urinating on principles is nothing new.  He urinated on the Bible's principles last week and now he wants to do the same to the Constitution. 

Would someone primary this guy and beat him?

Statewide Coalition of Conservatives Reject Direction of Ohio Republican Party

Release:

Columbus, Ohio - A statewide coalition of social and fiscal conservative leaders in Ohio today announced a rejection of the current direction of the state Republican leadership.

While signers of this statement put emphases on different policies, all the signers believe that Ohio is best served with limited government and low taxation, affirm the definition of marriage as one man and one woman as specified in Ohio's Constitution, stand for the right to life for unborn children, and believe that the State Republican Party Chairman should reflect and fight for these values.

In recent months, Ohio has seen Governor John Kasich propose a "tax shift" unfairly targeting certain landowners and creating a drag on energy exploration, recommend the expansion of a failing Medicaid program, and propose an increasing budget.

Senator Rob Portman has reversed course, defying one of the key planks of the Republican Party Platform to take a position in support of same-sex marriage. This dismisses the views of roughly 3.3 million Ohioans who in 2004 voted for a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman.

Finally, this week, the elected statewide Republican officials declared their support for Matt Borges to replace Bob Bennett as Ohio Republican Party Chairman. Dismissing other potential candidates for the chairman's position, these statewide Republican officials endorsed Borges, a man who plead guilty to a misdemeanor for improper use of public office in a bribery investigation and served as a lobbyist for the liberal homosexual activist group, Equality Ohio.

This statement of rejection is not personal - the individuals above have reasons and explanations for their actions. Nor is this statement designed to elicit a specific response. This statement is merely to inform the public that we have not moved on these issues important to our fellow Buckeyes and we will not accept this leadership which is inconsistent with the principles of the Republican Party.

Tom Zawistowski, President of the We the People Convention and Executive Director of the Portage County TEA Party, said, "The leaders of the Republican Party in Ohio have chosen to separate themselves and the party from the wishes and values of their support base. Not just liberty group members and social conservative voters, but rank and file registered Republican voters who overwhelmingly voted for the Ohio Healthcare Amendment. With this letter we put the party bosses on notice that we reject their betrayal of the party platform and our conservative values. We will not support them going forward but will instead support those who are true to our cause."

"With sadness I put my name on this statement," said Seth Morgan, former State Representative and Conservative Coalition Leader. "Never have I been more concerned for the direction of our state and country - largely due to a failure in leadership. Why would the Republican leaders put themselves at odds with sound public policy and the platform of their own party?"

"Some of our Republican officials seem hell-bent on alienating conservative voters and volunteers, which reduces voter turnout. They ignore the GOP platform, choosing to put themselves outside the mainstream of our party base," said Lori Viars, Vice President of Warren County Right To Life,who also serves as Vice Chair of the Warren County Republican Party.

The signers below call on like-minded conservative Ohioans to organize and prepare for the challenges we and our neighbors are facing.

The initial signers below are represented in their personal / individual capacities. Titles and organization are listed for identification purposes only.





Seth Morgan,Former State Representative and Conservative Coalition Leader

Tom Zawistowski, President, We the People Convention; Executive Director, Portage County TEA Party

Lori Viars, Vice President, Warren County Right To Life

Bobbi Radeck, State Director, Concerned Women for America

Linda Harvey, Radio Host andPresident, Mission America

Don Birdsall, President, Dayton TEA Party

Joseph Platt, Esq., Board Member, Family First

Andrew Pappas, Leader, Anderson Tea Party

Pastor Andy Douglas, Director, Christians for Constitutional Awareness

Linda Reidelbach, Former State Representative; Delaware County Republican Central Committee member

Tom Brinkman, Jr., Former State Representative; Chairman of C.O.A.S.T. (Coalition Opposed To Additional Spending & Taxes)

Mark Stevenson, Founder,Ohioans For Educational Freedom

Sue Hardenbergh, Hamilton Co. Republican Central Committee Member

John McAvoy, Board of Directors, NW Ohio Conservative Coalition

Janet (Folger) Porter, President, Faith2Action; Former Republican State Central Committee Member

Ryan Bolyard, Wayne County, Ohio; President, Hillsdale College Republicans

Paula Bolyard, Doylestown, Ohio; Conservative Blogger

Roseann Siderits, Board Member, Family First

Pastor J.C. Church, President of 3 Cord Alliance, Crawford County, Ohio

Marianne Gasiecki, State Co-Coordinator (OH), Tea Party Patriots

Wendy Sizemore, Leader, Pickaway County 9-12 Project Liberty Group

Glenn Newman, Founder, Marietta 9-12 Project

Randy Wilson, National Director, Watchmen on the Wall

Thea Shoemake, Homeschool Leader; Former Vice Chair of Clermont Co. Republican Central Committee

Ralph Spampanato, Director, Stark - Tusc 9-12

Pastor Norman R. Perkins, Reaching for Success, Dayton, Ohio

Dana R. Adams, President, Akron Tea Party

Jim Green, President, North Central Ohio Conservatives, Inc.

Amy Brighton, Co-Founder & Co-Coordinator, Medina Tea Party Patriots

George & Darla Lee, Steering Committee Member, Auglaize County Patriots

Linda S. Barry, Steering Committee Member, Auglaize County Patriots

William E. Barry, Steering Committee Member, Auglaize County Patriots

Nelson Hack, Founder & Coordinator, Morrow County Tea Party

John Rhoad, Fayette County Coordinator, Ohioans for Healthcare Freedom

Connie Thompson, Athens, Ohio 9-12 Project

Margaret W. Hunt, Secretary, Geauga County Tea Party

Duane A. Plessinger, Director, Wayne County TEA Party; Member, Wayne Co. Republican Executive Committee

Anna Rehl, Founder, Licking County Organizing for Freedom

Patricia Eshleman, Leadership Team, Preble County Liberty Group

James W. Hellyer, Chairman, Licking County Tea Party

Judith L. Guju, Hamilton County Republican Central Committee

Mike Snead, President, Beavercreek Liberty Group

Andrew E. Russ, Esq., Counsel for Ohio TEA Party & Patriot Groups

Sharon Blocher, Stark - Tusc 9-12 Patriots

Van Pratt, President, Clinton County Tea Party

Mark Haverkos, Butler County Republican Central Committee

Beth Cox, Preble County Liberty Group

Richard Geyer, President, Society of Conservatives, United for Independence, Representative Republic, Equality & Liberty (SCUIRREL)

George Momirov, Director, Upper Arlington 9-12 Group

Ethlyn Kennedy, Treasurer, Lorain County 9-12 Tea Party

Jeff Malek, Founder, Wadsworth 9-12 Group

Bonnie Arnold, Marietta 9-12 Project

Linda Studer, Director, Wayne County Tea Party

Jon Eells, Marietta, Ohio 9-12 Project

Bob Longshore, Committee Chairman, Portage County TEA Party

Amanda Suffecool, President, Portage County TEA Party; Director, REALIZE Firearms Awareness Coalition

Mary Lou Cook, Co-Organizer, Voices of Liberty, Marion, Ohio Tea Party

Pastor Bob Tarasiak, Family Fellowship Church, Conneaut, Ohio

Linda Bishop, Committee Member, Findlay 9-12 Group

Carol Bicking, Gahanna Freedom Alliance

Larry Heller, Leader, Miami Township Tea Party; Steering Committee, Clermont Co. Tea Party; Clermont Co. Republican Central Committee

Jim Horton, Committee Member, Northwest Ohio Freedom Alliance

Karl W. Vonvaltier, Leader, Delaware County 9-12

Ken Kay, Executive Director, The Coalition of Freedom

Kirsten Hill, Chairman, Lorain County TEA Party

Mark Lucas, Director, Hilliard-Galloway Tea Party; Leader, Northwest Columbus 9-12

Emily Harris, Warren County Republican Executive Committee

Robert Lloyd, Director, Knox County 9-12 Project

Mary Gam, Director, Knox County 9-12 Project

Dan W. Offineer, Representative, Knox County 9-12 Patriots

Roger Baxter, Vice Chair, Clermont County Tea Party

Kirk "Shovel" Goings, National Road Captain, Sons of Liberty Riders

Joe Daly, Hamilton County Republican Central Committee

Sharon Poe, Secretary, Warren County Tea Party

Thomas Reynolds, Founder & Past President, Top of Ohio Patriots

James E. Burkholder, Vice Chairman, Top of Ohio Patriots 9-12

Kay Clymer, President, Zanesville Patriots

Kathy Freudenberger, Leader, Bethel Tea Party; Secretary, Clermont Co. Republican Party

Rev. Katherine Marple, Founder, Keep Life Legal Ministries

Ralph King, State Co-Coordinator (OH), Tea Party Patriots; Co-Founder Cleveland TEA Party Patriots

Carol Greenberg, Conservative Blogger; NW Ohio Conservative Coalition

Virginia Mack, Chairman, Putnam County Ohio Patriots

Jane Deeter, Leader, Huber Heights Liberty Group

GUEST COLUMN: "Municipal Income Tax Holding Ohio Back"

St. Rep. John Becker

BY: State Rep. John Becker

In many respects, being unique is a welcomed quality. But one aspect that makes the state of Ohio unique also drastically hurts its chances for attracting businesses.

Ohio is the only state in the country that allows each city and village to establish its own set of rules and regulations for collecting taxes. Municipalities collect what is called the municipal income tax to help it meet local governments’ costs. This is very similar to how the state or federal governments collect income taxes.

Today, there are more than 600 different municipalities enforcing their own compliance regulations. When every municipality in the state can establish its own set of rules for merely collecting taxes, small businesses in particular are hurt because the costs of complying with all these different sets of regulations add up in a hurry.

At the beginning of this year, legislation was introduced in the House that aims to bring uniformity to the process of collecting municipal taxes. House Bill 5 is currently being considered by the House Ways and Means Committee.

I support this legislation because it is a common-sense approach to encouraging businesses to locate and grow in our state. The states are as competitive as the free market itself, and tax policy certainly weighs heavily on the minds of employers when looking for a location. Business owners and site selectors have told us that Ohio’s municipal income tax is one of the steepest barriers to them coming to our state.

That Ohio is the only state in the country to have this system should be a firm indication that this is either an antiquated system, or one absent of common sense. Encouraging business growth in Ohio is something that will benefit all villages, cities and townships in the state.

The money saved by reducing businesses’ compliance costs, as well as the new businesses this idea will hopefully attract to the state, will make Ohio more competitive nationwide.

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Portman's Opportunism

Longtime readers of WMD know that my position on same sex marriage is that I oppose it while favoring civil unions. The reason I take the position that I do is that while I am a firm believer in the rights of individuals, I am also a staunch supporter of religious rights as well. Personally, I don't think government should be in the marriage business at all. I don't think there should be a "marriage penalty" when it comes to taxation. I don't believe that there should be a legal advantage or disadvantage to marriage. I think if two people want to establish a legal and binding relationship between themselves, that is okay by me...but don't call it marriage. Marriage has a religious connotation that government has absolutely no say in determining or establishing.

All of that brings us to Rob Portman's latest stunt to increase his name recognition and favorable polling numbers amongst a certain segment of the population. It is no secret among those who have followed Portman's career for any length of time that Rob doesn't do anything that he doesn't think will benefit his career. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that Will Portman went to Twitter to proclaim how proud he was of his father, I'm not entirely sure I would 100% believe that Rob has a gay son. That is just how opportunistic Portman is about his career, in my opinion. But don't take my word for it, here is what Michael Turk had to say:

In 2004 Portman supported a Constitutional ban on SSM; not just a ban against it. He wanted it enshrined in the Constitution. He has defended DOMA. In 2009, he opposed a law that would have allowed gay couples in DC the right to adopt. He has actively opposed gay rights for a decade at least. But then there is this:

“[W]hat happened to me is really personal. I mean, I hadn’t thought a lot about this issue. Again, my focus has been on other issues over my public policy career.”

Huh? You were that active in voting on an issue you really hadn’t thought a lot about? So your default position on issues you don’t think about is to deny people rights? Really?

Reconciling his past opposition to SSM and his current conversion is almost impossible. His explanation is that his son Will came out two years ago and that profoundly changed his mind.

But less than two years ago, at a speech to the University of Michigan law school, a full third of the school got up and walked out of his speech in protest of his positions on gay rights. That was, if his timeframe is to be accepted, after his son came out.

Granted I am a reliable cynic, but it seems to me that Portman, who is bandied about as a potential POTUS contender in 2016, is seeing the writing on the wall.

Turk goes on to describe some recent polling which states that nearly 70% of Republicans oppose gay marriage but notes that there is a strategy in which Portman's new found position on the subject could work to his advantage in a large field of candidates for President in the 2016 cycle.

Mark my words, THAT is what THIS is about. Portman sees what he thinks is the writing on the wall and wants to jump on that particular bandwagon and try to make it seem as if he is leading the charge. My guess is that once the "excitement" of this little media splash is over, the issue will go away for Rob until he sees another opportunity to exploit it for political gain.

The biggest problem that I have with Portman is that it appears there is nothing he won't sacrifice to the political gods if he can be seen to find some gain in doing so. What's next? What if little Sally decides to have an abortion? Can we count on Rob to not change his mind on being pro-life? What if his wife Jane, who used to work for Tom Daschle, decides that guns are icky? Can we count on Rob Portman's Second Amendment convictions?

These are all terrible things to contemplate, but since we have no idea who Rob Portman is going to be today let alone tomorrow, we HAVE to ask these questions. And more importantly, we HAVE to get answers to them. Portman has never lost an election, but I think he is going to find himself facing a serious challenge in his own backyard (Southwestern Ohio) if he can't convince people that he has principles and values that aren't subject to change due to personal situations. We don't elect leaders to represent themselves. We send them to Washington, Columbus, County and City Halls to represent US and OUR beliefs, not theirs.

SIDEBAR: BizzyBlog's Tom Blumer has been at the front lines of exposing Portman's opportunism for years...(here and here are two examples)

Constitutional Modernization Commission Offers New Public Input Opportunity on Website

Release:

COLUMBUS—Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) and State Representative Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), who serve as co-chairs of the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission (OCMC), today announced that the OCMC website now allows public input in an effort to make the commission more transparent and accessible.
Members of the public are able to submit suggested changes, hot topic issues that need to be addressed, and items that they believe should be added to the Ohio Constitution. The Submit Your Ideas page can be found at: http://ocmc.ohio.gov/ocmc/submitideas.

“Public feedback is essential to the work of the Commission, and in a continuing effort to make our state government more open to the people, providing a means for Ohioans to submit their suggestions will help the Commission to be reachable by all of our citizens,” said Speaker Batchelder. “We greatly value public input and believe that the resources on the website will be greatly beneficial to those who are interested in updating Ohio’s Constitution.”
“It is so important to have civic engagement throughout this process,” said Rep. Sykes. “We greatly enhance our democracy when we can provide channels for Ohioans to interact with their elected and appointed officials on issues of importance. I look forward to seeing some of the suggestions and opinions as we move forward.”

The OCMC was established by the passage of House Bill 188, which was signed into law in July 2011. The Commission is charged with studying the Ohio Constitution, promoting an exchange of suggestions and respecting desired changes in the Constitution, considering the problems pertaining to the amendment of the Constitution, and making recommendations from time to time to the General Assembly for the amendment of the Constitution.

The Commission meets on the second Thursday of every month.

In Memoriam: Jeff Hardin, State Board of Education

A dedicated conservative and a lifelong servant to the state of Ohio and the GOP passed away yesterday. Jeff Hardin, just starting his second term as a member of the Ohio State Board of Education, died from an apparent heart attack at age 58. Hardin, of Clermont County, also represented Adams, Brown, Clark, Clermont, Fayette, Gallia, Greene, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Madison, Pike, Ross, Scioto, and Vinton counties, and part of Pickaway County. From State Board of Education President Debe Terhar:

“I am truly saddened to hear about the passing of my fellow State Board of Education member and my friend, Jeff Hardin. Jeff was a dedicated public servant who understood the importance of serving not only the children and schools in his district, but throughout Ohio. Just yesterday, less than 24 hours before his passing, he made a special trip to Columbus with his son to participate in our board meeting. I join with so many others who knew Jeff in offering my deepest sympathy on his passing to his family and friends.”

Jeff took his job very seriously. From Governor John Kasich:

“Saddened by the news of State School Board Member Jeff Hardin’s death. Prayers for his family as they struggle through this challenging time.”

From State Impact:

During his time on the board, Hardin advocated for rural schools, paying teachers for their performance and holding schools accountable. This is how he described his job in our November 2012 voter guide: This job pays about $4,400 a year on average. I spend time to read about 3,000 pages of research each month just to prepare for board meetings. Our board meetings are 2-3 days per month. This is a thankless job but one I am willing to serve in because someone must commit themselves to doing the job right the first time. I speak for the values of my district and expect schools to teach and not make excuses for failures.

Jeff was also a lifelong Republican and was willing to fight for the cause. In this story, he criticizes that jackarse Jerid Kurtz for using a facebook posting kerfluffle as a fundraising scheme against John Kasich's reelection:

Board member Jeff Hardin of Milford, whose district includes Clermont County, and others criticized the Democratic Party for using the flap as a fundraising effort to defeat Kasich’s re-election bid in 2014.

From the Columbus Dispatch:

Ohio Board of Education member Jeff Hardin died yesterday after a lengthy illness. Hardin, 58, of Milford, Ohio, died of a heart attack just hours after making a brief appearance at a board meeting on Tuesday in Columbus. He had recently received a pacemaker for heart ailments and was awaiting a kidney transplant. He had been receiving dialysis for some time. Hardin was ill on Tuesday, and the board moved up its vote for the new state superintendent of public instruction so he could participate. He joined a majority of board members to elect Gov. John Kasich’s top education adviser, Richard Ross, to the post. Immediately after the vote, Hardin left the meeting with his 26-year-old son Ross Hardin, who had been driving him to board meetings for the past few months. “Jeff was a dedicated public servant who understood the importance of serving not only the children and schools in his district, but throughout Ohio,” board President Debe Terhar said in a statement released by the Ohio Department of Education. “Less than 24 hours before his passing, he made a special trip to Columbus with his son to participate in our board meeting.” Mary Rose Oakar, a board member from Cleveland who sat next to Hardin at the meeting, said he did not feel well but wanted to vote for the new superintendent.

I met Jeff at some county events through the years and supported his crusade to get on the state board of education. He was tireless, even though he had several health problems which most people would have just sat back and taken it easy with. Not Jeff. He worked toward every parade, every town hall, every event he could to get the word out that we could finally get some conservative voices on the state board of education. He waged battle against the entire OEA/Ohio Democratic Party machine and achieved victory not once, but twice. He was tirelessly advocating for the rural schools, who seem to get forgotten because typically they are not trouble spots for the state. He advocated for more accountability and local flexibility. He was a fan of this blog as well as our radio shows. It was my hope many times to get him on the show, but scheduling and circumstances always got in the way. Personally, Jeff was a friend. He always encouraged me in my quixotic quest to get back into public education and teach again. He said I could use him as a reference anytime, and that he was keeping eyes out for me for openings and was talking to people about me. He always was interested in my opinion, and he really loved his work. He was also a devoted family man and a man of faith. I will miss his fire and devotion to the cause, his sense of humor, and his knowledge of the issues. As the headline at the Dispatch said, "State school board member loyal to last" Godspeed, Jeff. You will be missed. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and all those touched by the life of this great man, gone too soon.

$7.6 Billion State Transportation Budget Clears Ohio Senate

Release:

COLUMBUS– This afternoon, the Ohio Senate lent its approval to House Bill 51, which appropriates more than $7.6 billion to fund the Ohio Departments of Transportation and Public Safety over the coming biennium.

“As we continue our work to put Ohio’s economy back on the right track, the Senate can be proud of this budget, which implements new, innovative ideas to improve Ohio’s infrastructure and create jobs all over our state,” said President Faber (R–Celina). “Through the Turnpike plan alone, we are expecting to create 65,000 jobs across the state of Ohio, which builds upon the work the Senate has already done to make job creation the state’s number-one priority.”

In addition to the budget appropriations, the Senate approved a plan that will allow $1.5 billion in bonds to be issued on the Ohio Turnpike. Combined with federal and local matching funds, this money will contribute extensively to infrastructure projects in northern Ohio and across the state. The additional funding will increase the priority level of many highway projects. Some projects that were not expected until 2025 will be given immediate consideration.

“House Bill 51 is arguably one of the greatest jobs budgets we will pass this General Assembly,” said State Senator Gayle Manning (R–North Ridgeville), who presides as Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. “As we invest in our infrastructure, we do more than build better roads, we create a pathway for new businesses, we employ construction workers, and we contribute to the health of Ohio’s improving economy.”

The bill received bipartisan support in the Senate with Transportation Committee Ranking Minority Member Senator Capri Cafaro (D–Hubbard) saying that the legislation “does the responsible thing” on the Nexus Provision, which ensures that 90 percent of the funds raised through the bonding of the Ohio Turnpike will be used within 75 miles of the Turnpike.

Among the bill's provisions:

Permitting the bonding of the Ohio Turnpike up to $1.5 billion
The Nexus provision, which ensures that 90 percent of the money raised through turnpike bonding will be spent on northern Ohio projects
Increases the highway speed limit in Ohio to 70 miles per hour, outside of urban areas
Lowers the late fee for vehicle registration from $20 to $10.
Allows for the multi-year registration of certain vehicles
Requires a stop sign at all railroad crossings where passive warning devices (lights or gates) do not exist

Ohio House Passes Legislation Regarding Youth Head Injuries

Release:

COLUMBUS—The Ohio House of Representatives today passed House Bill 16, which prevents referees, coaches and other volunteers from being criminally prosecuted for not complying with requirements that help identify youth sports injuries.

State Representative Jay Hottinger (R-Newark) sponsored the bill, which clarifies the provisions that were enacted as part of House Bill 143. This piece of legislation was passed into law during December 2012, and it worked to help coaches and other youth activity officials deal with head injuries at sporting events. The bill, however, inadvertently held these same persons liable if they did not recognize signs of a concussion or other various head trauma.

With the passage of House Bill 16, coaches, officials and other volunteers would not be criminally penalized for failure to act in accordance with the measures outlined in House Bill 143.

“In the past General Assembly, the legislature spent a lot of time on and ultimately passed House Bill 143 dealing with the very important issue of youth concussions in athletic events,” said Rep. Hottinger. “Unfortunately, in the bill’s final enactment, language was included that would create criminal liability for volunteers if they failed to recognize a concussion. It is not the intent of the bill to turn volunteers of youth sporting events into potential criminals.”

Local attorney from the law firm of Reese, Pyle, Drake & Myer, P.L.L. And community volunteer, Justin Lodge, was responsible for bringing this important issue to Rep. Hottinger.

House Bill 16 passed unanimously and will now move to the Ohio Senate.

Ohio House Passes Legislation to Establish “Internet Cafe” Regulations

Release:

COLUMBUS—Ohio House Speaker Pro Tempore Matt Huffman (R-Lima) today applauded the House’s passage of Substitute House Bill 7, which provides much-needed oversight to sweepstakes parlors, or “internet cafes.”

Substitute House Bill 7 retains the general framework of House Bill 605 from the 129th General Assembly, while tightening some of the definitions and addressing issues raised by members of the House and Senate.

Specifically, the legislation:

Clarifies what is a prohibited scheme of chance
Prohibits sweepstakes games on sweepstakes terminal devices if they give out prohibited prizes (cash, alcohol, tobacco, etc.) or more than $10 in merchandise prizes per play
Authorizes sweepstakes gaming if a person meets certain criteria and gets a certificate of registration through the Attorney General

“This legislation protects the public and addresses a growing law enforcement concern with the widespread expansion of these sweepstakes establishments,” said Rep. Huffman. “The House’s action today brings us one step closer to providing appropriate oversight and accountability over this unregulated industry.”

During the previous general assembly, the Legislature passed House Bill 386 to establish a moratorium on internet cafes. The Ohio Attorney General, local government officials, law enforcement groups, prosecutors, charitable organizations, and veteran and fraternal organizations have consistently urged the Legislature to pass a bill that provides strong regulation language and clarifies whether sweepstakes are considered illegal gambling.

Substitute House Bill 7 passed with bipartisan support and now will move to the Ohio Senate.

Ohio House Passes Legislation to Amend Regulations and Licensing of Insurance Navigators

Release:

COLUMBUS—The Ohio House of Representatives today passed legislation that will provide authority to the State of Ohio in regulating health insurance navigators, which are individuals or entities charged with helping citizens obtain information relating to health insurance offerings through health exchanges.

Substitute House Bill 3, jointly sponsored by State Representatives Barbara Sears (R-Monclova Twp.) and Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard), makes changes to the Ohio Revised Code, specifically regarding the licensing and education requirements for insurance agents that wish to serve as a navigator, as well as the manner in which the state will regulate navigators under the federal health care law.

“This legislation is the first step in declaring state authority as it relates to navigators and the exchange,” said Rep. Sears. “It is important that we focus on giving navigators and insurance agents adequate information on the known requirements so they can effectively perform their duties. I applaud the House’s action to move this measure forward.”

“Substitute House Bill 3 is a consumer protection bill,” said Rep. Kunze. “By establishing training and continuing education requirements, criminal records checks, conflict of interest disclosures, and certifications, we are ensuring that Ohio’s consumers are working with knowledgeable and trustworthy professionals.”

Substitute House Bill 3 specifies that navigators are not licensed insurance agents and therefore are prohibited from engaging in selling insurance and related functions. Additionally, the bill enables both licensed and unlicensed insurance agents to be certified as navigators.

Rep. Sears and Rep. Kunze, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Insurance, will be conducting interested party meetings for stakeholders interested in participating in the administrative rule process that will begin following the enactment of Substitute House Bill 3. Starting tomorrow, March 14th, stakeholders have 30 days to submit comments, suggestions and questions to Rep. Sears’ office for consideration.

Substitute House Bill 3 passed with strong bipartisan support and will now be sent to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.