Rep. Mecklenborg Should Resign Immediately

The personal issue(s) aside, DUI is a serious offense and not one that a public official ought to engage in without repercussions to one's public service.  While some may be okay with allowing St. Rep. Mecklenborg to continue his career in the state legislature, I find it unacceptable.

Speaker Batchelder:

“My friend and colleague Bob Mecklenborg is a dedicated public servant with an exemplary record of serving the people of Ohio and the 30th District. His contributions to the Ohio House have been vital to the work of this fine institution.
“I was shocked and disappointed to learn of the difficult situation that Representative Mecklenborg and his family are facing. We are working with Representative Mecklenborg to find a solution that is in the best interests of the representative, his family and all concerned. I ask that members of the media and public respect the privacy of Rep. Mecklenborg and his family at this time.”

Chairman Alex:

Alex Triantafilou, chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party, said Thursday that party leaders are “assessing” the situation.

These "responses" are weak.  Whatever happened to "zero-tolerance"?

Rep. Mecklenborg: We Expect Better

OK, the representative is correct. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. However, one should not get in this situation in the first place. Our elected leaders should be just that....leaders. This is a failure of leadership:

An Ohio legislator from Western Hamilton County faces charges of driving under the influence.

WLWT has learned that state Rep. Robert Mecklenborg, 59, was arrested on April 23 in Dearborn County, Ind. According to the police report, Mecklenborg was pulled over -- in a car with Kentucky license plates -- at 2:47 a.m. on U.S. 50 east of Lorey Lane.

Mecklenborg was pulled over for a non-functioning headlight, but the arresting officer wrote in the report that he had reason to believe Mecklenborg was intoxicated. The officer described an odor of alcohol and wrote that Mecklenborg had glossy, bloodshot eyes.

Mecklenborg refused a chemical test, according to the police report.

Mecklenborg was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a misdemeanor.

WLWT reached Mecklenborg for comment on Wednesday evening. He confirmed that he pleaded not guilty to the charge and said, "Everybody's innocent until proven guilty."

He is scheduled to appear in court again on July 26.

When pressed for more details about his arrest, Mecklenborg said he would have no further comment.

Everyone falls short of perfection. No one is perfect. However, as an elected official, you cannot get yourself into this situation. If the rep. was intoxicated or impaired, it would have been quite easy to get a taxi or some sort of plan for transportation.

Elected officials on both sides of the aisle need to quit thinking "don't you know who I am? I can't be caught." Instead, they should think, "I am a leader. I need to lead by example. Don't I know who and what I am? I should know better."

7pm Update Really??? A Stripper, Sir?

It just keeps getting worse for Rep. Mecklenborg. Now, WLWT has discovered through police reports that the state rep endangered a passenger in his car. That passenger was a woman. The passenger was a woman who was not Mecklenborg's wife or the mother of his 3 children. According to reports at WLWT:

WLWT has learned through court records that the person in question was a passenger in the car.

WLWT has been working to confirm reports that the woman works as a stripper at a club in Lawrenceburg. No one at the club would confirm her employment, but an employee at the club told WLWT they would pass along a message to her.

According to the State House of Representatives website, Mecklenborg is married with three children.

WLWT reached Mecklenborg for comment Thursday afternoon. He read a statement to WLWT's Stephanie Stone over the phone.

Mecklenborg said, "Being human, I have made a mistake and this has caused great hurt to my family, and I'm deeply sorry for that. I've served tirelessly and well my constituents and I want to apologize to them as well. While the discovery process in this case goes on, I am entitled to the same presumption of innocence as any other citizen. Beyond this, it is a personal matter, which I trust you will respect."

If it is true that Mr. Mecklenborg was with a stripper during this late night sojourn, along with being drunk, then Mr. Mecklenborg has cast dark aspersions on his office, his district, his party, and the General Assembly and should resign immediately.

In my opinion, Mr. M's statement in the update is the beginning of the resignation process. This is how it starts, with the "it is personal and I have hurt my family" business. Sir, you were supposed to be a leader. You are married with 3 children. Reprehensible.

If the Geithner Wants Out....

...then I say don't let the door hit you on the way out. The latest headline at Drudge says that Geithner wants to leave his position as Treasury Secretary:

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner has signaled to White House officials that he’s considering leaving the administration after President Barack Obama reaches an agreement with Congress to raise the federal debt limit, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Geithner hasn’t made a final decision and won’t do so until the debt-ceiling issue has been resolved, according to one of the people. All spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about private discussions.

Why wait, I say.

That would leave Obama with two key posts to fill as Republicans are seeking to turn the 2012 election into a referendum on Obama’s handling of the economy and as the recovery is slowing. The unemployment rate rose to 9.1 percent in May, according to the Labor Department, and the economy grew at a 1.9 percent pace in the first quarter, according to Commerce Department figures released June 24.

Just as his fearless leader has led us astray, Tax Cheat Tim has done little to right the ship of the US Economy. In fact, Geithner oversaw the largest debt increase in US History:

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner oversaw the largest increase in the national debt of any Treasury secretary in American history, presiding over a $3.7 trillion increase in the debt.

According to data from the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Public Debt, the national debt has increased $3,723,575,990,130.10 from Jan. 26, 2009 until June 30, 2011, Geithner’s entire tenure to date as Treasury secretary.

When Geithner took office the total national debt stood at $10.6 trillion. As of June 30, 2011, it had risen to $14.3 trillion.

In fact, the debt accrued under Geithner is greater than all federal debt accrued in the first 204 years of the nation’s history. The national debt did not reach $3.7 trillion until October 1991, according to historical Treasury data that reaches back to 1791.

Geithner, who reportedly may step down from his position soon, has overseen the accrual of more federal debt (in only 2.5 years) than every Treasury secretary combined from Alexander Hamilton to Nicholas Brady, who was Treasury secretary in October 1991 when the national debt reached $3.7 trillion.

Since then, the federal debt has increased by historically large amounts under each Treasury secretary since Brady but not to the level it is today under Geithner.

We the People Convention: Pre-Game Update

Decided to take a short break from disassembling and packing the studio to check some email and saw a message from Tom Z regarding tickets...

Tickets are still available...including the dinner on Saturday with Hermann Cain.  A recent development is that Cain will be on-site the bulk of the day on Saturday and probably participating in some of the breakout sessions as well.

For more information and to order tickets, click here.

Ohio Budget Fixes Shortfall, Emphasizes Jobs and Education

That's right, the Ohio budget will emphasize education in addition to jobs. From the Ohio House Republicans:

Ohio House of Representatives Passes Historic Budget that Prioritizes Education, Job Creation in Ohio
$8 billion deficit closed without raising taxes

COLUMBUS—Maintaining a promise that was made during the previous General Assembly, the Ohio House of Representatives today passed a sustainable, fiscally responsible budget bill, marking a historic effort to successfully fill an $8 billion budget deficit without raising taxes on Ohioans.

By the way, that promise was not kept by the then-led Democrat Majority and Governor Ted Strickland.

Substitute House Bill 153, in addition to improving government efficiency and making Ohio more economically competitive, makes significant investments in the programs and services that matter most to Ohioans, while at the same time respecting and protecting Ohio’s taxpayers.

“After a challenging three and a half months of thoughtful debate and consideration from members on both sides of the aisle, today we took a momentous step toward a leaner, more cost-effective state government,” said Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina). “Throughout this process we have kept the interests of Ohio’s families and the middle class at the center of the debate, ensuring that we didn’t increase their tax burden at a time when they are least able to afford it.”

To retain Ohio’s small businesses, assist family farmers and encourage retirees to remain in Ohio, the Ohio Legislature included a provision in Sub. H.B. 153 to eliminate the estate tax in its entirety effective January 1, 2013. In total, Ohio’s taxpayers will save nearly $1 billion over the biennium through the Legislature’s efforts to reduce government waste and reconfigure the allocation of scarce financial resources.

The budget also establishes InvestOhio, which strives to spur new investment in Ohio and enhance innovation by rewarding major investments in the state. It would exempt any Ohioan who invests in an Ohio company and holds that investment for at least two years from paying state income taxes on its gains. Additionally, if an individual utilizes the gains from selling a stock to reinvest in an Ohio company and retains that investment for a two-year period, they may apply for a refundable state tax credit related to that original sale of shares.

“Creating jobs, encouraging investment in Ohio’s small businesses and making it easier to do business in Ohio were some of the primary objectives of this budget,” said Chairman of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster). “We took significant steps toward making Ohio a role model for the rest of the nation in an effort to revitalize what has been, in recent years, a struggling economy. We’re transforming the way the state of Ohio operates, solving the current structural imbalance without raising taxes. This is how an effective, responsible government should operate.”

That all sounds great. However, you know we have heard so much about how Kasich and Co. are going to slash and bash education. What about that?

Sub. H.B. 153 holds education paramount and uses existing funds to provide in-state college tuition rates for Ohio high school graduates who have left the state within the past 10 years, which would incentivize their return to the state. Moreover, the budget adds more than $100 million in additional dollars over the executive version to the school foundation formula and guarantees that no district receives a cut in state aid.

What? No cuts in state aid to school districts? Gee, what are they going to gripe about next?

The Legislature also expanded the value of and the eligible participants in the Cleveland Voucher Program to make education more affordable and to untie the hands of low-income families. The budget also increases the number of EdChoice Scholarship Program vouchers to 14,000 to 60,000 in fiscal year 2013 and increases the charter school sponsorship cap to 100.

Yep, here is what the OEA and the public school lobby are going to gripe about, even though their districts DID NOT RECEIVE A CUT in state aid.

“When the State of Ohio brought in increased revenue, we decided to invest those dollars in Ohio’s schools and give them an additional boost in their state aid,” said Vice-chairman of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee John Carey (R-Wellston). “Through this budget, we continue to capitalize on the opportunities before us and invest in the things that matter. At this time, we believe that our schools need the additional dollars so we can ensure that Ohio’s students receive a quality education, even during this difficult economy.”

The Legislature prioritizes protecting Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens by investing $31.3 million in fiscal year 2012 and $63 million in fiscal year 2013 over the executive budget in PASSPORT for seniors and allocating an additional $7.5 million for mental health services. Funding for Second Harvest Food Banks increases by $1 million annually to provide food and resources to people in need. Additionally, the budget provides for kinship care funding at $6 million over the biennium.

“The 2012-2013 budget means more than just an allocation of money for the biennium—it is an outline of our state’s priorities now and in the future,” said Amstutz. “In addition to promoting a better state economy and investing in our schools, the budget also safeguards Ohio’s citizens and promotes a better quality of life in Ohio.”

Putting education—as well as job creation and economic growth—first in this budget, the Ohio Legislature devoted an unwavering commitment to responsibly filling the multi-billion dollar budget deficit that was inherited from the previous administration.

Speaker Batchelder, Chairman Amstutz, and Vice-chairman Carey would like to thank Governor Kasich and the Ohio Senate for their continued hard work and collaboration on Sub. H.B. 153. They are also appreciative of the many citizens and interested parties who testified before the committee to help make the budget a better, more comprehensive bill.

“This budget has been a long and, at times, difficult process, but I could not be more pleased with this bill or the diligence that went into construction of this budget,” said Batchelder. “We’ve taken great strides toward making Ohio a better place to live, work, raise a family and start a business—but to paraphrase my good friend in the Governor’s Office, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

About time we really did begin to turn around Ohio, and it looks like this budget is one heck of a good start.

A tip of the hat to Bizzyblog.

St. Rep. Ruhl Announces Passage of K2/Spice, Bath Salts Bill

Release:

COLUMBUS – State Representative Margaret Ann Ruhl (R-Mount Vernon) announced that yesterday House Bill 64 was favorably passed by both the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate. The act, jointly sponsored by Representative Ruhl and Representative Dave Burke, bans the possession, use and sale of synthetic drugs commonly known as K2 or Spice.

 

“I started working on this bill last May, in the previous General Assembly.  I’ve worked diligently with my colleagues, leadership, law enforcement and members of the local community to seek passage of this important legislation,” Ruhl said.  “I appreciate the work of all those who helped with the passage of this bill. To see it finally passed by both chambers with so much support gives me great satisfaction.”

 

Under House Bill 64 penalties for the possession or trafficking of K2 or Spice will be the same as currently enforced for marijuana - a minor misdemeanor for possession and a fifth degree felony if convicted of trafficking in the vicinity of a school or juvenile. 

 

HB 64 passed the House in March with a vote of 97-1. The Senate amended the bill to add six synthetic derivatives of cathinone that have been found in bath salts to the list of schedule I controlled hallucinogenic substances in addition to an amendment that defines ‘controlled substance analog’ for the purposes of controlled substances law and provides that controlled substance analogs must be treated as schedule I controlled substances. The Senate unanimously passed the measure yesterday, with the House concurring with the Senate amendments last evening 97-1.

 

The act now moves to the governor for signature.

OhioGOP: Sherrod Brown "No Brain Surgeon" When it Comes Obamacare

Release:

Columbus - Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine released the following statement this morning in regard to Sherrod Brown's support for the extremely flawed Affordable Care Act of 2010.

"The more we learn about Obamacare, the more flaws emerge.  Objective news sources agree that Sherrod Brown supported legislation which reduces access to affordable health care, misspends taxpayer funds, and places undue burdens on the backs of small businesses and our already cash-strapped state."

"I know taxpayers agree with the Columbus Dispatch when they said, it doesn't take a 'brain surgeon' to determine the harmful effects of Obamacare which lay ahead.  That's why in 2012 Ohio will retire Sherrod Brown and replace him with a Senator who will work to repeal this disastrous piece of legislation once and for all."

Background Information:

Obamacare Was About Securing Political Legacy for Obama and Sherrod Brown.  "this law was never about sound policy. It was about politics and presidential bragging rights. A Democratic congressional majority used a moment of dominance to impose a hugely expensive and widely opposed new social program on the nation. The president saw it as the keystone of his legacy." (Editorial, "Extreme Demand," Columbus Dispatch 6/29/11)

Obamacare Decreases Access to Affordable Health Care. The United States faces a daunting shortage of doctors, a problem that President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul would critically exacerbate as it seeks to provide 32 million additional people with health insurance. (Editorial, "Extreme Demand," Columbus Dispatch 6/29/11)

• "The Association of American Medical Colleges projects Obamacare will worsen physician shortages by more than 50 percent, starting in 2015. By 2020, the nation will be short 45,000 primary-care physicians and 46,000 surgeons and specialists." (Editorial, "Extreme Demand," Columbus Dispatch 6/29/11)

Rush to Implementation Led to a Lack of Preparedness. "The real problem is that the issue of doctor supply should have been studied before the health-care overhaul mandated a huge increase in demand, not after." (Editorial, "Extreme Demand," Columbus Dispatch 6/29/11)

Obamacare Places Onerous Burden on Cash-Strapped States & Businesses

Health Care Reform Killing States' Already Strapped Budgets.  "States already can't win. They've been shifting funding from education, safety and all other programs to pay for their share of Medicaid and Medicare, which is often the largest chunk of a state's budget. Many states have found themselves in the position of cutting benefits for patients and lowering reimbursement rates to providers, which likely will cause more doctors to turn away Medicaid patients, as rates don't come close to covering their costs."  (Editorial, "Worse and Worse," Columbus Dispatch, 6/26/11)

• State's Certain to Feel the Effects Financially.  "Officials project the law will cost Ohio $2.3 billion from 2014 to 2019. Overhauling health care isn't supposed to add to the federal deficit - a highly suspect claim - but the states are certainly going to feel the pinch."  (Editorial, "Worse and Worse," Columbus Dispatch, 6/26/11)

Health Care Reform Written with Lies, "Arm-Twisting and Political Horse-Trading."  "But what else can one expect from a bill that was more than 1,000 pages long, cooked up behind closed doors without input from doctors and hospitals, justified with dishonest accounting and rushed through using arm-twisting and political horse-trading? Nothing in the law improves health care itself; it simply shoehorns more Americans into the already crowded and deeply flawed health-insurance system."  (Editorial, "Worse and Worse," Columbus Dispatch, 6/26/11)

Reform Will Actually Raise Rates on Financially Strapped Americans and Businesses.  "Already, companies that provide health insurance have seen a rise in premiums, as insurance companies now are forced to extend coverage to adult children of working parents."  (Editorial, "Worse and Worse," Columbus Dispatch, 6/26/11)

The $450 Billion "Glitch"

$450 Billion "Glitch" Allows Middle Class People to Get Nearly Free Insurance under Medicare. "President Barack Obama's health care law would let several million middle-class people get nearly free insurance meant for the poor, a twist government number crunchers say they discovered only after the complex bill was signed." ("Glitch in Obamacare Could Give Middle Class Insurance Coverage Intended for Poor," Associated Press, 6/21/11)

GUEST COLUMN: "The Fight for America" by St. Rep. Danny Bubp

St. Rep. Danny Bubp

By State Rep. Danny Bubp

Freedom, equality, justice—these are all buzz words associated with American democracy. We hear these terms repeated throughout our grade school years, in presidential addresses and mixed into political debates. But what do they really mean in the context of our national history? The United States is a unique country in that it has been led by the American public from its conception. These ideas denote more than just generic descriptions of government, but rather characterize the rich legacy of America.

 

On July 4^th, we will celebrate this enduring legacy and remember the historic events that occurred on the same day 235 years ago. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Second Continental Congress, sealing the Founding Fathers’ decision to separate from Great Britain and form a self-governing nation, the United States of America.

 

Independence Day officially became a federal holiday in 1870, but it was first celebrated the next year in 1777.  As a retired Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps and a member of the Ohio House Veterans Affairs Committee, this holiday holds special significance for me.

 

Since the first days of the American Revolution, men and women have been putting their lives on the line to fight for the rights and freedoms that we all enjoy. Many have sacrificed their lives for this cause, and many of our young men and women have also died during our current conflicts—all in the name of liberty.

 

It is very hard to explain to someone the importance of what both the Founding Fathers and all those who fought the Revolutionary War did for America. We go about our lives often forgetting how good we have it. However, I believe that there comes a time in our lives when something clicks—we wake up to the realization that the visions of our founders were truly revolutionary and affect us every day.

 

As you spend this Independence Day taking a weekend getaway, sitting on a beach, attending a parade or grilling out in the backyard, I hope that you’ll recognize the gifts and the rights given to us that our fellow Americans have fought so hard for in the past. God has truly blessed us over the last 235 years, and may He continue to bless our nation. Have a wonderful Fourth!

Nanny Statist Ohio House Passes Ban on Texting While Driving

Release:

COLUMBUS—The Ohio House of Representatives today passed legislation to prohibit driving a vehicle while using an electronic communications device to write, send or read a text-based communications.

 

House Bill 99, sponsored by State Representative Rex Damschroder (R-Fremont), also establishes certain exemptions to the prohibition, including a person using an electronic communications device for emergency purposes and a person driving a public safety vehicle who uses such a device in the course of the person’s duties.

 

“Texting while driving is a danger that has affected many within our communities,” Damschroder said. “We took an important step today toward addressing this issue and making our roads and highways safer.”

 

Additionally, House Bill 99 provides that for the first six months after the effective date of the bill, no ticket, citation or summons may be issued for a violation of the new prohibition established by the bill. During this time, only a warning may be issued that provides information about the prohibition.

 

The legislation passed with strong bipartisan support and will now move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.

Good news!  You can still tune your guitar while driving though...no law against that...yet.....

Ohio House Approves St. Rep. Sears’ Pit Bull Legislation

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Representative Barbara Sears (R-Monclova) today announced that House Bill 14—which revises the stereotyping of pit bills and adds due process in the Ohio Revised Code—passed from the Ohio House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support.

 

House Bill 14 would remove the Ohio Revised Code specification of pit bull breeds being inherently vicious. Current law defines vicious dogs as having histories of unprovoked aggression as well as any dog commonly known as a “pit bull.” Since a pit bull is not a distinct dog breed, the term often refers to other breeds’ resemblance to the idea of a pit bull, including American Staffordshire terriers, boxers, mastiffs, and bull terriers.

 

“Current law implies that pit bulls are inherently vicious and are the only dog breed that would attack without provocation,” Rep. Sears said. “It unfairly stereotypes dogs based solely on their appearance and allows truly vicious dogs to continue to roam our streets.”

 

The American Temperament Test Society, which tests the disposition of popular dog breeds based on unprovoked aggression and temper toward other dogs and people, found that pit bulls received an overall commendable temperament grade of 84.3 percent. Comparatively, they scored more favorably than, golden retrievers (84.2 percent), cocker spaniels (81.7 percent) and Chihuahuas (70 percent). Sears hopes that these findings will help to clear up public misconceptions about pit bull breeds and set a more accurate standard for deeming a dog as “vicious.”

 

"House Bill 14 holds both the dog and the owner responsible for the dog’s behavior and provides additional tools to law enforcement to protect our communities," said Rep. Sears.

 

House Bill 14 will now move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.

Ohio Senate Eliminates Historic Shortfall Without Raising Taxes

Release:

Columbus – The Ohio Senate gave final approval today to a balanced, two-year state budget that reduces spending and eliminates an initial $8 billion shortfall without raising taxes.

"This is a budget that's focused on three priorities: recovery, relief and reform," said Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond).  "We stabilized the most dramatic financial shortfall in state history, while allowing Ohioans to keep more of their hard-earned money in this tough economy.  At the same time, we reduced overall spending and adopted long-overdue reforms to everything from high-cost Medicaid programs to prison operations."

Leading Ohio's Recovery

Lawmakers began the session facing the threat of a projected and historic $8 billion structural imbalance in the budget, created in part by an over-reliance on one-time federal funds.  The Ohio Department of Taxation found that eliminating the projected shortfall simply by increasing revenue would require Ohio families to pay as much as 56 percent higher income taxes.

"In this economy, with high-priced gas, 9 percent unemployment and one of the highest tax burdens in the country, higher taxes simply are not an option," said Senator Chris Widener (R-Springfield), chair of the Senate Finance Committee.  "We fundamentally believe that the key to Ohio’s economic recovery is to reduce Ohio's tax burden on families and small businesses and to provide incentives that generate job creation.  This budget is structured around those priorities."

Providing Critical Relief

• The budget keeps the final installment of a 21 percent, across-the-board income tax cut approved in 2005 for every taxpayer.  The reduction is estimated to put more than $800 million back into the wallets of Ohio families at a time when they need it most.  
   
• The budget provides historic levels of Property Tax relief, $1.7 billion annually over the biennium, for every Ohio homeowner.
   
• The budget eliminates by 2013 Ohio’s job-killing "Death Tax," which drives entrepreneurs out of our state and destroys small businesses and family farms.  
   
• The budget includes tax credits to encourage community revitalization, job retention for major employers and economic development.
   
• The budget features an innovative new tax incentive to encourage capital investment in Ohio companies, an effort to create jobs and inject needed financial resources into small businesses. 

Advancing Historic Reforms

"This is a budget that makes difficult but necessary reductions in spending," said Senator Shannon Jones (R-Springboro), vice chair of the Senate Finance Committee.  "The previous administration chose to artificially prop up the last two-year budget with billions of dollars in one-time federal stimulus funds.  Those dollars, which temporarily supported everything from Medicaid to public education, are now gone.   The only alternative to replace them would be a massive tax increase in the face of a daunting recession, and that's a burden Ohioans cannot afford to carry.  Instead, we made difficult but necessary decisions to get spending under control through responsible reform, restructuring state revenue streams and enacting long-overdue improvements to high-cost programs, such as Medicaid, education, prison operations and economic development."

• Education: The budget guarantees that every district will receive at least their current level of basic state aid (excluding federal stimulus funding) over the next two years.  We provided millions of dollars in supplemental incentives for the highest-performing schools to encourage excellence.  We tasked the Ohio Department of Education with developing a new teacher evaluation system, designed to reward and retain the best and brightest in our schools.  By investing in students rather than bureaucracy, expanding accountable school choice, supporting successful schools and closing failing ones, and rewarding superior teachers with new evaluation standards, student learning and, therefore, our workforce will improve and help Ohio be more competitive.  
   
• Community Schools: The budget adopts new quality and operational controls for community schools, including more stringent closure criteria for failing schools and new requirements that make performance the basis for opening new schools.

Other significant reforms include:

• Medicaid:  Ohio’s Medicaid program, which accounts for 30 percent of the state budget, is fragmented and lacks coordination.  The budget includes a package of transformational changes that will improve the coordination of care for people on Medicaid, allow more seniors to live at home instead of in nursing homes, help prevent illness, and reduce costly emergency room visits.  This common-sense approach will improve the quality of health care for Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens and reduce costs for taxpayers.  The budget increases spending on community-based alternatives to nursing homes, including the PASSPORT program, by more than $143 million (10.3 percent) over the biennium.   All told, the budget makes it possible for an additional 12,890 Ohioans to receive Medicaid home- and community-based services instead of being admitted to an institution.
   
• JobsOhio:  The budget provides full support to an innovative new public-private effort to generate job growth and economic development.
   
• InvestOhio: The budget helps generate immediate capital investment in for Ohio's small businesses. which employ nearly half of all Ohioans.  The InvestOhio program allows Ohioans making an investment in a small business (of up to $10 million in a business with less than $50 million in assets or $10 million in annual sales) to receive a tax credit of 10 percent if they keep the investment for at least two years. 
   
• Prison Operations: The budget allows Ohio to replace bureaucratic management with private sector expertise and innovations, particularly in the state's fiscally unsustainable, over-crowded and increasingly dangerous corrections system.  Privately-run prisons have been proven to have lower rates of violence, and the new policy requires them save the state at least five percent.  

"This budget makes an emphatic statement that Senate Republicans are willing to make tough decisions and embrace bold reforms," said President Niehaus.  "Ohioans expect us to lead this state in a new direction, and that will take time, patience and courage.  This is only the beginning, but I'm confident that we're finally headed down a new path to job creation and prosperity in this state once again."

Bill Prohibiting Taxpayer-Funded Abortions Under Washington Mandates Passes Ohio House

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Reps. Danny Bubp (R-West Union) and Joe Uecker (R-Loveland) have announced that the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 79, which will prohibit the coverage of elective abortions within the health plans required by the new federal health care law.

 

The federal health care law requires each state to establish an “American Health Benefit Exchange” to encourage the purchase of health care plans, which may include elected abortions as a health care benefit. However, a state may prohibit abortion coverage in its own health benefit exchange if the state passes a law specifying as such.

 

“Currently, 29 other states have either introduced or plan to introduce similar legislation,” said Bubp. “It is important that we join this nationwide movement to protect the taxpayers from being forced to pay for abortions out of their own pockets, while at the same time taking steps to protect our most vulnerable Ohioans.”

 

“The people of the State of Ohio already face one of the highest tax burdens in the nation, and we have an obligation as lawmakers to rein in the cost of state government the best that we can,” said Uecker. “I think that this legislation is just one of the ways that our government can be accountable to the taxpayers.”

 

House Bill 79, which passed with bipartisan support, was originally introduced in May 2010 of the previous General Assembly. It will now move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.

GUEST COLUMN: "Coming Together This Independence Day" By St. Rep. John Adams

St. Rep. John Adams

By St. Rep. John Adams

To me, nothing better represents America than the displays of national pride and unity we have to celebrate our Independence Day. Freedom, democracy, liberty, patriotism—these are all words that come to our minds as we think about what this day means to us. Fortunately, in this country, we all have the opportunity to chase after the American Dream. It’s a dream characterized by hard work and self-reliance, but it is based in the principles written about in our Declaration of Independence—life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

 

The declaration that the colonists wished to be separated from Great Britain was adopted on July 4, 1776 by the Second Continental Congress, but it is still immortalized today, living in the hearts and minds of our current generation. We carry its significance everywhere we go. Whether exercising our right to free speech or simply ensuring the equal treatment of all, we are drawing from the framework of this historical document.

 

July 4^th is more than a day to honor the past; it is a day to honor the present. It’s also a day that we can express the strong and passionate spirit that marks us as Americans. While we have a diverse population that culminates from a variety of races, religions and other differences, our nation is a patchwork that remains united by our devotion to this free country. It inspires us to meet our aspirations and guides us on our drive to success.

 

This Independence Day, we must continue to think of those currently fighting to defend our freedom. Whether serving on our soil or in many of the countless places around the globe, the members of our military are keeping us safe and upholding all that the Declaration of Independence first established. They sacrifice themselves for our sovereignty, equality and civil representation. None of these come free, and Americans have been fighting since the days of the revolution to preserve them.

 

We have many ways of celebrating July 4^th, although most of us will spend the day relaxing with our friends and family. No matter where you are, this holiday is a time to come together under a shared sense of patriotism. The history of the United States is well worth commemorating, and I hope you’ll join me in this American tradition.

Heartbeat Bill Passes from Ohio House of Representatives

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Representative Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon) today announced that the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 125—legislation that, when enacted, will protect the lives of Ohio’s babies starting with their first detectable heartbeat.

 

House Bill 125, more commonly referred to as the Heartbeat Bill, will prohibit individuals from performing an abortion on a pregnant woman prior to testing whether the child she is carrying possesses a detectable heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected according to standard medical practice, an abortion will be prohibited by law unless the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother.

 

“In addition to focusing on jobs and Ohio’s business climate, we are also working to protect life—the most fundamental of human rights,” said Rep. Wachtmann.

 

A baby’s cardiac activity begins at a biologically identifiable time, normally when the heart is formed in the gestational sac. While as many as 30 percent of natural pregnancies end in spontaneous miscarriage, less than five percent of all natural pregnancies end in spontaneous miscarriage after the detection of fetal cardiac activity. Therefore, many believe that fetal heartbeat is a medical predictor that an unborn baby will reach viability and live birth.

 

House Bill 125 was introduced in February and has undergone extensive debate in the House. It will now be sent to the Ohio Senate for further debate and consideration.

Wachtmann Blasts Distortions about Great Lakes Compact, Water Withdrawal Regulatory Program Bill

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Representative Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon) today denounced the outright misinformation and falsities surrounding House Bill 231, which will implement Ohio’s first-ever water withdrawal regulatory program as required by the Great Lakes Compact in an effort to promote business growth.

 

In a statement released on Friday, former Governor and U.S. Senator George Voinovich attacked the job-creation potential of House Bill 231 and falsely accused it of undermining the resource protections established in the Great Lakes Compact. This was preceded by testimony by former Governor Bob Taft to the Senate Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Representative Wachtmann responded in length today in a letter to all members of the Ohio Senate, in which he responded to each of the inaccurate claims made about the bill.

 

“I feel compelled to respond to testimony you recently heard from Gov. Taft and a letter from Gov. Voinovich regarding House Bill 231, the implementation of the Great Lakes Compact,” Wachtmann said in response to the grossly exaggerated claims by the former governors, whose claims mirror the attacks by state environmentalist groups. “Unfortunately, they received inaccurate information about what is actually in the bill. Certain groups feel compelled to continue to spread misinformation and I have taken the liberty of responding to the testimony and letter.”

 

House Bill 231 allows Ohioans to utilize and invest in fresh-water resources without jeopardizing Ohio’s lakes and rivers. It will work in accordance with the Great Lakes Compact, which has been adopted in all eight Great Lakes border states and specifically in Ohio in 2008 as a way to prevent diversions of water to areas outside of the Great Lakes Basin. Access to affordable, abundant and reliable water supplies from the Lake Erie Basin is a cornerstone in retaining and attracting businesses to northern Ohio. In order for Ohio to remain economically competitive Ohioans need to encourage ongoing investment by utilizing the abundant water resources we have available.

 

“House Bill 231 is just one of the ways that we have worked to create jobs and attract more investment in Ohio,” Wachtmann added. “No one is disputing the fact that Lake Erie is one of our most precious resources, from tourist activity to recreation. For Senator Voinovich to insinuate through his letter that my House colleagues and I, in any way, are attempting to soil the integrity of our Great Lake and its viability for future generations is simply untrue. We cannot pass up the opportunity for business growth and economic investment, which is an infinite possibility through this legislation.”

 

House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee process on H.B. 231 was open and transparent, providing plenty of opportunity for the public to testify. There were five hearings in the committee and 12 witnesses who spoke to the bill.

AFP's Running on Empty Tour coming to Ohio, July 5, 6, 7

Release:

COLUMBUS, OH. – Americans for Prosperity Foundation, the premiere free-market educational organization, announces Ohio stops on its Running on Empty Tour, July 5, 6, and 7.  The tour is stopping throughout the United States this summer and fall, and warns taxpayers how President Obama’s regulatory and energy policies are causing skyrocketing energy prices – particularly prices at the gas pump.

“As Ohioans struggle to make ends meet, their bank accounts are shrinking as big government’s over-regulation is causing skyrocketing gas prices, food prices and energy costs,” said Americans for Prosperity Foundation Ohio State Director Rebecca Heimlich.

“Obama’s hostility toward domestic production and his desire to use high gas prices to change Americans’ driving behavior are contributing to the escalating cost of fuel,” said Americans for Prosperity Foundation President Tim Phillips.

The goal of AFP Foundation’s Running on Empty Tour is to educate the public on what the Obama Administration could do through executive action to bring down the cost of fuel and restore stability in the market.  AFP Foundation has pledged to mobilize citizens to speak out against the disastrous energy policies in place and the pain these policies are causing them at the gas pump each time they fill up.

We encourage Ohioans to join us at one of these Running on Empty Tour stops:

12pm, Tuesday, July 5th

Holiday Inn Englewood 

10 Rockridge Road

Englewood, Ohio 45322 (corner of I-70 and St. Rt. 48)

7pm, Tuesday, July 5th 

Holiday Inn Eastgate

4501 Eastgate Blvd.

Cincinnati, Ohio 45245

12pm, Wednesday, July 6th

Dorney Plaza, 

Findlay, Ohio 45840 (near the Findlay Municipal Building and the corner of Main St. and Main Cross St.) 

6pm, Wednesday, July 6th 

Summit Mortorsports Park

1300 St. Rt. 18

Norwalk, Ohio 44857

12pm, Thursday, July 7th

Belmont County Courthouse 

101 West Main Street 

St. Clairsville, Ohio 43950

6pm, Thursday July 7th

Spread Eagle Tavern

10150 Plymouth Street

Hanoverton, OH 44423

Concerned citizens at the tour stops will be encouraged to determine how much their gas bill has gone up since Obama took office. They will also be able to go online to RunningOnEmptyTour.com to calculate the impact of the Administration’s energy policies and its overregulation of industry.

The tour has already gone through Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Minnesota, and after Ohio will continue on to Pennsylvania and Michigan.

For more information and to register, please visit www.RunningOnEmptyTour.com.

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Ohio GOP: "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"

Release:

Columbus - Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine released the following statement in response to Vice President Joe Biden's Saturday night Columbus fundraiser: 

"If Barack Obama and Joe Biden paid as much attention to filling job rolls as they did their campaign coffers, Ohio's economy would be in much better shape," DeWine said.

"Since the beginning of this year, the thirty-five campaign fundraisers Barack Obama and Joe Biden have headlined show the nation's workforce and Ohio's unemployed, that the only jobs they care about saving are their own.  The Vice President should heed the advice of his own party's senate leader and skip the Ohio Democratic Party fundraiser on Saturday night until he can point to concrete progress on a debt limit agreement."

Background Information:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: There Should Be "No - No Vacation" Until Debt Ceiling Negotiations are Settled.  "SEN. HARRY REID:'I have one big complaint. And that is, they shouldn`t be taking breaks. They should be meeting every week, multiple times each week. And all of these congressional recesses, that should have no bearing. Our country is at a very important time in the history of our country. We must reduce our debt. We must increase the debt limit. And there`s no -- no vacation during this period of time. We have got to move forward.'"  (Sen. Harry Reid in Interview with Jim Lehrer, PBS' The NewsHour, 6/17/11)

Democrats Are Divided on How to Address the Nation's Finances

WaPo's Dana Milbank: "Obama is Almost Sticking It to the Left."  Dana Milbank:  "But what I don`t understand here is it does seem that Obama is almost sticking it to the left here, almost like it`s some humiliation here. And it`s been going on with the budget cuts, with tax cuts. ..."  (Dana Milbank, MSNBC Live with Cenk Uygur, 6/23/11)

Democrats Bailed on President Obama and His Call for a Clean Debt-Ceiling Vote.  "The House on Tuesday voted to reject a bill that would let the heavily indebted U.S. government borrow more money without any strings attached. ... The president has asked Congress to raise the so-called debt ceiling in a "clean" vote that includes no other conditions. The vote was 97 to 318, with 82 Democrats joining 236 Republicans in voting against the move."  (Jeffry Bartash, "Congres rejects 'clean' U.S. debt ceiling hike," Wall Street Journal's Market Watch, 5/31/11)

Some Democrats Favor Tax Increases.  "Senator Bernie Sanders says it's critical to include tax increases as part of a package to reduce the nation's debt. House Republican leaders say they'll strongly oppose any plan that includes tax hikes and Sanders is urging President Obama and the Democrats to stand up to the Republicans on this issue."  (Bob Kinzel, "To Cut Debt, Sanders Says Raise Taxes," Vermont Public Radio, 6/23/11) 

One Democrat Thinks Obama and Biden Shouldn't Raise Taxes and Need to Just "Be Quiet."  "Members of Oklahoma's congressional delegation on Tuesday flatly rejected separate suggestions from an unlikely duo - President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner - to kill or at least review tax breaks for oil companies. Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Boren said Obama just needs to be quiet."  (Jim Myers, "Oil tax breaks needed, Congress members say," Tulsa World, 4/27/11)

Other Democrats Have Fought All Along for Tax Cuts to Grow the Economy.  "[Dem Rep. Heath] Shuler expects to vote for policies that support the textile industry and other industries in rural North Carolina. He anticipates agreeing with Republicans on tax reform - 'make the tax structure less cumbersome, lower taxes on small businesses.' All three indicated early on their willingness to support President Barack Obama's tax cut compromise with Republicans, a package that infuriated many of their liberal brethren."  (Barbara Barrett, "Can Blue Dog Democrats survive the 112th Congress?," McClatchy Newspapers, 1/2/11)

And Yet Other Democrats Are Calling for More Failed Stimulus Spending.  "Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday called on Vice President Joe Biden to include new economic stimulus spending in deficit-reduction talks as a way of lowering the 9.1 percent jobless rate that is hobbling the economic recovery."  (Richard Cowan, "Senate Democrats seek new economic stimulus," Reuters, 6/22/11)

Talks Are Crumbling, Skeptics Surfacing

Biden is Skipping Town When Crucial Budget Talks Have "Effectively Collapsed."  "The White House said Thursday that President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner may have to intervene to salvage the bipartisan budget talks that effectively collapsed after the two Republican negotiators pulled out."  ("Obama Press to 'Resolve' Tax Hike Dispute as Budget Talks Collapse," Fox News, 6/23/11)

A Majority of Democratic Lawmakers Doubt the Debt Talks Will Meet Their Target Before the July 4^th Recess.  "Despite the self-imposed deadline of July 1 set by the bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Vice President Joe Biden to craft a deficit-reduction plan, a majority of Democratic and Republican Members of Congress doubt that target will be met for the holiday weekend, according to this week's National Journal Congressional Insiders Poll. [Dems "No" 52%]."  (James A. Barnes and Peter Bell, "Congressional Insiders Skeptical that Biden Group Will Meet Deadline," National Journal, 6/23/11)

• Even Dems Who Think a Deal is Possible "Are Skeptical" That They Will Meet Their Deadline.  "Even Democratic Insiders, who believe that a deal is possible by the time of the July 4 weekend, are skeptical that the Congress, particularly the GOP-controlled House of Representatives, will sign off on an agreement drafted by the bipartisan group."  (James A. Barnes and Peter Bell, "Congressional Insiders Skeptical that Biden Group Will Meet Deadline," National Journal, 6/23/11)

Meanwhile U.S. Debt Continues to Skyrocket

CBO: Debt Could Eclipse the Entire US Economy in 10 Years.  "The Congressional Budget Office reported Wednesday that the nation probably will owe outside creditors more than the size of the entire economy in 10 years.  The forecast -- a public debt equal to 101% of the economy in 2021, and rising to 187% by 2035 unless dramatic changes are made -- should be a warning to President Obama, Congress and Vice President Biden's band of bipartisan negotiators meeting daily to devise just a short-term fix."  (Richard Wolf, "Obama, Congress warned: National debt growing faster," USA Today, 6/22/11)

Since taking office, the national debt under President Obama has gone from $11.9 trillion to $14.3 trillion - a $2.4 trillion increase.  (Office of Management and Budget Historical Tables, "Federal Debt at the End of Year: 1940-2016," Table 7.1, Accessed 6/23/11)

Democrats Are More Concerned About Filling Campaign Coffers Than American Job Rolls

Obama "Under Fire" from Good Government Advocates for Fundraising Activities.  "A meeting President Barack Obama hosted in the White House for his key political backers from Wall Street is under fire from good government advocates and a Bush administration ethics official who say the session appeared to bring activity related to campaign fundraising onto White House grounds."  (Josh Gerstein, "Donor meeting at White House draws fire," Politico, 6/20/11)

Obama & Biden Have Headlined More Than 35 Democratic Fundraisers Since the Start of the Year.  "The White House says President Obama isn't focused on his reelection campaign, but tonight [Monday, June 20, 2011] he will headline his 29th and 30th fundraisers for the year. ... At the same point in former President George W. Bush's reelection cycle, he had done only three fundraisers. ..." [CBS News' Mark] Knoller said.  (Julie Mason, "Obama's 30th fundraiser tonight," Politico, 6/20/11)