St. Rep. Becker Introduces Bill Allowing Hunters to Use Noise Suppressors

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COLUMBUS—State Representative John Becker (R-Union Township) has introduced House Bill 234, legislation that will allow hunters to use noise suppressors on their firearms. In order to qualify, a hunter would be required to have a valid Ohio hunting license and a Federal Class 3 license for the suppressor.

He is co-sponsoring the bill with Representative Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City).

“I am very pleased that Representative Grossman asked me to join her as a joint sponsor of this bill,” Becker said. “This legislation will help prevent hearing loss for those who choose to use a suppressor. It will also cut down on noise that can be disturbing to others.”

HB 234 will be assigned to a House committee where it will be taken up for consideration.

St. Reps. Grossman, Terhar Applaud Decision to Provide Health Coverage for Autism

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COLUMBUS—State Representatives Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City) and Lou Terhar (R-Cincinnati) today applauded Governor John Kasich’s decision to include coverage for autism spectrum disorders to state employee health insurance, health insurance sold in the private market, and health insurance sold through upcoming federally managed health insurance exchange. Reps. Grossman and Terhar jointly sponsored legislation in the House to include autism to insurance coverage provided under the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007.

Rep. Grossman released the following statement:

“I am grateful to Governor Kasich for having the courage to make the right decision to provide this important coverage for the thousands of children who fall within the autism spectrum throughout Ohio. It has been heart-wrenching to hear testimony from these families who want their child to have the same opportunities as other children to succeed and be self-sufficient. As a state, it is paramount that we provide every child with the tools and services to help them succeed. I am proud that Ohio has made this important decision for our children and our families.”

Rep. Terhar released the following statement:

“As a former president and CEO, and current owner of small businesses, I applaud Governor Kasich for his courage and foresight in adding care for those afflicted with autism to Ohio’s Essential Healthcare Benefit Plan. The governor has recognized the human cost to families, and the increasing financial burden to our educational system can only be alleviated by bold and decisive action now. It is to the governor’s great credit that he has stepped forward and taken this action swiftly and decisively. The people of Ohio have been well served by their governor and his ability to ensure the future prosperity of our state.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism affects 1 in 88 children. Forty-seven percent of children who receive treatment will assimilate into mainstream education without aid by the time they reach the first grade, compared with just 2 percent without treatment.

St. Reps. Burke and Grossman Applaud Passage of Sunset Review Legislation

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COLUMBUS—In an effort to streamline state spending and save tax dollars, the Ohio House of Representatives today passed Senate Bill 171 to implement the recommendations of the Sunset Review Committee by terminating, transferring or renewing various boards, commissions or committees.

 

The Sunset Review Committee, after a two-year review of more than 275 such boards and commissions, has recommended the termination of more than 80 commissions based on criteria including cost effectiveness, transparency and redundancy.

 

“Implementing the recommendations of the Sunset Review Committee will save the state considerable dollars and help to make our state government more cost-effective,” said State Rep. Dave Burke (R-Marysville), who jointly sponsored the House companion legislation—House Bill 264—with Assistant Majority Whip Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City). “Senate Bill 171 and House Bill 264 are both good bills that accomplish the goal of improving the way our state does business.”

 

“The Legislature’s swift action on this bill shows our commitment to improving the economy and reducing government waste,” said Rep. Grossman. “I’m pleased that we took advantage of this opportunity to reexamine our state spending and ensure that we are always striving to be more efficient for the taxpayers.”

 

Senate Bill 171 passed from the House with wide bipartisan support. Having passed consideration by both the House and Senate, it will now move to Governor Kasich for his signature.

Estate Tax Repeal Draws Hundreds of Supporters

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COLUMBUS—Several hundred supporters gathered at the Ohio Statehouse today in support of House Bill 3, which would repeal Ohio’s economically punitive estate tax, more commonly  known as the “death tax.” When enacted, it will allow small business owners, farmers and homeowners to rightfully pass on their assets to their heirs without fear of being taxed twice on their life’s savings, which will make Ohio more competitive for entrepreneurial growth and investment.

 

At the press conference, which was attended by members of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and Citizens United to End Ohio’s Estate Tax, Assistant House Majority Whip Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City) and Rep. Jay Hottinger (R-Newark) reiterated the necessity of making Ohio’s tax climate a national competitor for jobs, businesses and people.

 

“Ohio is one of only 17 states that currently impose a death tax on its citizens,” said Grossman. “As a result, we’ve experienced a flood of overtaxed business owners and people leaving our borders and moving into other states that welcome them with open arms. Our state simply has not been doing enough to convey to these people that we want their jobs, their investments and their contributions to our state economy.”

 

“For too long, Ohio’s estate tax has taken direct aim at our middle class and has contributed to our loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and people,” said Hottinger. “House Bill 3 is just one of the ways that we can reinvent how the State of Ohio does business so we can compete in the 21^st century economy.”

 

Ohio currently has the lowest estate tax exemption in the United States. Only $338,333 of the taxable estate is exempt from the estate tax, compared to an average exemption amount of approximately $1.7 million for other states that have an estate tax. For this reason, supporters of the elimination of the estate tax say that it hurts Ohio’s middle class, undermines job creation, and discourages saving and investing in the state.

 

In addition to Reps. Grossman and Hottinger, other speakers who expressed their support for House Bill 3 were Rep. Bob Peterson (R-Sabina) and members of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and Citizens United to End Ohio’s Estate Tax.

House GOP Introduces Bill to Eliminate Ohio’s Estate Tax

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COLUMBUS—Assistant House Majority Whip Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City) and State Representative Jay Hottinger (R-Newark) today jointly introduced legislation to eliminate the Ohio estate tax, also known as the “death tax.” House Bill 3 will allow small business owners, farmers and homeowners to rightfully pass on their assets to their heirs without fear of being taxed twice on their life’s savings, which will make Ohio more competitive for entrepreneurial growth and investment.

 

“House Bill 3 is just one of the many ways we will be working to aggressively improve the way the state of Ohio does business,” said Rep. Grossman. “When you hear of the 400,000 jobs that have left the state of Ohio, 90 percent of those have gone to other states—not overseas. We need to be more business-friendly, and I think that this legislation is a huge step in the right direction for the people of Ohio and for the generations to follow.”

 

“We are beginning the process of ending a fundamentally unfair and egregious tax, a tax that is often the case of double taxation,” said Rep. Hottinger. “This bill is about restoring fairness to Ohio’s hardworking citizens, our families, small business owners, as well as our state’s farmers. Ending this tax will have a tremendous effect on job creation in the state of Ohio.”

 

Ohio currently has the lowest estate tax exemption in the United States. Only $338,333 of the taxable estate is exempt from the estate tax, compared to an average exemption amount of approximately $1.7 million for other states that have an estate tax. For this reason, supporters of the elimination of the estate tax believe that it takes direct aim at Ohio’s middle class, undermines job creation, and discourages saving and investing in the state.

 

“The estate tax represents essentially a 7 percent incentive for capital to not come to Ohio or to leave Ohio,” said Jack Boyle, executive director of the Ohio Prosperity Initiative. “[House Bill 3] is the beginning of Ohio making its step back to competitiveness. We’ve had a 30-year slide of our state’s economic fortunes, and this is the day that we start changing that.”

 

“The Ohio Farm Bureau has long stood as an opponent of the estate tax,” said Beth Vanderkooi, director of state policy for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. “We’re very excited that Representatives Grossman and Hottinger are going to try to [enact this bill] in Ohio this year, and we’re strongly behind that.”

 

House Bill 3 was assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee, where it will undergo further consideration.

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UPDATE: Co-Sponsor, House Majority Whip John Adams (R-Sidney):

“Shrinking the footprint of government permits the atmosphere for the job creators to do what they do best. That is; taking risks. Keeping their capitol here in Ohio allows them to do just that,” House Majority Whip Adams said.

Ohio House GOP Lawmakers Introduce Estate Tax Reduction Act

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COLUMBUS—State Representatives Jay Hottinger (R- Newark) and Cheryl Grossman (R- Grove City) today introduced House Bill 326 that would shrink Ohio’s estate tax liability, a proposal included in “The Future of Ohio” plan introduced earlier this fall by House Republicans.

“It is time to improve Ohio’s heavy tax burden by reducing the estate tax,” Hottinger said. “Ohioans are already handicapped by one of the highest tax rates in the country, which is shortchanging our ability to attract jobs and families. The estate tax continues to be a contributing cause of our population exodus. This legislation would encourage many Ohioans to remain in the state where they can pass on their life savings to their heirs without penalty.”

This legislation would allot all estate tax revenues to local governments by eliminating the state share, which is currently 20 percent. Municipalities and townships would have the right to exempt the estate tax within their territorial jurisdiction. The bill would also increase the state estate tax credit to $15,575 and link it with the consumer price index, effectively raising the exemption threshold to $366,250 for estates with dates of death on or after January 1, 2010.

“Ohio is one of only 23 states that still impose a death tax,” Grossman said. “What kind of messages does this send to Ohioans who have worked hard their whole lives and invested in our communities? It is important as we seek ways to improve Ohio’s economy that we ease the tax burden in any way we can, including for those families struggling with the loss of a loved one.”

Under current Ohio law, every estate is taxed at a rate ranging from 2 percent to 7 percent, and most have an initial fee assessed as well. There are six classified tax brackets ranging from taxable estates of $40,000 or less to estates worth more than $500,000. The payment of this tax is divided to provide 20 percent to state General Revenue Fund and the additional 80 percent is distributed to the local municipalities.

This bill is a key component to “The Future of Ohio” package of proposals rolled out by House Republican members last month. These economic development proposals were drawn from discussions with constituents and small business leaders across Ohio. The initiatives would come at a minimal cost to taxpayers, with long-term job creation, economic stimulus, and far greater revenue in state income than costs. Jobs created by these proposals would have a multiplier effect on the economy by increasing tax revenues for state and local government.