News Update on Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus

Senator Sawyer Announces Funds for University of Akron and Wingfoot Lake

Columbus – Senator Tom Sawyer (D-Akron) is pleased to announce the State Controlling Board today approved the release of $175,000 to the Department of Natural Resources from the Trust for Public Land. The Funds will be used to purchase the final 20 acres at the Goodyear Wingfoot Lake property.

“Goodyear Wingfoot Lake has played an historic role in the lives of many Goodyear employees over the years. Goodyear’s efforts to make the land publicly available to people of northeast Ohio started in 2009,” said Senator Sawyer. “This is the final step in a series of steps that the company began and the state is finishing in making this land a recreational asset for thousands of people in northeast Ohio.”

The property includes shoreline, wood lots and open areas. It also hosts various waterfowl, fish populations and bald eagles. The Department of Natural Resources hopes to protect critical habitats and increase fishing opportunities with the land acquisition. Currently, Summit, Cuyahoga and Stark counties all rank in the top ten counties in Ohio for hunting and fishing license sales.

The State Controlling Board today also approved the release of $1.4 million to the University of Akron. The funds will be used to purchase 2.4 acres from Interstate Brands Corporation for campus development.

“This new land acquisition is essential to the educational development of the University of Akron,” said Senator Sawyer. “Located in the central area of campus, the land will help the university in its long-term development plans.”

The property will house grounds maintenance, vehicle and equipment storage. The land was most recently used for production, distribution and retail of Wonder Bread and Hostess products. The purchase of the land will not increase tuition or scholarship funding for students.

The State Controlling Board provides legislative oversight over certain capital and operating expenditures by state agencies and has approval authority over various other state fiscal activities. Senator Sawyer serves as the only Democratic Senator on the board.

Senator Cafaro to Introduce Caylee's Law in Ohio Senate

Columbus – Senate Democratic Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard) announced today that she is drafting legislation to make it a felony crime if parents, guardians or caregivers fail to report to law enforcement the death or disappearance of a child in a timely manner.

The legislation is named after Caylee Anthony, the two year old Florida girl whose death gained national attention. Caylee’s grandparents used to live in Trumbull County which is part of Senator Cafaro’s Senate District.

“Like many Americans I followed the investigation into Caylee’s death very closely,” said Senator Cafaro. “Her family’s connection to the Mahoning Valley made it feel even more personal to me and many of my constituents. It is my hope that this terrible tragedy will lead to changes in our laws that will prevent a similar situation from happening in Ohio.”

Senator Cafaro’s legislation will include the following provisions when it is drafted by the Legislative Service Commission:

• Must report the death of a child (up to the age of 17) within one hour upon learning of the death.
• Must report the disappearance of child age 12 and under within 24 hours and within 48 hours for a child age 13-17.
• Define caregiver as any adult responsible for the welfare of a child including a babysitter, friend or relative.
• Increase the penalty for giving false information to a police officer from a first degree misdemeanor to a low level felony.

Senator Cafaro has submitted a co-sponsor request to her colleagues in the Ohio Senate with the goal of building wide bipartisan support for this child protection legislation.

Senator Cafaro's Column for Ashtabula Star Beacon

There is nothing more fundamental in a democracy than the right to vote. Of all governmental functions, the ability to carry out fair and open elections should be paramount. Unfortunately, the Republican controlled Senate just passed legislation that will make it more difficult for Ohioans to vote.

The legislation, known as House Bill 194, drastically cuts early voting from 35 to just ten days. HB 194 also prohibits early voting on Sundays and limits weekend voting to just one Saturday. This will hurt hard working Ohioans who need the flexibility to vote around their work schedules.

Just as troubling is a provision in the legislation that drops the requirement for poll workers to assist voters in finding the correct precinct and another that throws out ballots even where the voter’s choice is abundantly clear.

The timeframe for mail-in absentee voting has also been shortened. All these changes will lead to unnecessary confusion when Ohioans next go to the polls, especially when you consider we overhauled our voting procedures just five years ago.

The General Assembly should focus its efforts on encouraging more Ohioans to participate in our democracy by making it easier to vote. HB 194 is a giant step backward.

Nearly 1.3 Million Siganatures Collected to Repeal Senate Bill 5

Democratic State Senators and Representatives particiapted in a parade that delivered nearly 1.3 million signatures to the Secretary of State's Office for a referendum to repeal Senate Bill 5. The anti-worker legislation takes away collective bargaining rights for police officers, firefighters, teachers and other public employees in Ohio.

Senator Tavares Passes Nurses Bill

Columbus – Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D–Columbus) and joint sponsor Senator Scott Oelslager (R–North Canton) successfully passed Senate Bill 83, the Advanced Practice Nurse Bill, out of the Senate today with a 23 to one vote. Senate Bill 83 will modify the authority of an Advanced Practice Nurse to prescribe schedule II drugs in specified medical facilities.

“Senate Bill 83 provides another option to expand comprehensive health care to Ohio’s residents,” said Senator Tavares. “Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) will become a part of the medical team with collaborating physicians to prescribe schedule II-V drugs in Ohio; joining 33 other states.”

Senate Bill 83 is Senator Tavares’ first bill to pass out of the Senate. The bill will allow APN’s to prescribe schedule II drugs under a Standard Care Agreement with their collaborating physician. The physician would decide whether or not their APN could prescribe these drugs under the agreement.

Other safeguards include requiring APN’s with a certificate to prescribe to complete an additional six hours of continuing education related to schedule II medications and prescribing prior to the renewal of their license.

“We are protecting the patient while expanding health care services,” said Senator Tavares.

Ohio Senate Passes State Budget That Imposes Devastating Cuts on Schools and Local Governments

Columbus – Senate Democratic Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus today voted “no” on the final version of the biennial state budget (HB 153). The budget imposes massive and devastating cuts on Ohio’s public schools and local governments and gives the Governor broad powers to privatize valuable state assets.

“The state of Ohio has effectively balanced its budget by unbalancing the budgets for school districts and local governments across the state,” said Senator Cafaro. “It’s pass the buck budgeting that sticks local tax payers with the bill. I fear the result will be more layoffs, reduced public services and higher local taxes.”

The budget plan slashes the local government fund by 50% in fiscal year 2013 and cuts funding for local schools by an estimated $2.8 billion over the next two years according to a coalition of school officials.

Senate Democrats offered an amendment in the budget conference committee that would allocate school funding on a fairer and broader basis. However, majority Republicans rejected the amendment and chose to give additional money to wealthy school districts at the expense of urban and poor districts.

The budget (HB 153) also permits the sale of six prisons, sets the stage for leasing the Ohio Turnpike and gives cities the authority to sell or lease their parking meters to private companies.

“I am deeply concerned this rush to privatize valuable public assets will end up being a bad deal for taxpayers,” said Senator Cafaro. “These assets belong to the citizens of Ohio and they should not be sold off at rock bottom prices.”

Senator Cafaro also expressed concern about the continued assault on workers’ rights that began with Senate Bill 5. A provision of HB 153 specifically prohibits collective bargaining for employees of charter schools.

Senator Turner Talks About Budget Cuts on NBC4

State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) talked to NBC4 in Columbus about the devastating impact that Republican budget cuts will have on local governments across Ohio.

Senate Democrats Discuss Budget Vote

Members of the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus talk about why they voted against Governor Kasich's budget plan for the State of Ohio--a plan that will cost jobs and inflict devastating cuts on schools and local governments.

Senate Democrats Offer Proposal to Increase Fairness in Education Funding

Columbus – The Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus today unveiled an education funding proposal that ensures urban and rural school districts are not shortchanged. The Student Success Index is one of the 242 budget amendments that Senate Democrats submitted to the Senate Finance Committee.

“Unlike a plan put forth by Senate Republicans, our proposal doesn’t leave anybody out,” said Senate Minority Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard). “We are ensuring that all students, regardless of their circumstances, are receiving more resources for their education.”

Senate Republicans inserted an additional $115 million into the state budget which overwhelmingly benefits wealthy school districts. This “Robin Hood in reverse” proposal ignores Ohio’s most challenged districts.

The Student Success Index distributes the same $115 million funding increase on a fairer and broader basis by utilizing three widely recognized measurement tools: District Report Cards, the Education Challenge Factor and State Performance Index scores. The measurements reward success while also acknowledging the challenges that all districts face.

Like the House passed version of the budget, the Student Success Index ensures that no school district will see more than a 20 percent decrease in state funding from FY 2011 spending levels. In fact, every school district in Ohio will see additional funding beyond the House plan.

The Senate Democratic Caucus also submitted the following amendments to promote fairness and accountability in the state budget:


· Eliminate a requirement to privatize management of the Ohio Lottery.

· Restore funding for public transportation, alcohol and drug addiction services, mental health services, County Boards of Development Disabilities, the Ohio Fatherhood Commission, Ohio Consumers’ Counsel and Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs.

· Prohibit oil and gas drilling in state parks.

· Restore collective bargaining rights for home health care workers and Statehouse maintenance staff.

· Require government entities to follow the same layoff notice requirements as the private sector.

Senator Skindell Calls for Timeout in Privatizing Lottery

Columbus – Senator Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) today called for removing a provision from the state budget that would privatize the Ohio Lottery by June 1, 2012. Senator Skindell will submit an amendment this week to strip the Lottery privatization proposal from the Senate’s version of the budget.

“I have concerns about the timing and the manner by which this proposal was inserted in the budget,” said Senator Skindell, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee. “Members of the General Assembly have not had sufficient time to determine if this is a good idea or simply a sweetheart deal for private companies that want to take over management of the Lottery.”

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported today that language included in the Senate’s version of the budget is nearly identical to legislation drafted by a company that hopes to take over day-to-day management of the Lottery. In addition, the Chairman of the Ohio Lottery Commission told the Plain Dealer he was not consulted about the proposed legislation.

“Any discussion about privatizing the Lottery should have full transparency and much greater scrutiny than this proposal has received so far,” said Senator Skindell.

Senator Skindell also pointed out that the most recent state audit praised the Lottery’s operations. Last year Lt. Governor Mary Taylor, in her previous role as State Auditor, determined the Ohio Lottery “performed well” and its management practices were consistent with other U.S. Lotteries.

Senator Kearney Walks from Cincinnati to Ohio Statehouse

State Senator Eric Kearney (D-Cincinnati) walked from Cincinnati to the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus for the 5th consecutive year. This year he walked to raise awareness for juvenile diabetes and the Sickle Cell Anemia Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

Senate Democrats Submit Amendments to Restore Fairness and Accountability to State Budget

Columbus – The Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus is submitting more than 300 amendments today to add much-needed fairness and accountability to House Bill 153, the proposed biennial state budget for fiscal years 2012-2013. The amendments reflect the Caucus’ commitment to protecting good-paying jobs, strengthening families and empowering communities.

“Our priority is to protect taxpayers and address some of the devastating cuts proposed by the Governor and House Republicans,” said Senate Minority Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard). “We should not balance the budget on the backs of the vulnerable or local governments. Unfortunately, that’s what will happen if we don’t make considerable changes to the current budget plan.”

The budget amendments protect taxpayers by strengthening oversight and accountability for charter schools and by ensuring there are no “sweetheart deals” to sell state prisons or lease the Ohio Turnpike at less than fair market value.

The Senate Democratic Caucus has proposed restoring funding for PASSPORT and Help Me Grow—programs that provide vital healthcare and nutrition services for older and younger Ohioans. The list of amendments also includes the restoration of funding for public transportation, mental health/developmental disability programs and the Ohio Consumer’s Counsel.

“The Republican budget cuts are going to hurt too many Ohioans who desperately need our assistance,” said Senator Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood), the Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee. “Our amendments will help Ohioans at a time when many of them have no where else to turn.”

The amendments utilize resources from a projected budget surplus for fiscal year 2011.

Senator Smith's Letter to the Cleveland Plain Dealer

I agree with the Plain Dealer that Ohioans should hold on to their wallets if Republicans succeed in carrying out an unwarranted attack on the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel. The watchdog agency should be commended for protecting consumers, not muzzled and defunded.

Consumers’ Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander leads an agency that is a fierce advocate for Ohio’s utility customers. Since 1976, the agency has saved Ohioans more than $10 billion on their gas, electric, telephone and water bills

It doesn’t make sense to slash the Consumers’ Counsel’s budget by 51 percent when the agency is funded by fees on the utility companies, not tax dollars. And I don’t understand why Republicans want to impose a gag order to bar the Consumers’ Counsel from speaking out if natural-gas deregulation leads to higher prices. These issues must be addressed by the Ohio Senate.

As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I will be fighting to restore funding to the Consumers’ Counsel. I urge every Ohioan who supports lower utility bills to do the same.

Elections Legislation Press Conference

At a Statehouse news conference, Senate and House Democrats said if proposed changes to Ohio's election laws pass the General Assembly, voting in Ohio will become harder and more restrictive.