My Committee Work During the 131st General Assembly

Guest Column from State Representative Jim Buchy

At the beginning of every General Assembly, the Speaker of the House appoints all members of the caucus to different committees. There are nineteen committees in all, and each member is appointed to different committees based upon their individual strengths and expertise. Speaker Cliff Rosenberger has appointed me to three House committees for this General Assembly. In addition, I am honored to have been elected by my colleagues to serve as Assistant Majority Leader for our caucus.

Coming from a heavily agricultural district, I was appointed to the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. During the past two years, this committee was known as the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, but was split into two committees so that we can closer examine the important issues at hand. The first issue we will be taking a look at is improving the water quality of our lakes and streams here in Ohio.

Lake Erie and inland lakes like our Grand Lake St. Mary’s have suffered from increased algal blooms in recent years. Our committee is holding field hearings across the state to research and gather information on these issues. By traveling to the field to learn about these issues, we can hear from experts on the ground and citizens living near these bodies of water. We hope to address these issues and better serve our constituents by making this a priority. Representative Dave Hall and I have introduced a bill, House Bill 61, that will work to combat this issue with improved nutrient management practices, establishing a phosphorus monitoring process and banning the depositing of dredged material into Lake Erie

I was also appointed to the House Public Utilities Committee, where we will examine issues dealing with services provided to the public, such as electricity, natural gas, water, and sewage. I look forward to serving on this committee where the issues at hand affect all Ohioans. Assuring that our citizens have reliable, safe utility services at an honest price is extremely important to me, and I will look in the best interest of my constituents when dealing with these issues.

My final committee appointment is to the House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee. This committee is close to my heart, because it is our responsibility in the legislature to hold government accountable to taxpayers of this state. Ohioans deserve an effective government that works for them. By keeping a watchful eye to the bills we evaluate, we can ensure that the people of Ohio have a state government that is held accountable.

Please take a moment to give me your opinion on this issue and others in the news this month by completing a survey at tinyurl.com/buchyfebruary2015