State Budget Shortfall: House Bill 318 passed the Ohio House on October 21 and includes Governor Strickland's plan to address an $851 million budget shortfall by implementing a tax increase of 4.2 percent retroactive of January 1, 2009. The budget shortfall is a result of the governor's failed attempt to expand gambling by adding slot machines at race tracks. The Supreme Court recently ruled that the plan to add slot machines was subject to a referendum. House Bill 318 has received hearings in the Senate Finance Committee. Senate Republicans are working to find a compromise that includes a partial income tax increase delay and pulls funding from other sources. The proposal considered this week included oil and gas drilling in remote areas of the Salt Fork State Park, criminal sentencing reforms, and use of casino licensing fees. As the proposal did not garner enough support to be voted out of the Senate Finance Committee, action has been delayed until the first week of December.
Common Sense Regulation Act: House Bill 230, the Common Sense Regulation Act, passed the Ohio House on October 28. This act aims to improve the state agency regulatory processes, especially as they relate to small businesses. Under existing law, the Office of Small Business is a division of the Department of Development under the supervision of a manager appointed by the Director. It performs various duties for the small business community, including receiving complaints from small businesses concerning governmental activities, and helping small businesses resolve regulatory and licensing problems with state government. House Bill 230 renames the office's manager as the Small Business Advocate. In addition to the position's former duties, the Small Business Advocate must attend and participate in a semiannual meeting held by the Director of Administrative Services regarding impediments to the efficient and successful operation of small businesses. Additionally, the bill establishes the Ohio Small Business Panel to discuss issues relevant to small businesses, including matters such as the special challenges involved in establishing and successfully operating a small business, and the statutes, rules and state agency processes that are involved in the operation of small businesses. As a result of its discussions, the panel may make recommendations for changes in statutes and rules and in state agency processes that are needed to reduce or eliminate burdensome or unproductive governmental regulation to improve the economic climate within which small businesses operate. The bill also requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program for providing environmental regulatory compliance assistance to small businesses. I am a co-sponsor of this legislation, which is in the Senate for consideration.
House Bill 209: Last year Issue 5, which called for the enforcement of House Bill 545, payday lending reform, was approved by Ohio voters through a ballot initiative. Voters affirmed a 28 percent cap on payday loans and other consumer protection measures. However, since the bill became law, payday lenders have found ways to increase cost by charging new fees and giving payday loans through other loan licenses. House Bill 209 would reinforce the mandate set forth by Ohioans. It would require an interest rate cap of 28 percent for all loans of up to $1,000 made for a term of 3 months or less, regardless of what license is used to grant the loan. This legislation would also eliminate "check cashing fees" that some payday lenders now charge borrowers to cash a check issued in the store of the payday lender. This bill is currently in the House Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Securities Committee.
Senate Bill 131: Senate Bill 131, currently in the House Agriculture Committee, would require the Director of the Department of Administrative Services to establish a program that ensures that supplies composed of bio-based products are given preference by the Department of Administrative Services and other state agencies when purchasing equipment, material, or supplies. The bill authorizes the director to determine that it is not feasible for a bio-based product to be purchased due to availability or unreasonable cost. This legislation was modeled after a federal program and is supported by the Ohio Farm Bureau.
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