Opportunity to testify on state budget next week
Public hearings on the education portions of the biennial budget bill - House Bill (HB) 166 - are set for the week of April 8. Click here to access a committee notice that includes information for providing testimony.
New law
The governor signed into law HB 62, which funds the state transportation budget and affects school districts by holding them harmless from the bill’s increase in the motor fuel tax rates.
House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee conducted a second hearing on HB 123, sponsored by Reps. Glenn W. Holmes (D-Girard) and Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville), which requires public schools to implement certain programs regarding suicide awareness and prevention and violence prevention.
The committee also conducted first hearings on the following bills:
• HB 132, sponsored by Rep. Don Manning (R-New Middletown), which requires public and nonpublic schools to notify each student’s parent of the exemptions from immunizations that are required to attend school.
• HB 164, sponsored by Rep. Timothy E. Ginter (R-Salem), which deals with student religious expression in public schools.
• HB 154, sponsored by Reps. Joseph A. Miller III (D-Amherst) and Don Jones (R-Freeport), which dissolves all academic distress commissions, repeals the laws regarding distress commissions and establishes a community learning center process for low-performing school buildings and for school districts currently subject to a distress commission.
• Senate Bill (SB) 4, sponsored by Sens. Michael A. Rulli (R-Salem) and Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard), which appropriates $100 million for school facilities projects.
Senate Education Committee
The committee heard proponent testimony on SB 89, sponsored by Sen. Matt Huffman (R-Lima), which revises the law regarding career-technical education and joint vocational school districts. The following school district representatives testified in support of the bill:
• Dr. Nancy D. Luce, superintendent, Upper Valley Career Center;
• Brooke Click, EMIS and testing coordinator, Penta Career Center;
• Gregory A. Edinger, superintendent, Vanguard-Sentinel Career & Technology Centers;
• William DiMascio, educational coordinator, Lakewood City.
Click here and select "April 02, 2019" to view their testimony.
The committee also heard proponent testimony on SB 110, sponsored by Sen. Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville), which modifies the composition of Lorain City’s academic distress commission, requires evaluations of the commission’s CEO and requires the CEO to appear before the school board when requested.
House Ways and Means Committee
The committee conducted a third hearing on HB 75, which requires school boards to pass a resolution approving a property valuation complaint or counter-complaint prior to filing that complaint and also send written notice to the property owner indicating intent to file a complaint or counter-complaint.
The following school district representatives testified in opposition of the bill:
• Robert W. Kuehnle, treasurer, Mansfield City;
• Jeffrey J. Dornbusch, treasurer, Port Clinton City.
Click here and select “April 02, 2019” to view their testimony.
The committee also conducted a third hearing on HB 76, which modifies the form of election notices and ballot language for property tax levies.
House Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education
The committee continued to hear testimony on HB 166, which makes appropriations for the state operating budget for fiscal years 2020 and 2021, including the school-funding formula. Testimony included remarks from members of the school-funding workgroup convened by Reps. Robert R. Cupp (R-Lima) and John Patterson (D-Jefferson).
House Economic and Workforce Development Committee
The committee conducted sponsor testimony on HB 149, sponsored by Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township). The bill exempts from property tax the increased value of unimproved land that has been subdivided for residential development for eight years or until construction begins or the land is sold.
Senate Ways and Means Committee
The committee conducted a third hearing on SB 36, which revises the standards for county auditors when assessing federally subsidized residential rental property values.