Property tax legislation
The House and Senate are considering two bills that would make temporary changes to property tax valuations. The bills could potentially be amended to adjust the 20-mill floor. OSBA, BASA and OASBO distributed a joint call to action letter with in-depth information on this issue and talking points for contacting your state legislators. Click here to read the letter. Please contact your legislators in both the House and Senate as soon as possible.
Senate Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a third hearing on Senate Bill (SB) 153, sponsored by Sens. George Lang (R-West Chester) and Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), which would temporarily modify the method for valuing farmland and other real property for tax purposes.
House Ways and Means Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on House Bill (HB) 263, sponsored by Reps. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Townhip), which would authorize a property tax freeze for certain owner-occupied homes.
House Transportation Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 279, sponsored by Rep. Bernard Willis (R-Springfield), which would require occupant restraining devices to be installed on all school buses within five years.
The committee also heard sponsor testimony on HB 140, sponsored by Richard D. Brown (D-Canal Winchester), which would increase penalties for passing a school bus and allow the use of cameras on school buses.
House Higher Education Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 183, sponsored by Reps. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) and Beth Lear (R-Galena), regards single-sex bathroom access in primary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education.
The committee also held sponsor testimony on HB 219, sponsored by Reps Adam Bird (R-Cincinnati) and Sean Brennan (D-Parma), regards the College Credit Plus Program.
House Government Oversight Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 257, sponsored by Reps. James M. Hoops (R-Napoleon) and Thaddeus J. Claggett (R-Newark), which would authorize certain public bodies to meet virtually, including the School Employees Retirement Board. School boards, among other boards, are not included in the authorization.
House Pension
The committee amended and passed HB 78, sponsored by Reps. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) and Joseph A. Miller, III (D-Amherst), which would change the State Teachers Retirement Board membership to allow retirees who are reemployed to seek election as a contributing or retired member of the board. The amendment states that those permittees employed as substitute teachers are included as members of the State Teachers Retirement System and specifically excludes them from the School Employee Retirement System.
House Finance Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 164, sponsored by Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Seitz, which establishes the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program. The bill requires the Department of Education to hire a full-time school foster care liaison and make an appropriation for the Foster-to-College Scholarship Program.
New bills introduced
SB 168, sponsored by Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester), regards education regulation reform and updating outdated language in the Ohio Revised Code. Some changes include:
- amends the language on a board of education (BOE) of municipalities adopting teacher evaluations;
- permits the BOE to combine their mandatory meeting to discuss the school calendar with another board meeting;
- amends language on the standards for community schools and their report cards;
- amends language on the reasonable reductions in nonteaching employees to no longer give preferential treatment based on seniority unless deciding between two employees with comparable evaluations; and
- amends language on licensure requirements for certain school employees.
Federal update
Please click here to read the weekly Federal Advocacy Education Report which includes education related information.