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Cincinnati
Enquirer...
Jobs, unions,
abortion on statehouse docket this week
by Jon Craig
COLUMBUS - Statehouse hearings ramp up this week with testimony on Gov.
John Kasich’s JobsOhio program, and locally-sponsored legislation
banning racial profiling and overhauling the 1983 collective bargaining
law.
Senate Finance Committee hearings resume Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. on House
Bill 1, which allows Kasich to privatize the Department of Development
by creating a non-profit JobsOhio program.
The House passed a JobsOhio bill earlier this month; If the Senate
approves that version, it could go straight to Kasich for his
signature. If the Senate makes any changes to the bill this week, the
full House would have to approve them before Kasich can sign it into
law.
Other highlights of the week ahead in Columbus:
At 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, testimony continues on Senate Bill 5, sponsored
by Sen. Shannon Jones. The Springboro Republican’s bill would eliminate
collective bargaining for state workers, make pay for all public
employees merit-based and eliminate binding arbitration in contract
disputes.
Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., the Senate Judiciary Committee hears testimony
on a bill amending state law involving minors having an abortion. Under
Senate Bill 8, if a pregnant girl requires juvenile court approval to
get an abortion because she’s unable to get a parent’s written consent,
the judge must ask if the girl understands “possible physical and
emotional complications of abortion.’’
Another bill before the committee, sponsored by Sen. Eric Kearney, a
Democrat from North Avondale, amends state law to ban racial profiling
and false traffic stops by law enforcement. Senate Bill 42 requires
training about discrimination, investigations of complaints and
corrective action. Agencies or their officers could be fined $10,000 to
$50,000 by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission under existing law that
bans discrimination by landlords, restaurants and other public places.
On Saturday at the Statehouse, there’s a congressional hearing on the
six-year federal transportation budget - including money to replace the
Brent Spence Bridge. It’s one of 14 hearings the House transportation
committee is holding around the country during the next two weeks.
The highway bill funds the nation’s road, bridge and transit projects
and safety programs. Among those set to speak are Mark R. Policinski,
executive director of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of
Governments (OKI). Testimony begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Senate Finance
Hearing Room. The last long-term highway reauthorization bill expired
in October 2009.
Read it at the Cincinnati Enquirer
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