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State Rep.
Richard Adams...
Adams
and
House Republicans Outline Priorities for 2012
Workforce
development, beginning hearings on fixing school funding formula among
top
goals for legislative session
January 17, 2012
COLUMBUS—On
the heels of a successful first half of the General Assembly that saw
the
passage of more than 90 bills that address issues from regulatory
reform and
the creation of JobsOhio to prescription drug abuse, State
Representative
Richard Adams (R-Troy) today joined Speaker of the Ohio House William
G.
Batchelder (R-Medina) and members of the House Republican Caucus at a
press
conference to unveil their legislative priorities for 2012.
The
priorities outlined by House Republicans include a close analysis, fact
finding, and making recommendations for revising Ohio’s school funding
formula,
which in 1997 was deemed unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Despite
the court ruling, Ohio’s school funding system has not undergone any
transformative changes that have wholly fixed the root of the problem.
To
address this issue, House Republicans announced that they will initiate
comprehensive, bipartisan hearings on both the funding formula and
student
achievement throughout the duration of 2012.
The House
Republican Caucus also laid out a proposal to implement the
recommendations of
the JobsOhio report through the creation of the Development Services
Agency.
The proposal will complete the transition to a lean, streamlined
public/private
partnership free of the cumbersome bureaucracy that characterized
Ohio’s
economic efforts in the past. Additionally, the caucus discussed
strategies for
implementing the findings of the Ohio Workforce Development Study
Committee,
specifically focusing on helping career tech schools and community
colleges to
prepare a ready workforce, as well as training Ohioans for imminent
shale and
energy jobs.
“I served
on the Workforce Development Study Committee,” said Rep. Adams. “My
background
at the Upper Valley Career Center and Edison Community College will be
useful
and it’s providing informed input into preparing our citizens for good
jobs.”
The caucus
has also revealed plans to reform the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation,
building
upon existing reforms to go further in assisting injured workers while
identifying other cost-saving possibilities.
Other
legislative items that the House Republican Caucus intends to address
include:
The Great
Lakes Compact
Casino and
gaming laws
Healthcare
exchange
Laws
pertaining to exotic animals
“As
we look forward to the continuation of
economic development and creation of good jobs, I welcome the input of
my
constituents,” Rep. Adams said.
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