Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2009 > April
April 2009
Labor groups endorse casino plan
It hasn’t qualified for the November ballot yet, but three Ohio-based labor groups, including one with a Dayton connection, have endorsed the proposal to put casinos in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus and Cincinnati.
The groups are:
*The Ironworkers of Southern Ohio and Vicinity District Council, which includes Ironworkers locals in Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus.
*The Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters
*Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 189 of Columbus.
“In these difficult times, when jobs are being eliminated, tax revenues are down and services are being cut, plans such as yours are a bright spot for the citizens of Ohio,” the plumbers and pipefitters association said in a letter.
The four casino plan is backed by Penn National Gaming of Wyomissing, Pa., and Dan Gilbert, majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Supporters of the plan must turn in 402,275 signatures from registered voters by July 1 to get the issue on the November ballot.
TweetOhio Supreme Court disbars Dayton attorney
The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday, April 30, permanently disbarred Dayton attorney Deborah C. Schram because she failed to pay federal, state or city income taxes from 1979 to 2001. She also failed to withhold taxes or make Social Security contributions for her law firm employees for roughly the same period.
The court suspended Schram’s law license in 2007 when it was notified of her conviction on tax evasion charges. The court permanently revoked her license because Schram’s failure to pay taxes for more than 20 years “breached the duties owed to the public and the legal profession.”
TweetOhioans give Obama 63 percent approval rating; Strickland approval stands at 56 percent
Ohioans gave President Barack Obama a 63 percent approval rating in an Ohio Poll released on Thursday, April 30. For full results, click here.
The rating for the Democratic president is similar to those initially received by former Presidents George W. Bush (60 percent), Bill Clinton (56 percent), George H.W. Bush (63 percent) and Ronald Reagan (61 percent).
In the poll, sponsored by the University of Cincinnati, Gov. Ted Strickland’s approval rating stood at 56 percent. This is the lowest Ohio Poll rating for Strickland since he took office in January 2007 and the first time his approval rating has been below 60 percent in the Ohio Poll.
Here’s your chance to rate Obama and Strickland.
What do you think of how President Obama is handling his job?
What do you think of how Gov. Ted Strickland is handling his job?
Obama and Strickland, both Democrats, find themselves in top leadership spots as Ohio and the nation continue to face tough economic times.
It was the first Ohio Poll on Obama’s performance since he took office in January. Ohioans divided sharply along party lines in evaluating his performance. While 89 percent of Democrats approved of how Obama, who carried Ohio last year, is doing his job, just 30 percent of Republicans approved. Perhaps more importantly for Obama, 54 percent of Republicans approved of his performance.
On the economy, 56 percent approved of Obama’s performance. On foreign affairs, 62 percent approved.
Strickland, who’s expected to seek re-election next year, saw his approval rating - now at 56 percent - slip from 61 percent in May 2008 and from a high of 68 percent in May 2007. Nearly half - 48 percent - approved of his handling of the economy, about the same as the 51 percent in May 2008.
The partisan divide over Strickland’s performance wasn’t as sharp as that for Obama. Among Democrats, 70 percent approved his performance while 43 percent of Republicans approved. Nearly half - 49 percent - of independents approved his performance.
Ohioans were gloomy about the state and national economies. Nationally, 52 percent rated economic conditions as poor. For Ohio, 51 percent said the economic conditions were poor and 67 percent said the conditions in the state were getting worse, while just 20 percent said they were getting better.
As for the future, 50 percent thought Obama’s economic policies would make conditions better in the country in the next 12 months. Just 43 percent, however, said the president’s policies would make economic conditions in Ohio better during the next 12 months.
The poll was taken between April 16 and Monday. April 27, with 818 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.
TweetUpdated with Strickland response Rep. Morgan asks for mediation in Strickland case
State Rep. Seth Morgan has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to refer his ongoing effort to get public records from Gov. Ted Strickland about Strickland’s “evidence-based” school plan to mediation.
Strickland said on Wednesday, April 29 that he was not sure that there was a problem to be mediated but added:
“….if there’s something that needs to be mediated, I believe in mediation and people coming together…so I’m not ruling out mediation.”
The Supreme Court last week ordered Strickland to continue turning over records to Morgan “within a reasonable time” in the case. In a separate, concurring opinion, Justice Paul Pfeifer, said the court should have ordered mediation.
“Given the fact that it took Supreme Court action to get the governor to follow Ohio law, it seems only reasonable that the court would assist the people of Ohio, through my office, to see the full picture of what the governor used to produce this ‘evidence-based’ education plan,” Morgan said in a press release.
Strickland said the court last week “indicated that we were responding to the good representative and they told us that we should continue to do so and that’s what we’ve been doing….”
Strickland’s office said more than 9,000 pages or records already have been turned over to Morgan. Strickland has dismissed Morgan’s lawsuit as “little more than a disappointing attempt to detract from” the discussion about modernizing Ohio’s education system.
TweetCommittee OK expected on bill sparked by mother’s slaying
The House Insurance Committee next week is expected to vote out legislation that would strike a car owner’s home address from the owner’s vehicle registration form, Committee Chairman Dan Dodd, D-Hebron, said on Wednesday, April 29.
Dodd’s announcement came after Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer testified in support of House Bill 50, which Plummer called a “safety issue” and related it to the shooting death of Jenny Nelson, who was killed in her Harrison Township home in January.
Plummer said that Charlie Myers got Nelson’s address from the registration form in the car he stole while Nelson and her husband attended a concert in Columbus.
Plummer said that removing the addresses from the registration forms wouldn’t hurt law enforcement efforts. Law enforcement officials still would be able to get motorists’ addresses by running license plate information through a computer data base, Plummer said.
Myers has admitted to the robbery and being in the Nelson home at the time of Nelson’s death. He is in jail and awaiting trial on murder charges.
Plummer has said Myers tied up Nelson, assaulted her 4-year-old son and was stabbed in the back after Nelson broke free. Myers grabbed a gun he brought and shot Nelson, Plummer has said. Myers then kidnapped the son and dropped him off at a rest stop along Interstate 70 in Madison County.
Dodd, the committee chairman, said he didn’t know when the bill would come to the House floor for a vote.
State Rep. John Domenick, D-Smithfield, the bill’s sponsor, has cited Nelson’s slaying in proposing the legislation.
TweetCops watch scantily clad women hand out bananas
One big pile of bananas, two young women wearing nothing but bras, panties and stockings, and five Columbus police officers mounted on horseback made for a quirky scene on a street corner outside the Ohio Statehouse on Tuesday, April 28.
The women, who were representing People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, held signs promoting the benefits of vegetarian eating, offered to have their photos taken with people, and doled out bananas.
The publicity stunt brought out the cops, who were apparently on scene to make sure no one slipped on a banana peal or the women didn’t shed what little they were wearing.
TweetVoino and Brown on Specter: You say Potato, I say Potahto
Sen. George Voinovich, a Republican, is disappointed that Sen. Arlen Specter, a former Republican from Pennsylvania, decided to be a Democrat. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, is happy about this development.
Here are their statements on Specter’s decision to switch parties Tuesday, April 28:
First, Voinovich:
“I know Arlen and I know he loves the United States Senate, as evidenced by him coming back twice from fighting a grave illness to continue to serve Pennsylvanians. That being said, I am very disappointed in his decision. I know Arlen will continue to vote his conscience and I will do my best to ensure that all Republican members continue to have a voice in the Senate.”
Second, Brown:
“I’m pleased to welcome Senator Specter. Our states border each other and face many of the same challenges; our Capitol Hill offices are on the same hallway; and we will now share a Party. I look forward working with him to fight for the priorities of middle class families from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and across the nation.”
TweetColumbus voters face income tax hike vote
Taxes - specifically tax hikes - may be a taboo and toxic subject at the Statehouse but just two blocks away officials at Columbus City Hall have decided to risk proposing a tax increase.
Mayor Michael Coleman and other city officials announced on Monday, April 27, that they’ll ask voters in November to approve increasing the city’s 2 percent income tax by .5 percent in an August election.
“In order to grow our economy and fight for jobs, we must have a safe and clean city with strong neighborhoods,” Coleman said in a press release. “If citizens support our three-point plan for jobs, reform and revenue, we can maintain our quality of life for years to come.”
The city council is to vote on May 11 to authorize putting the issue on the ballot.
The press release said most of the .5 percent increase would be paid by commuters who work in the city. For a Columbus household earning $40,000 a year, the increase would be less than $17 a month, the release said.
TweetAndy Douglas, OCSEA union part ways
Andy Douglas, the former Ohio Supreme Court justice, has left his job as executive director of the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA), a union representing 35,000 state employees. It is the largest state employee union.
“Saturday was my last day,” Douglas said on Monday, April 27. “We came to mutual agreement…”
The union announced on March 31 that it voted to accept a new contract that included 10 unpaid furlough or cost-saving days for employees. Douglas was chief negotiator for the contract.
Douglas, 76, said he was returning to work at the Crabbe Brown & James law firm.
A spokeswoman for OCSEA could not be reached.
Douglas served on the Ohio Supreme Court from 1985-2002 and was executive director of OCSEA for five and a half years.
TweetStrickland launches Civil War sesquicentennial plans
Gov. Ted Strickland on Monday, April 27, announced plans for a statewide effort to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in Ohio.
The Civil War raged from 1861-1865 and the commemoration will go from 2011-2015.
Strickland signed an executive directive that designates the Ohio Historical Society, whose activities have been curtailed by budget cuts, to lead the statewide effort. The society will coordinate commemorative events for the sesquicentennial celebration.
Strickland signed the directive on the birthday of Ohio-born Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, who led the Union to victory and went on to serve two terms as president. Grant was born in 1822 and died in 1885 at 63.
“It is fitting that this initiative is launched on Gen. Grant’s birthday, as he personifies Ohio’s leadership during and after the war, both on and off the battlefield,” Strickland said in a press release.
“It is also important that we remember and honor the 35,000 Ohioans who lost their lives during the war, as well as the efforts of countless Ohioans who sacrificed so greatly to aid the war and reconstruction effort.”
Here’s Strickland’s directive:
Directive to the Ohio Historical Society April 27, 2009
Ohio Historical Society to Coordinate Commemorative Events for the Sesquicentennial Celebration of the Civil War in Ohio
The Sacrifice and Support of Ohioans Were Instrumental in Winning the Civil War. Ohioans played a prominent role in the Civil War. More than 345,000 men from Ohio enlisted to serve in the armed services during the effort to preserve the Union, and more than 35,000 Ohioans lost their lives during the War. Additionally, many prominent Ohioans provided political, military and economic support during this time. President Abraham Lincoln’s Cabinet included two important Ohioans - Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase. Generals Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman and Phillip Sheridan provided military leadership, and Ohio has the honor of claiming the only military unit in history to include two future presidents - the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was home to William McKinley and Rutherford B. Hayes. Furthermore, Jay Cooke of Sandusky, Sen. Ben Wade of Ashtabula County, Gov. William Dennison, and the “Fighting McCooks” of Carroll County each played important roles in preserving the integrity of the Union.
Ohio was a Symbol of Freedom for Many Thousands of People and Ohioans were at the Center of Many of the Social and Ethical Conflicts that Led to the Civil War. The location of the Ohio River helped make Ohio an important passageway to freedom for countless slaves who crossed the river into the free state of Ohio and beyond. Following the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the Underground Railroad in Ohio became even more important in protecting the safety and freedom of tens of thousands of runaway slaves. Harriet Beecher Stowe, a citizen of Cincinnati for more than 20 years, penned the influential Uncle Tom’s Cabin, drawing upon her life and observations in southern Ohio.
Ohio Was the Economic and Political Center of the United States During and After the Civil War. At the outset of the American Civil War, Ohio was an emerging industrial and political star. The state was literally and figuratively in the center of a country being torn apart by regional sectionalism and slavery. Plotted on a map, Ohio was the center of the U.S. population at the time. Ohio was also an increasingly important hub for commerce and transportation. The War and its aftermath catapulted Ohio into a leading role in the nation’s political and economic affairs. For example, after the Civil War, seven of the next 12 men to occupy the White House were Ohioans.
Ohio’s Infrastructure Was Integral to the Union’s Success During the Civil War. Ohio had more miles of railroad track running through it at the time of the Civil War than any other state, making the state not only critical to the war effort, but also an important symbol of the Union’s commerce and industry. This infrastructure proved essential in keeping the Union troop trains supplied with everything from horses and sheep to uniforms, weapons, wagons and food supplies.
The Ohio Historical Society is Uniquely Positioned to Lead Ohio’s Commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. It is important not only to commemorate the historic significance of the Civil War, but to also celebrate the role that Ohio and Ohioans played in achieving this monumental victory. The Ohio Historical Society (“OHS”) is uniquely positioned with the expertise and physical resources to lead the state in commemorating the sesquicentennial of the Civil War in Ohio. OHS was a major coordinator of activities commemorating the Civil War bicentennial 50 years ago. OHS owns and operates historical locations important to telling the story of Ohio’s role in the Civil War. These OHS locations, along with the State’s other historical sites, can contribute heavily to telling Ohio’s Civil War story by allowing people to experience and learn from authentic historical environments, artifacts, landscapes and buildings. Moreover, OHS can utilize its contacts and networks with hundreds of local historical organizations, libraries, schools, and other groups to ensure that the Civil War sesquicentennial (2011-2015) provides a fresh opportunity for a new generation to rediscover the many ways in which Ohioans contributed to the success of the Civil War, as well as how the War changed life in Ohio.
Development of the Sesquicentennial Celebration in Ohio. I hereby direct the Ohio Historical Society to develop a calendar of activities to celebrate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War and Ohio’s participation in that War. OHS will also be responsible for:
a. Forming a Civil War 150 Advisory Committee (“Advisory Committee”), which shall be comprised of not more than 18 members to be appointed by the leadership of OHS and which shall serve for the duration of the sesquicentennial celebration;
(i) The Advisory Committee will provide advice and input to the Society on programs and activities that can ensure effective sesquicentennial activities at the state level and in communities throughout the state. The activities of the members of the Civil War 150 Advisory Committee under this Directive shall be staffed and assisted by personnel from the Ohio Historical Society, subject to available funding.
(ii) The Advisory Committee may establish advisory workgroups that can include members of the public who are not members of the committee to assist the members of the committee in performing their duties. The Advisory Committee may adopt, reject or modify any recommendations proposed by an advisory workgroup.
(iii) The Advisory Committee may, as appropriate, make inquiries, studies, investigations, hold hearings, and receive comments from the public. To perform its duties, the Advisory Committee may also consult with outside experts, including, but not limited to, experts in the private sector, organized labor, government agencies and institutions of higher education.
b. OHS may, on behalf of the Advisory Committee, hire or retain contractors, subcontractors, advisors, consultants, and agents, and may make and enter into contracts necessary or incidental to the exercise of the powers of the Advisory Committee and in the performance of its duties.
c. OHS may accept donations of monies, labor, services, or other things of value from any public or private agency or person related to the sesquicentennial celebration or the activities of the Advisory Committee.
- Expiration of the Sesquicentennial Advisory Committee. OHS shall ensure that the Sesquicentennial Advisory Committee expires by the end of the commemorative events or by December 31, 2015, whichever is later.
Ted Strickland, Governor
TweetUpdated with Morgan, Strickland reactions - Ohio Supreme Court gives Rep. Morgan limited victory
The Ohio Supreme Court on Friday, April 24, gave state Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, a limited victory in Morgan’s efforts to get public records from Gov. Ted Strickland that Strickland used for his “evidence-based” model for schools and school funding.
The all-Republican court issued an order compelling Democrat Strickland “to continue reviewing the potentially responsive records and to provide copies of them to (Morgan) within a reasonable time.” It did not set a specific deadline.
Morgan said he was “grateful that the court found for us.” He said that he would “love to work” with Strickland through the court’s mediation process to resolve any disagreements about handling and of the remaining records that Morgan has not received.
Strickland, meanwhile, seemed to claim victory.
“I appreciate that the Ohio Supreme Court acknowledges the considerable efforts my office has taken to be responsive to a legislator’s broad public records request,” Strickland said in a prepared statement.
He added that he continues to believe “this effort is little more than a disappointing attempt to detract from, rather than enhance, the ongoing legislative discussion about modernizing Ohio’s education system.” The governor did not see the need for an outside mediator, Amanda Wurst, Strickland’s spokeswoman said.
In a concurring opinion, Justice Paul Pfeifer said that the court should have ordered mediation in the case.
“We should take this public-records request seriously and employ our best methods to encourage diligent communication between the parties in order to bring about a resolution that is consistent with Ohio’s strong tradition of open records,” wrote Pfeifer.
“We have squandered an opportunity to ensure that this matter does not devolve into political theater.”
The court denied “at this time” Morgan’s request for attorney fees and statutory damages.
The court also found that Morgan’s requests were “arguably overbroad in part” and suggested that he “work to refine, narrow and clarify his requests.” Also, the order said that “given the broad scope of the records requested, the governor’s decision to review the records before producing them, to determine whether to redact exempt matter, was not unreasonable.”
However, the court mildly admonished Strickland for, in part, ignoring his own public-records policy. The policy requires that for non-routine requests such as Morgan’s that the governor’s office provide a written acknowledgment of the request, including an estimate of how long it will take to comply, what the cost will be and what items may be exempt or subject to redaction.
“The governor did not comply with the requirement of the policy that he provide the person requesting records with an estimate of the time it will take to satisfy the request, an estimated cost and identification of items that may be exempt or redacted,” the ruling said.
The ruling comes as the Ohio House, controlled by the Democrats, prepares to vote next week on a two-year state budget that includes a modified version of Strickland’s proposal for schools.
TweetOhio House GOP leader warns of potential tax hike
Last week it was Republican state Auditor Mary Taylor playing a prophetess of doom on future state budgets. This week it’s Ohio House Minority Leader Bill Batchelder, the Medina Republican, playing a prophet.
Taylor last week projected that the state budget could face a shortfall as big as $8 billion by 2012, largely due to the federal stimulus dollars and other one-time money being used to prop up the budget proposed for 2010-2011.
Batchelder joined the chorus on Thursday, April 23, after receiving an analysis from the bipartisan Ohio Legislative Service Commission . The analysis, according to Batchelder, shows that a major tax increase- sales or income - would be needed for the 2012-2013 budget to compensate for the use of one-time funds in the 2010-2011 budget.
“This is just another example that the use of one-time monies to fund ongoing programs is dangerous to taxpayers as it creates a structural imbalance that will only put off and exacerbate our budget problems into the future,” Batchelder said in a press release.
Gov. Ted Strickland, not surprisingly, was having none of it. The governor doesn’t think the use of one-time money will force a tax hike, Amanda Wurst, Strickland’s spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.
“The governor believes that while tough choices may be required in future budgets, he has demonstrated these past two years that he is willing to make those difficult decisions to invest in job creation and maintain a fiscally responsible, balanced budget,” Wurst said.
The analysis was conducted by totaling the one-time money in the proposed budget and subtracting estimated natural tax growth. That left a shortfall of $4.29 billion.
The state sales tax would have to be raised from 5.5 percent to 7.2 percent or personal income tax rates would have to be hiked by 24 percent to raise that much, Batchelder said.
TweetBrown asks Obama to create commission on U.S. trade policy
Sen. Sherrod Brown, apparently unimpressed with the Obama administration’s progress on trade policy, this week called for Obama to create a blue ribbon commission on trade policy. In a speech before the Washington International Trade Association, Brown also asked the Government Accountability to initiate a comprehensive review of our current trade agreements and their effects on the U.S. economy.
Brown, D-Ohio, has long been a critic of current trade policy, and pressed Obama repeatedly on the campaign trail to revisit the North American Free Trade Agreement. He arguest that current trade policy has contributed to the loss of manufacturing jobs in the United States.
“Years of broken trade policy have resulted in stagnant wages, rising income inequality, and a shrinking middle class,” he said. “Broken trade policy contributed to the economic crisis, and it’s going to take a new direction in trade policy to rebuild our economy.”
Brown also continues to push a bill he first introduced in 2008 that would mandate trade pact reviews and help restore congressional oversight of future trade agreements.
TweetLegislation introduced to ban red light cameras
State Rep. Courtney Combs, R- Hamilton, introduced legislation on Wednesday, April 22, that would prohibit the use of red light cameras by Ohio State Highway Patrol, counties and townships.
“The companies with contracts to install and maintain the red light cameras in Ohio are making millions off Ohio citizens and on top of that the money is being taken out of state,” Combs said. “It is time to put a stop to the invasion of our privacy and having big brother looking over our shoulders.”
One of the largest red light camera companies in the country is based in Arizona and operates cameras in 22 states, including Ohio.
Several local communities use red light cameras including Dayton, West Carrollton and Trotwood. However, the legislation wouldn’t apply to home rule cities such as Dayton.
“Some jurisdictions have even gone as far as shortening the yellow light times on intersections that have red light cameras,” Combs said in a statement. “This is a money grab. And while some say it is too late to put the technology genie back in the bottle, using the technology just because it is available does not make it right. Is the next move having cameras catching jaywalkers crossing the middle of the street?”
The bill will be referred to a committee next week for further discussion.
Tweet16-year-olds could donate blood
A bill to allow 16-year-olds to donate blood with parental consent passed the Ohio Senate on Wednesday, April 22, by a unanimous vote.
Currently, 17- and 18-year-olds can donate blood without parental consent but those 16 and under may not donate blood at all.
Mike Farley, lobbyist for the American Red Cross-Central Ohio, said high school students now account for 10 percent of all blood donations. Less than five percent of Americans donate blood but 85 percent will need a blood product at some point before they reach age 75, he said.
Farley expects the law change will result in an additional 10,000 donated units per year.
The bill now moves to the Ohio House for consideration.
TweetOhio Senate jokes around with ‘retardation’ bill
Within the clubby, button-down confines of the Ohio Senate, there is a hint of hazing for freshmen senators when their first bill is up for a floor vote. No matter how worthy the legislation is, senators vote no.
Then they all laugh, say ‘just kidding’ and vote on it again.
Sen. Jimmy Stewart, R-Athens, on Wednesday, April 22, made a heart-felt speech about how the words “retard” and “retarded” are commonly used to belittle and insult people and then asked his colleagues to vote Yes on his bill that would remove the words “mental retardation” from the titles of state and county agencies that serve 122,000 Ohioans with developmental disabilities.
The joke was played and then Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, was in the uncomfortable position of explaining the tradition to a Senate packed with people who didn’t get what was so funny about voting No on a bill to stop using the words “mental retardation.”
The bill eventually passed on a unanimous vote and now moves to the House for consideration.
TweetStrickland orders more spending cuts
Gov. Ted Strickland on Wednesday, April 22, ordered state employees to take more steps toward reducing spending, including holding off on purchases, renegotiating contracts, limiting travel and taking a lower mileage reimbursement rate.
Strickland issued an executive order, saying state agencies should strive to reduce spending on contract service and supplies by 30 percent in the next two years. State agency directors are instructed to personally review any purchase orders of $1,000 or more.
“…even after reducing the state workforce by more than 3,500 employees and undertaking nearly $2 billion in spending cuts and reductions, the national recession continues to impact the state budget,” Strickland said in a written release.
Personal income and sales tax revenues - the horse power behind the state budget - have been falling below projections. In March, personal income tax and sales tax receipts were each 10.2 percent less than expected.
Lawmakers are currently debating a proposed two-year, $53.9 billion state operating budget for fiscal years 2010 and 2011. The budget bill must be adopted by June 30 because the new fiscal year starts July 1.
TweetBrunner proposes end to most special elections
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on Wednesday, April 22, proposed moving most special elections to primary and general election days as part of a plan to save taxpayers an estimated $2.7 million to $5.4 million a year.
The proposal was part of what Brunner, a Democrat who’s running for the U.S. Senate next year, called a “cost-effective blueprint” for improving Ohio’s elections. She sent the plan to Gov. Ted Strickland and the legislature and urged speedy action in order to make the changes in time for next year’s statewide elections.
The full report is on the secretary of state’s Web site.
Ohio now permits special elections, which can be costly, in February and August, said Brunner, the state’s top elections official. Also to save money, she proposed using mail voting for vacancy-in-office special elections such as when an elected official dies or resigns.
Other Brunner proposals:
*Focus on voter ID, not the voter’s address, for verification of identity for voting. Allow either an official photo ID or two non-photo IDs, showing the voter’s name, for voting purposes
*Create an annual vote-by-mail ballot request form so voters don’t have to make the requests before every election.
*Expand the number of in-person early voting locations in counties from one to four and decrease the period for in-person early voting from 35 to 20 days before a general election. End early voting no earlier than 5 p.m. on the Sunday before Election Day.
*Complete a new voter registration matching process for the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Social Security Administration and provide counties with a way to access relevant nonmatches. Specify that a nonmatch alone can’t disenfranchise a voter.
*Limit the reasons voters are required to cast provisional ballots and increase the instances in which such ballots are counted. Allow any ballot cast anywhere in a county to be remade and counted if cast by an eligible voter.
The recommendations grew out of two conferences Brunner held after last year’s election and meetings with local elections officials and others, Brunner said.
State Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, who’s running for secretary of state next year, said he would consider Brunner’s proposals along with Senate Bill 8, an election overhaul plan sponsored by Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, and recommendations from the Brennan Center for Justice.
TweetVoino bill aims to get China, India on board in fight against global warming
Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, has long been concerned with a cap and trade proposal aimed at fighting global warming. He’s worried in part that the United States will take all sorts of steps to clean up their air, only to see other industrialized countries such as India and China keep polluting.
So he introduced a bill this week aimed at getting other countries on board. His bill, introduced with Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., would launch an international effort to develop new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance energy security. Specifically, the bill would direct the U.S. program office of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate to establish a committee focused on the development and commercialization of clean energy technologies.
“Countries like China and India will continue to use coal regardless of the availability of clean energy technologies,” Voinovich said in a statement. “We must work to give these countries and the rest of the world better, cleaner energy options while protecting jobs and the economy.”
The bill would provide a $200 million per year investment from Fiscal Year 2010 to 2015 for the development of clean energy technology.
TweetSenate approves bill that targets urine drinking
By a 30-3 vote, the Senate on Tuesday, April 21, approved legislation that would make it a crime to collect someone’s body fluids, including urine, without permission.
Sen. Jim Hughes, R-Columbus, the bill’s sponsor, said Senate Bill 58 is needed to “keep our children safe.”
It was prompted by the behavior of a suburban Columbus man, Alan D. Patton, whose fetish involves surreptitiously collecting young boys’ urine and and then drinking it.
Patton has been seen trying to collect urine at a miniature golf course, a children’s video arcade and a movie theater. Patton has been in court on charges such as public indecency, voyeurism and criminal mischief but there is no specific law outlawing urine collection.
The bill would make the first offense a first degree misdemeanor with a penalty of six months in jail and a second offense a fifth degree felony with a penalty of a year in jail.
Sen. Tom Sawyer, D-Akron, who cast one of the “no” votes, said lawmakers needed to be aware of unintended consequences.
Sawyer brought up the case of Clarence Elkins, the Ohio man who was wrongly convicted of the rape and murder of his mother-in-law but finally was freed when DNA from a cigarette butt was snatched from another prison inmate whose DNA matched the crime. The DNA was in the saliva on the butt, Sawyer said.
Hughes, a former prosecutor, said the proposed law wouldn’t have prohibited the taking of the cigarette butt which he said would have been a “lawful taking.”
The bill now goes to the House.
TweetNo earmark requests for Austria
His predecessor was once referred to as “Porker of the Month” by an anti-earmark watchdog, but if U.S. Rep. Steve Austria aims to fill former U.S. Rep. Dave Hobson’s earmark-securing shoes, he ain’t doing it this year.
U.S. House members were asked to post all their earmark requests on their websites earlier this year. For Austria, R-Beavercreek, it was easy: He hasn’t asked for any earmarks.
Austria spokeswoman Courtney Whetstone said Austria opted not to request any earmarks because of the current economic climate.
As for the rest of the delegation: House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, makes it a policy not to request earmarks. U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, asked for three, one in Lima, one in Mansfield and one in Findlay and U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, asked for two, one in Cincinnati and one for a corridor between Cincinnati and Clermont County. U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, meanwhile, requested nearly 50, many benefitting Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which also adjacent to Austria’s district.
TweetHusted testifies for redistricting plan
Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, on Tuesday, April 21, gave the first testimony supporting his plan to change the way Ohio draws state legislative and congressional districts.
“I am presenting to you a proposal that would end the partisan gerrymandering of legislative and congressional districts that allows the politicians to pick the voters rather than allowing the voters to pick their public officials,” Husted said in testimony prepared for the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 5 would establish a bipartisan, seven-member commission to oversee the creation of the districts after each census. Husted wants the legislature to put the proposal before voters in November.
“Our current method of redistricting is a winner take all system that ranks Ohio as one of the most partisan states in the country,” Husted, who is running for secretary of state in 2010, said in his prepared testimony. “This system has led to partisan control of government and serves as an incentive to work in a partisan manner.”
The commission would replace the five-member Apportionment Board for drawing legislative districts and the legislature for drawing U.S. House districts.
Each of the four legislative leaders would appoint a member to the commission and those four members, by unanimous vote, would select the other three. If they cannot agree on the other three, each would submit a name to the governor. The governor, in public view, would randomly select the three additional members from the four proposed names.
Each legislative and congressional district would have to meet compactness guidelines. Also, the plan calls on the commission to maximize the number of competitive districts.
A five-vote supermajority would be required to approve any redistricting plan.
“The time is now for Ohio to adopt this proposal to end the partisan gerrymandering that serves political parties over the public,” Husted said in his prepared testimony.
TweetBoyce wins union endorsement
Democrat Kevin Boyce won the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union District 1199 in the state treasurer’s race but the union made its pick before knowing who the other candidates are.
Ohio Republican Party spokesman John McClelland said state Rep. Josh Mandel, R-Lyndhurst, is “seriously considering” running for treasurer in 2010 but he has yet to announce his plans.
Gov. Ted Strickland appointed Boyce state treasurer in January after Democrat Richard Cordray moved from the treasurer’s office to the attorney general’s seat.
SEIU District 1199 represents 35,000 social service, health care and public sector workers in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.
TweetVoinovich handing back the campaign cash
Sen. George Voinovich, who is retiring at the end of his term, is returning campaign contributions to those who gave before he decided to retire.
Voinovich, R-Ohio, is complying with Federal Elections Commission guidelines, which require retiring candidates to hand back donations for the general election. Garrette Silverman, a spokeswoman for Voinovich, said that sum comes to about $330,000 from individuals and $106,000 in political action committees. Any additional money in Voinovich’s campaign coffers, she said, will go to help other Republican candidates or the Republican party or be used for official business.
TweetA congressional fundraising roundup
In our focus on the open U.S. Senate race in 2010, we were remiss on rounding up how our local congressional delegation has fared in fundraising during the first quarter of this year. Our bad. Let’s catch you up:
U.S. Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, raised $99,980 in campaign contributions during the first quarter. He spent $47,866. He had $65,661 on hand as of March 31.
Political donors gave U.S. Rep. Mike Turner’s campaign committee $49,190 between Jan. 1 and March 31. The committee spent $35,118 and had $163,658 on hand and had $6,996 in debt. Turner is a Centerville Republican.
House Minority Leader John Boehner -Â who also has a political action committee that raises funds for fellow Republicans - raised $319,932 in contributions. He spent $195,604 and had $314,564 in the bank.
U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, received $54,753 in campaign contributions between Jan. 1 and March 31, spent $67,361 and had $565,833 on hand.
And U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, received $91,887, spent $30,509 and had $88,900. She also had $277,150 in debt - the most of any candidate.
TweetBrown, Wilmington mayor to meet with vice-president on DHL
Sen. Sherrod Brown, Wilmington Mayor David Raizk and other regional officials will meet with Vice-President Joe Biden next week to determine how to help Wilmington recover from DHL’s decision to return to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
The decision, announced Friday, April 17, will result in the loss of about 180 full-time and 650 part-time jobs.
Brown, D-Ohio, said the meeting will aim to coordinate different federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Transportation and possibly the Defense Department to coordinate federal aid available to the community.
Brown compared the effort to the base closure process, and just as base closures are coordinated between multiple federal agencies, so too should such a massive job loss, he said.
“The government knows how to respond to (base closures) pretty well,” he said. ‘We’re looking for the same kind of response.”
The details of the meeting, such as the time and day, weren’t available Saturday, but a spokeswoman for Brown said Brown’s office and the Vice-President’s office were working to coordinate something. She said it was expected to be early next week.
Raizk said he plans to attend, and one of his prime focuses will be how best to transfer the DHL facility to the city of Wilmington. “DHL needs to do the right thing and return the air park to the community,” he said.
TweetTruck drivin’ Gov. Ted?
Gov. Ted Strickland spent Thursday, April 16, in Detroit, meeting with auto executives and test driving two of their latest vehicles.
Strickland said drove an electric-powered truck cab produced by General Motors and a Ford with a new fuel efficient engine that may be available in several models.
Ford Motor Co. turned him loose on the nearby interstate highway while GM had the governor driving the truck in a parking lot.
“It drives sort of like a golf cart. It’s an electric vehicle that can be used with 18-wheelers,” he said. The one the governor drove did not have a trailer attached.
Strickland and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher visit Detroit’s Big Three at least quarterly to keep tabs on the auto industry.
“I heard some encouraging news and I was able to talk to leaders of the car companies about possible future investments in Ohio,” he said. “I think I probably shouldn’t be more specific than that.”
He added that they also discussed the challenges facing the auto industry. “They assured me they would be making no changes in their Ohio operations without talking with us, giving us a heads-up,” Strickland said.
TweetOhio’s unemployment rate highest in 25 years
Ohio’s unemployment rate hit a 25 year-high when it reached 9.7 percent in March, according to new data released Friday, April 17 by the state Department of Job and Family Services.
The last time Ohio’s unemployment rate hit 9.7 percent was April 1984.
Nationwide, the unemployment rate for March was 8.5 percent, up from 8.1 percent in February.
The U.S. unemployment rate for March was 8.5 percent, up from 8.1 percent in February.
All told, there are 578,000 Ohioans looking for work, up from 567,000 in February when the unemployment rate was 9.5 percent. Just a year ago, the state jobless rate was 6.1 percent.
TweetHigh-speed rail in Ohio: “Three-C” closer to reality
President Barack Obama Thursday announced a plan to use $8 billion in stimulus money and another $5 billion over five years to boost high-speed rail in the United States.
That could be good news for proponents of the so-called “Three-C” corridor, a route between Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
In making his announcement, Obama said that the first grants for high-speed projects and upgrades to existing high-speed rail could be awarded as soon as this summer. He identified 10 routes, including a “Chicago Hub” that included Chicago, Milwaukee and a handful of other midwestern cities including Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
That announcement was great news to Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who is among the backers of the “Three-C” route.
“Passenger rail service would create jobs and economic growth at a time when our state needs both,” he said.
His office reports that expanding passenger rail service in Ohio could ultimately create 16,700 permanent jobs, in addition to tens of thousands of construction jobs and generate more than $3 billion in development near stations.
The Federal Railroad Administration has already designated the “Three-C” and a route from Cleveland to Toledo as High-Speed Rail Corridors. The current proposal would use 260 miles of existing track to reach 5.9 million Ohioans, almost 60 percent of the state’s population.
Brown Wednesday sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urging him to devote federal stimulus funds toward passenger rail service in Ohio. Brown urged LaHood to allocate at least $1 billion in economic recovery funds for designated high-speed rail corridors, like the “3C” corridor, that do not currently have passenger rail service.
What do you think of the idea?
TweetCalamity days to be taken away
Ohio’s school kids may be a little less jubilant the next time they get a snow day when they find out they’ll just have to make up the day later in the year.
On Thursday, April 16, House Democrats unveiled their revisions to Gov. Ted Strickland’s K-12 funding plan. Rather than embracing Strickland’s call to add 20 school days to the 180 days currently required, House Democrats decided to take away calamity days.
School districts currently get five calamity days each academic year - missed days that do not have to be made up. That number will shrink to three calamity days beginning next fall and two days the following academic year and one in following years.
State Rep. Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, who used to serve on the Dayton Public Schools board, said it’s a way of adding class time without costing more money.
TweetStrickland gives Morgan plenty to read
Gov. Ted Strickland released another 1,444 pages of documents to state Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, to satisfy his public records request regarding the governor’s school funding plan.
That’s on top of the 7,117 pages already released. And the governor’s spokeswoman said there is more coming.
Morgan filed records requests in March, seeking the basis for Strickland’s school funding plan. When Strickland didn’t respond completely, Morgan filed suit in the Ohio Supreme Court on April 6.
Strickland’s attorneys argue that a timely response depends on the scope of the documents sought, not on Morgan’s urgent need for the information. They also said immediate release of 8,700 e-mails might risk violating other laws. And they complained that Morgan has expanded his already broad records request to maintain an illusion that Strickland hasn’t complied with the request.
TweetMary Taylor warns of huge budget deficit in the future
State Auditor Mary Taylor spent weeks crunching state budget numbers and came up with a hypothetical and scary number: $7.97 billion in red ink by June 2013.
Taylor, a certified public accountant, warned that the two-year state budget in the works right now is built on about $5 billion in one-time federal stimulus money and cash management maneuvers. When that money dries up and the demand for services marches on, Ohio’s budget will be facing a giant hole, she said.
Developing a state budget forecast is not a typical duty of the auditor. Taylor, who is the only Republican among the five statewide executive officeholders, sidestepped questions about whether this was politically motivated by saying her staff often helps local governments with forecasts and budgets.
“Quite frankly, it was to answer my question and what others have about where we’ll be in 2012 and 2013,” Taylor said.
Taylor used revenue projections provided by the Strickland administration and then assumed annual growth in Medicaid, education funding and other state expenses. She also assumes that programs that get federal stimulus money this year will continue to be funded by the state after the federal money is gone.
It’s unlikely that the state would see $8 billion in red ink by June 2013. The Ohio Constitution requires a balanced budget so state leaders would be required to make spending cuts before they ever got to the end of the two-year budget cycle.
TweetBrunners make post-election move
Nine days after overseeing one of the biggest presidential elections, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and her husband Rick Brunner closed on a $678,750 real estate deal.
The couple bought two adjoining units in a downtown Columbus condo building a short walk from the Secretary of State’s offices.
Brunner, a Democrat, is running for U.S. Senate in 2010.
TweetTurner meets with Iraqi mayor on Capitol Hill
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, former mayor of Dayton, got to talk city leadership Wednesday with Farhan Ftaikhan Al-Farhan, the mayor of Al Qaim, Iraq. Al-Farhan, in town as part of a trip around the nation to study cities in a Democratcy, talked U.S.-Iraq relations and security conditions in the Al Anbar province where Al Qaim is located. The mayor also received a tour of the Capitol courtesy of Turner’s office.
Al-Farhan, through a translator, said he took office at a time when terrorist attacks were rampant in the city, but that, thanks in part to the efforts of the U.S. Marines, violence has died down. Terrorist attacks cost his city 5,000 homes at the height of the violence, but most of the residents of those homes have returned to the city.
Turner, R-Centerville, ranking member on the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, has visited Iraq five times, and toured Al Anbar province during an August 2008 trip to Iraq.
TweetSenate fundraising: Portman in the lead, Fisher raises about $1 million
Republican Rob Portman has a financial advantage over his Democratic opponents in the U.S. Senate primary, raising $1.7 million in the first five weeks of the campaign, according to reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission Wednesday, April 15.
His nearest competitor, Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, a Democrat, has $1.01 million on hand. And Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, also a Democrat, has $192,554 in the bank, according the reports. Brunner has raised $207,236 this quarter, spent $14,682 and had $2,248 in debt.
Fisher, meanwhile, has raised $1.01 million and spent $18,525, according to his report. State Rep. Tyrone Yates, D-Cincinnati, is also running, but hadn’t filed as of 4 p.m. All candidates who have raised $5,000 or more must file by the end of the day.
Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report said the fact that Portman raised $1.7 million “in this environment as a Republican is really, really strong.” And while she called Brunner’s fundraising disappointing, she said Fisher’s showed promise.
Both Brunner and Fisher have a disadvantage compared to Portman, who entered the campaign with $1.47 million from his old congressional campaigns. He has spent $159,613 during the first few weeks of the campaign and had just over $3 million in the bank with no debt.
Portman, R-Terrace Park, former director of the Office of Management and Budget in the George W. Bush administration, served as a congressman from southwest Ohio from 1993 to 2005.
The candidates seek to replace Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, who is retiring at the end of next year.
TweetMore poor families signing up for Medicaid
Nearly 18,000 more people signed up for Medicaid in February, marking the 14th consecutive month that the state’s caseload has increased and the single largest monthly increase since 2002.
Medicaid is a state and federally funded health insurance program for low-income children and their parents, as well as aged, blind and disabled people. Ohio Medicaid’s enrollment is now 1.89 million and the program costs $10.7 billion a year.
State officials reported that 16,262 of the 17,745 new enrollees were from low-income families with children.
TweetCasino backers clear one hurdle
The Ohio Ballot Board on Monday April 13 approved ballot language for a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow for casinos to be built in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo.
It clears the way for the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee to begin collecting a little more than 400,000 valid petition signatures from registered voters to put the measure on the November ballot.
Charlie Luken of the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee called it a significant step forward.
“Our proposal will bring first-class casino developments to the downtown areas of Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo. It will create $1 billion in private investment, 20,000 Ohio jobs and at least $600 million every year in tax revenues for Ohio’s cities, counties and school districts,” he said in a written release.
TweetBill coming to allow slots at horse tracks
Ohio’s seven horse racing tracks would each be allowed to add 2,000 slot machines if state Reps. Louis Blessing and Todd Book’s proposal wins approval.
Blessing, R-Cincinnati, and Book, D-McDermott, plan to introduce a bill on Monday, April 20, that would OK slot machines at the horse tracks, including River Downs in Anderson Township and Lebanon Raceway in Warren County. An analysis from the State Racing Commission said the Ohio Lottery could be expanded to include slots at horse tracks without a vote of the people.
“The shape the tracks are in, we don’t have a choice. If something isn’t done, they’ll go out of business,” Blessing said.
But the idea faces steep odds since Gov. Ted Strickland has indicated he opposes adding slot machines to the race tracks.
A separate plan pushed by the Ohio Licensed Beverage Association calls for permitting slot machines at bars and restaurants
And a third gambling proposal goes to the Ohio Ballot Board today, April 13. That proposal seeks to put casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo. The ballot board must give its OK before supporters can begin gathering the 402,275 signatures needed to put the proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot. Deadline for gathering the signatures is July 1.
TweetState Rep. Seth Morgan to be on ONN show Sunday
State Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, will be featured on Ohio News Network’s Capitol Square on Sunday.
The political program airs on channel 119 for Dayton Time Warner customers. It airs Sunday at 10 a.m., noon and 7 p.m. It also airs Monday at noon.
Morgan has made headlines recently for filing a lawsuit against Strickland in the Ohio Supreme Court alleging that he had failed to respond to two public records requests about his school funding plan.
TweetPortman says he has $3 million in coffers for 2010 Senate run
By Jessica Wehrman
Staff Writer
WASHINGTON — In yet another indication that the 2010 race for the U.S. Senate will be a costly one, former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman, the lone Republican candidate so far for the seat, said he has $3 million in his campaign coffers.
Portman, who also served as the U.S. Trade Representative and the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget during the George W. Bush administration, said of that, $1.4 million of that came from his old congressional campaign coffers - that money can be transferred to his Senate campaign under federal election law. He’s raised an additional $1.7 million from donors, with 78 percent of that from in Ohio, he said.
His announcement follows Democratic Lt. Gov. and U.S. Senate candidate Lee Fisher’s announcement Tuesday that he’s raised more than $1 million in the first six weeks of his campaign. Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, as well as fellow Democrat state Rep. Tyrone Yates of Cincinnati have yet to announce what they’ve raised. All four candidates hope to replace Sen. George Voinovich, a Republican retiring at the end of his term.
The deadline to report fundraising totals for this quarter isn’t until April 15. Portman said he hopes the fact that Brunner and Fisher will both be spending money in what could be a hotly competitive primary will help him gain a substantial fundraising lead for the general election.
“I want to make sure I have the resources to take a positive, proactive message to all parts of the state,” he said.
TweetStrickland gives more records on schools plan
Associated Press
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has given a second batch of documents about his school-funding plan to a Dayton-area lawmaker who sued for access to them.
Strickland, a Democrat, said Friday he had delivered an additional 6,171 pages via CD-ROM to Sate Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, on Thursday, April 9.
The governor gave Morgan about 1,000 pages on Tuesday, after Morgan filed a lawsuit against Strickland in the Ohio Supreme Court alleging that he had failed to respond to two public records requests.
Strickland says he has provided more documents than is legally required and has maintained that the records request is a political stunt.
Morgan has said the request is necessary to make sure the Legislature has the material it needs to evaluate Strickland’s school-funding plan.
TweetStrickland: Ohio in ‘great danger’ of losing 2 congressional seats
Associated Press report
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland says the state is in “great danger” of losing two congressional seats after the 2010 Census is completed.
Strickland said Thursday he believes Ohio will certainly lose one member in the U.S. House and chances are strong that it could be two.
Ohio was on the brink of losing a representative after the 2000 Census and has since seen its population grow only modestly while many other states have seen much larger gains.
Strickland signed an executive order Thursday establishing the Ohio Complete Count Committee to raise awareness of the upcoming Census. The governor said it’s vital that every resident is counted so the state doesn’t miss out on federal aid or lose more than one representative.
TweetBrunner plans to send Husted documents back to Montgomery County
If Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner gets the documents she wants from state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, Brunner said she plans to send them back to the Montgomery County Board of Elections.
Brunner said on Thursday, April 9, that she hopes that the board then could use the information in the documents to break 2-2 tie on whether Husted lives in the Kettering house where he is registered to vote.
If the board remains deadlocked, Brunner, a Democrat, said the issue “would come back to me.”
She declined to say categorically that she then would cast the decisive fifth vote breaking the tie but indicated that she would.
“At this point I’m prepared to follow the law…but how the law is applied depends upon what the facts are.” Ohio law says that tie votes are sent to the secretary of state “who shall summarily decide the question, and the secretary of state’s decision shall be final.”
Husted was not pleased with the prospect of a further delay.
“I would like a timely decision and I would like for Jennifer Brunner to make it as soon as possible,” he said.
He said he has not seen her letter asking him to voluntarily provide the documents. Among the records she’s requesting are his utility bills, banking records and tax returns.
Husted says that he lives in Kettering but also stays with his wife and kids at his wife’s Upper Arlington home.
Brunner said the board should have the same information she has.
“…if the way the statute works, I end up sort of being the fifth vote on the board…well, whatever information is considered should be considered by the board and so if I were to make a decision based on the information that the board didn’t have, I’m not sure that would be appropriate,” Brunner said.
TweetMorgan wins speedy action on school records request
The Ohio Supreme Court today, April 8, granted State Rep. Seth Morgan the speedy action he sought in his request for the public records behind Gov. Ted Strickland’s “evidence-based” model for schools and school funding.
“I’m very pleased,” Morgan said in a phone interview.
He said the court seemed to understand the importance of the legislature having the information before the House votes later this month on the proposed two-year state budget, including plans for schools and school funding.
On Tuesday before today’s Supreme Court ruling, Strickland had harsh words for Morgan.
“I think he is acting, quite frankly, in an immature, politically motivated-manner - and that’s unfortunate,” the Democratic governor told reporters at a Columbus area event. “I will try to be adult in this debate and carry out my responsibilities in an appropriate manner as I do the best I can to serve the people of our state.”
Today, Amanda Wurst, Strickland’s spokeswoman, said the governor and attorney general’s office would work to comply with the court’s ruling but added:
“The governor continues to believe this lawsuit unnecessarily detracts from the important work of transforming Ohio’s system of primary and secondary education.”
The court ordered Strickland to file a response to Morgan’s request by Friday, April 10. Morgan then will have until Monday, April 13, to present evidence and a brief, followed by a Wednesday, April 15 deadline for Strickland’s evidence and brief. The final date on the Supreme Court schedule is Thursday, April 16 for a reply brief from Morgan.
“The clerk shall refuse to file any requests for extension of time in this case,” the Supreme Court ruling said.
Without today’s ruling, Strickland would have had 21 days to respond to the lawsuit Morgan filed on Monday, April 6.
A day after Morgan filed the lawsuit, Strickland’s office on Tuesday, turned some documents over to Morgan but Morgan said he had not fully reviewed them.
The lawsuit asked the court to require the governor to comply with Ohio’s public records laws by turning over the documents that are the basis of the school plan.
The lawsuit followed two public records request that Morgan made to Strickland’s office. Morgan said he never received a reply to either request.
In Tuesday’s response to Morgan, Jeffrey A. Ruppert, Strickland’s deputy legal counsel, said that “such a broad, vague and ambiguous request is inappropriate under Ohio’s public records law because it seeks what approximates a ‘complete duplication of a public office’s files.’”
Nevertheless, Strickland will try to respond although it is not possible to say how long it will take to complete the response, Ruppert’s letter said.
Included with Ruppert’s letter was a CD-ROM with comments from public forums on the education plan, 162 pages of copies of records related to the plan and 320 pages of meeting notes, agendas and reports prepared by Strickland’s office.
Strickland’s plan includes requirements such as all-day kindergarten, a longer school year and a longer school day. Critics have said it shortchanges some low-wealth school districts and provides reduced funding for charter schools.
TweetSecretary of State asks Husted for more evidence to prove residency
By Lynn Hulsey Staff Writer
Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, must provide the state’s top election official with evidence that he lives in the Kettering home where he is registered to vote, according to a decision announced Tuesday, April 7, by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.
Brunner said she was not provided with enough evidence of Husted’s residency to make a final decision on breaking a February tie vote by the Montgomery County Board of Elections on the residency question.
She said she will hold the “matter in abeyance” to allow Husted to provide additional documentation. She is preparing a list of documents she wants and at this point is not using a subpoena, said Brunner spokesman Kevin Kidder.
Husted, who plans to run for secretary of state in 2010, faces complaints that his legal residence is not in Kettering. Husted says he lives in Kettering but also stays with his wife and kids at his wife’s Upper Arlington home. He could not be reached for comment.
Husted was Ohio Speaker of the House when the complaints were filed with the board of elections and was elected in November to represent the 6th District in the Ohio Senate. The board of elections is considering his residency for voting purposes. If it is determined he does not live in his district the Ohio Senate would separately consider that matter. He could be forced to forfeit his seat if it is determined he does not live in the district as required by law.
In his January testimony before the local board “many of Husted’s statements were unclear, incomplete, or partially contradictory,” said Brunner, a Democrat who plans to run for U.S. Senate in 2010.
“From his testimony alone, it is not clear whether Husted is a Montgomery County resident who periodically remains in Franklin County or a Franklin County resident who periodically travels to Montgomery County,” Brunner said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7455 or lhulsey@DaytonDailyNews.com.
TweetUpdated with Morgan comments - Gov. Strickland responds to Rep. Morgan request for school records
Gov. Ted Strickland’s office today, April 7, responded to Rep. Seth Morgan’s public records request for documents supporting Strickland’s “evidence-based” model for overhauling schools and school funding.
The response came a day after Morgan, R-Huber Heights, asked the Ohio Supreme Court to order Strickland to provide the documents. Morgan filed the lawsuit after making two public records requests to Strickland’s office that were unanswered. Morgan’s lawyer on Tuesday asked the court to expedite the request in the lawsuit.
Morgan said that he was “grateful” that Strickland had responded to his lawsuit but would have to review the response in detail before deciding if it “comes close” to answering his concerns.
Strickland’s response came in a letter from Jeffrey A. Ruppert, the governor’s deputy legal counsel, and included a CD-ROM containing two Excel spread sheets created as a summary of more than 3,000 comments about school funding made by Ohio citizens at public forums Strickland held on the issue.
The CD-ROM also includes a file containing 320 pages of meeting notes, agendas and reports prepared by Strickland office on the issue. The CD-ROM also contained 162 pages of electronic copies of records related to school funding made in response to a separate public records request.
Ruppert’s letter also said that much of Morgan’s request was “over broad and vague” under the Public Records Act.
“Such a broad, vague and ambiguous request is inappropriate under Ohio public records law because it seeks what approximates a ‘complete duplication of a public office’s files’, Ruppert’s letter said.
Nevertheless, Strickland’s office is trying to comply, the letter said. The letter said that because of the size of the request it wasn’t possible to say when the response would be completed.
TweetMortgage moratorium bill toned down
After hearing objections from lenders, Rep. Mike Foley, D-Cleveland, has made some changes in proposed legislation aimed at helping curb mortgage foreclosures.
A new version of House Bill 3 released on Tuesday, April 7, still would impose a six-month moratorium on mortgage foreclosures but would exempt credit unions and small community banks that service the loans they make.
It also would change a provision that gives judges the authority to modify mortgages. It would limit this authority to subprime mortgages and would not longer give judges the authority to “cram down” the loan’s principal.
Instead, a judge could reduce payments for five years and tack the accumulated interest on as a balloon payment at the end of the mortgage.
“We’re still getting where we want to get to,” Foley said after a hearing of the House Housing and Urban Revitalization Committee.
The committee heard from two Dayton-area witnesses with different views - Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge A.J. Wagner who supports the idea and Lebanon banker Matthew P.Layer who’s opposed.
Wagner said the bill “gives judges another opportunity, after all else has failed, to save a house, save a neighborhood and to help a bank achieve the result they sought when they made the loan - payment in full.”
Layer, executive vice president and chief lending officer for LCNB National Bank, said a judge’s role is to enforce contracts, not rewrite them. He also objected to a $1,500 foreclosure filing fee which he said amounted to a tax. The bank has 25 offices in Warren, Butler, Clinton, Clermont, Hamilton and Montgomery counties, he said.
Foley said he hopes to bring the bill before the full House for a vote in May.
TweetSenate fundraising race: Fisher raises more than $1 million so far
The deadline to report fundraising totals for this quarter isn’t until April 15, but Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher on Tuesday, April 7, reported he’s raised more than $1 million in the first six weeks of his campaign - a clear signal that Fisher wants to establish himself as a well-funded candidate in his Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate.
Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, as well as Democratic state Rep. Tyrone Yates of Cincinnati, are all running in hopes of replacing Republican Sen. George Voinovich, who is retiring at the end of 2010. Former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park, is the lone Republican to announce he’s running.
Brunner spokeswoman Jayme Staley said the campaign has no plans to release its figures today or tomorrow.
Fisher, who announced his candidacy on Feb. 17, said in a release this morning that he has raised more than 85 percent of his contributions from Ohioans.
“The support that I’ve received from people all over Ohio is humbling, and I am very thankful for their generosity in tough economic times,” he said. “For the last two years, I have worked with Governor Ted Strickland, Senator Brown and other state and community leaders to save, create and attract jobs to Ohio. This campaign is about taking the fight for the working men and women of Ohio to the United States Senate.”
Campaign spokesman Alan Melamed, in an interview,said the fundraising push demonstrates the nature of campaigns in Ohio.
“Any statewide election in Ohio is expensive,” he said.
TweetJudge A.J. Wagner applauds foreclosure moratorium proposal
Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge A.J. Wagner thinks a proposed state law to impose a six-month moratorium on mortgage foreclosures is a good idea.
Wagner today, April 7, is to testify on House Bill 3 before the House Housing and Urban Revitalization Committee. The bill also would give judges the authority to modify mortgages for three years.
“What House Bill 3 does, is to place at our disposal one more tool for creating a just outcome,” Wagner said in testimony prepared for the 11 a.m. hearing.
“It gives judges another opportunity, after all else has failed, to save a house, save a neighborhood and to help a bank achieve the result they sought when they made the loan - payment in full.”
Wagner acknowledged that the Ohio Judicial Conference, made up of Ohio judges, has expressed concerns about the proposal “which I share.” Wagner said, however, that he has spoken with Rep. Mike Foley, Cleveland, the bill’s sponsor, and is confident the concerns will be addressed.
In testimony last month, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Charles Schneider said that giving judges the authority to modify mortgages - which are contracts - would produce a constitutional challenges. Schneider also said judges would need more resources to carry out a new assignment.
Wagner said that the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court handled a record number of foreclosures in 2008 and is on a comparable pace this year.
“Montgomery County judges have seen their civil caseloads increase by 85 percent in this decade as foreclosures have climbed to unprecedented levels,” he said.
Wagner also said that the court’s presiding judge, Barbara Gorman, and administrative judge, Michael Hall are currently experimenting with mediation in foreclosure cases “but the results have been disappointing thus far.”
Wagner also disclosed a personal connection to Rep. Mike Foley, the bill’s sponsor.
“…I am in succession to Judge Patrick Foley, father of Rep. Mike Foley,” Wagner said.
“That does not influence my comments here, but it does influence my respect for Mike and his brother Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Foley. Those seeds didn’t fall far from the tree.”
TweetUpdated with Strickland response- Rep. Morgan takes public records case against Strickland to Supreme Court
Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, today, April 6, took his public records case against Gov. Ted Strickland to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Morgan previously had filed two public records requests with Strickland’s office seeking the documents that are the basis of Strickland’s “evidence-based model” for school reform and school funding. Strickland so far has not communicated directly with his office, Morgan said.
Morgan has petitioned the court to require the Strickland administration to comply with Ohio’s public records laws by turning over the evidence used to create the governor’s education plan.
The lawsuit also requests statutory damages and attorney fees and costs. Morgan said he hopes for a speedy response.
“We need to if were going to make an informed decision on this budget,” Morgan said in a telephone interview.
Amanda Wurst, Strickland’s spokeswoman, said Morgan’s request was so broad that it could take “months to compile the responsive documents.”
While the governor is not required to comply with such overly broad requests, Strickland’s office is identifying the materials that could be responsive, Wurst said.
She said every legislator had access to a 400-source bibliography used for Strickland’s plan and many of the reports are available on line.
Also, Strickland held 17 public regional forums over the past year on his plan and information on them is available at conversationoneducation.org, said Wurst.http://www.ohiochannel.org/multimedia/programs/program.cfm?programid=107678&sitedisplay_mode=2
Strickland’s plan calls for a longer school year, a longer school day, all-day kindergarten and other requirements. Critics have questioned whether it provides enough money, particularly for low-wealth districts.
School funding and the school reform plan are part of the proposed two-year budget now under consideration by the House.
Morgan is ranking member of the House Finance Committee’s Primary and Secondary Education Subcommittee.
TweetVideo: Boehner tells reporter to ‘get a brush’
U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester, had some fun with reporters during a press conference on Thursday, April 3.
The House Minority Leader told a reporter to “do something with that hair of yours.” He later told the reporter to “get a brush, would ya?”
According to CNN, the reporter took the joke lightly and shot back, “I’ll get a haircut if you pay for it.”
Boehner then joked about another reporter’s lack of hair and a female reporter’s ponytail. He referred to her hair as “what’s wadded up in the back of your head?”
Obviously, there’s no news here, but the video is fun to watch.
TweetAG Cordray approves casino petition language
Attorney General Richard Cordray on Friday, April 3, approved the summary language submitted by backers of a proposed constitutional amendment to permit casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo.
Next the Ohio Ballot Board must determine whether the petition represents a single or multiple constitutional amendments. With ballot board approval, backers would have until July 1 to gather the 402,275 signatures from registered voters necessary to get the proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Tentative date for the ballot board meeting is April 13, Patrick Gallaway, spokesman for Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, said in an e-mail.
“We’re pleased and we’re eager for the ballot board to meet and act on it so we can start circulating petitions,” said Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, the group backing the plan.
The committee is supported by Penn National Gaming, Inc. and Dan Gilbert, principal owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Casino opponents are mobilizing.
“We’re already organizing. We’re getting ready,” said Tom Smith, public policy director for the Ohio Council of Churches. “I think we’ve got a good fight to put up.”
TweetKearney to walk Cincinnati to Columbus
State Sen. Eric Kearney, D-Cincinnati, plans to walk from downtown Cincinnati to the Statehouse in Columbus over four days.
Kearney is well aware that it’s 102 miles and it would be easier to drive. He is doing it to raise awareness of children’s health issues, particularly childhood obesity, hunger and infant mortality. Kearney is sponsoring a bill in the Senate to ban junk food in vending machines in Ohio schools.
“My goal is to get families moving and thinking about food choices,” Kearney said. “This walk is a fun way to make others aware of the health problems children are facing.”
TweetSecretary of State race could have Cleveland flavor
The November 2010 election is 19 months away but the race for secretary of state already is getting crowded.
Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, announced his candidacy on Thursday, April 2, and Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown, a Democrat, announced her candidacy earlier.
Now it appears likely the campaign could have a Cleveland flavor, too.
“I’m giving serious consideration about this opportunity of running for secretary of state,” Bill Mason, Cuyahoga County prosecutor, said through a spokesman on Thursday.
The race could be the crucial one for control of the five-member Apportionment Board that will draw new legislative districts after the 2010 election. The auditor, governor and secretary of state sit on the board along with a legislator from each party.
If Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and Republican Auditor Mary Taylor seek re-election, each would be favored.
Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, however, is running for the U.S. Senate, making the race for secretary of state wide open.
Husted has proposed a ballot issue to replace the Apportionment Board with a new system but faces an uphill battle to get it on the Nov. 3 ballot this year.
TweetGOP leader Batchelder proposes independent budget office
House Minority Leader William Batchelder, R-Medina, has been griping a lot about Pari Sabety, director of the office of Budget and Management. Batchelder even called for Sabety’s resignation. Sabety works for Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland.
Now Batchelder has a new idea that’s actually an old idea for helping the legislature get its own budget information.
Batchelder on Thursday, April 2, introduced legislation to keep create an independent Legislative Budget Office. Such an office existed until it was abolished in 2000 when Republicans ran both the House and Senate.
“The Legislative Budget Office would ensure transparency and public accountability of the state’s finances,” Batchelder said in a press release. “This office for many years under Democrat and Republican leadership, safeguarded state income and expenditures and provided oversight to the executive branch.”
Batchelder sounded a little kinder about Sabety and her OBM colleagues.
“Those under the Office of Budget and Management are wonderful at what they do,” he said. “But OBM is and will always will be a tool of the governor’s office…..we must level the playing field and provide the legislature with the independent, non-partisan information it needs.”
TweetState treasurer offers a way to boost interest on savings
State Treasurer Kevin Boyce unveiled a program Thursday, April 2, that will allow Ohioans to receive an additional 3.75 percent on their savings accounts if they take financial literacy classes online or through the mail.
Ohio is one of the first states in the nation to offer this type of savings program, Boyce said.
Savings accounts are now paying on average 0.15 percent annual interest rates.
Boyce said the program is designed to help Ohioans become more financially savvy and to save money. If participants take a course over a year and open an account with one of four participating banks, the treasury will add 3.75 percent annual interest on top of what the bank pays. The deal applies to accounts with $5,000 or less.
Potentially, participants could earn $195 in interest on $5,000 at 3.9 percent compared with $7.50 in interest at 0.15 percent.
TweetHusted announces for secretary of state
With his wife Tina and their young daughter Katie, 2, at his side, state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, officially announced his candidacy for secretary of state in 2010.
“Ohio can and must do better,” Husted, a former Ohio House Speaker, said at the news conference at Ohio Republican Party headquarters in Columbus, today, April 2.
He outlined his candidacy earlier in a story in the Dayton Daily News.
Although Husted never has run for statewide office, he released a list of endorsements that showed he already has statewide support. Included were U.S. Sen. George Voinovich and seven of the eight Ohio Republican U.S. House members. Reps. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, and Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, were on the list.
The only member who was not was U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, and that endorsement is expected later.
Rep. Boehner is fully behind Husted and a formal endorsement will come later, said Jessica Towhey, Boehner’s spokeswoman.
For a list of endorsements, see www.hustedforohio.com.
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern chided Husted for voting against the state’s $9.2 billion transportation budget on Wednesday, April 1 and also said the controversy over Husted’s residency will be an issue in the campaign.
“I think that’s going to haunt him,” said Redfern.
The Montgomery County Board of Elections deadlocked along party lines 2-2 on the residency issue on Feb. 25 and sent the case to Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. At issue is whether Husted is a legal resident where he votes in Kettering. In a sworn statement, Husted said he lives in Kettering, is at his house weekly, but also spends time in Columbus at his wife’s house in Upper Arlington.
“I will win this argument,” he said.
Redfern also chided Husted for jumping into the race just three months after being sworn in to the Ohio Senate.
“Just weeks after he took the oath of office, Jon’s already grown tired of that job and he’s looking for another,” said Redfern.
Democratic Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown already is running for secretary of state and Redfern said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason is expected to get in.
Husted should have another supporter soon in his family. He said his wife is expecting another baby.
TweetStrickland signs $9.2 billion transportation budget
Gov. Ted Strickland signed the $9.2 billion state transportation budget at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, his office announced.
“A 21st Century, sustainable transportation system will help to save and create Ohio jobs,” Strickland said in a press release. “This comprehensive bill is the product of thoughtful bipartisan compromise. Ohioans are best served when we seek common ground, and Speaker Armond Budish and Senate President Bill Harris deserve great credit for achieving a bipartisan agreement.”
The House and Senate passed House Bill 2, the two-year spending plan, earlier Wednesday. See earlier story for details. The budget provides $935.7 billion in federal stimulus money for transportation projects, supports the restoration of passenger rail service and increases the speed limit for trucks on interstates from 55 mph to 65 mph.
Strickland also issued 13 line-item vetoes, including one that would have required state and local governments to reimburse utilities for relocating facilities as the result of construction paid for with federal stimulus money.
“This veto continues current Ohio law and ensures that funding received through (the federal stimulus program) is used to its fullest potential in constructing infrastructure and creating jobs,” Strickland said in his veto message.
TweetDeath penalty report filed
Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray published the annual capital crimes report on Wednesday, April 1.
As of Dec. 31, Ohio had 165 men and one woman awaiting execution on death row. Last year, three defendants received death sentences in Ohio.
The 297-page report details legal challenges, history and statistical information about the death penalty in Ohio. It also provides short descriptions of every inmate on death row.
To see a copy of the report, click here.
TweetHouse, Senate approve transportation budget
The House and Senate today, April 1, approved the $9.2 billion state transportation budget and sent it to Gov. Ted Strickland who is expected to sign it.
The vote in the Senate was 31-2 with Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, casting one of the “no” votes. The House vote was 70-29.
The bill includes a provision raising the speed limit for trucks on interstates from 55 mph to 65 mph.
It also includes $935.7 million in federal stimulus money for highway projects, including $33.3 million for projects in the Dayton area.
TweetBrunner won’t punt on Husted residency
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said she is considering asking state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, to provide more information to prove that he lives in Kettering where he votes and owns a house.
In February, the Montgomery County Board of Elections deadlocked two to two on a complaint that questioned whether Husted legally resides where he votes in Kettering.
When asked if she would “punt” on the touchy residency issue, Brunner said, “The statute says the Secretary of State shall in all cases decide tie votes at boards of elections.”
Husted has been mentioned as a candidate for secretary of state in 2010 and he has been publicly critical of Brunner’s job performance.
Husted owns a house in Kettering but his wife and children live in suburban Columbus.
To listen to a podcast of Brunner’s comments, visit daytondailynews.com/politics and click on the audio section.
TweetVote set on transportation budget - again
The House and Senate today, April 1, are scheduled to vote on the state transportation budget and send it to Gov. Ted Strickland for his signature.
A House-Senate conference committee shortly before 1 p.m. passed an amendment to House Bill 2 that clears the way for the vote, originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 31.
The amendment puts an emergency clause in a provision to use federal economic stimulus money to help pay for health insurance for unemployed workers of small businesses. The emergency clause means the provision takes effect immediately upon Strickland’s signature. Without it, the workers would have had to wait three months for the federal help at a cost of $750 for individual coverage and $2,063 for a family.
Officials revised the cost of the budget downward from $9.6 billion to $9.2 billion. Some of the money originally in the transportation budget now will be appropriated through other bills, the officials said.
The bill includes a provision raising the speed limit for trucks on interstates from 55 mph to 65 mph, the same as for cars. Strickland has said he’s not likely to veto the increase.
It also includes $935.7 million in federal stimulus money for highway projects around the state, including $33.3 million for the Dayton area.
TweetStrickland not likely to veto 65 mph for trucks
Gov. Ted Strickland is “not likely” to veto legislation raising the speed limits for trucks on interstates to 65 mph if the proposal reaches his desk.
Amanda Wurst, Strickland’s spokeswoman, said on Wednesday, April 1, that Strickland is concerned about the safety issue if the increase should become law and would encourage the Ohio State Highway Patrol to very strictly enforce the 65 mph limit. The speed limit for trucks on interstates now is 55 mph.
The provision raising the speed limit is part of the $9.2 billion state transportation budget that the legislature is expected to approve and send to Strickland today, April 1. Strickland expects to sign the bill today so it can go in effect by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. He has the authority to veto sections of it, however.
Related articles:
- Will faster trucks mean more highway fatalities?
- Should the speed limit for trucks go up?
- Transportation budget vote delayed
National poll: Americans should limit executive pay at bailed out firms
A new national poll by Quinnipiac University finds 81 percent of Americans say the government should limit executive pay at companies receiving federal help. Forty-seven percent say that the boards of directors and top managers at these companies should be forced to resign, according to the national poll.
Sixteen percent of American voters, meanwhile, said that they did not believe the government should limit executive compensation at companies receiving federal help, and 44 percent did not beieve boards of directors and top managers at these companies should be forced to resign, according to the poll.
Fifty-one percent of Americans polled said President Barack Obama’s new budget is needed to fix the economy, while 45 percent said the budget, which doubles the national debt in 10 years, does not.
The poll, taken from March 24 to March 30, surveyed 2,326 U.S. voters. The margin of error is plus or minus two percentage points.
Tweet
