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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2010 > January > 13
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
House Approves Third Frontier Ballot Plan
By a bipartisan 85-13 vote, the House on Wednesday, Jan. 13, agreed to put a proposal on the May 4 primary ballot to renew the Third Frontier high tech economic development program.
The proposal calls for the state to issue $950 million in bonds over five years. Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, had advocated a $1 billion bond plan but Republicans wanted a smaller amount.
The proposed constitutional amendment now goes to the Senate.
It takes 60 votes in the 99-member House and 20 votes in the 33-member Senate to approve putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot. The governor’s signature is not required.
The Third Frontier provides money to businesses and universities for research aimed at developing technologies and products and creating jobs. It has created or retained 48,000 jobs so far, according to a state report.
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TweetKasich to “tweet” choice for Lt. Gov. - expected to name Taylor
Republican John Kasich will use Twitter to “tweet” his choice for lieutenant governor at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14, before making the announcement at a 3 p.m. press conference in Columbus.
Kasich, the Republican candidate for governor, is expected to name Auditor Mary Taylor as his running mate.
Rob Nichols, Kasich’s spokesman, would not confirm that Taylor is the choice but said Thursday’s action is about naming a running mate.
Chris Abbruzzese, Taylor’s spokesman, said Taylor is “flattered to be considered” but declined further comment.
Taylor’s apparent decision to run for lieutenant governor has prompted state Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, to explore a campaign for auditor.
Taylor would give Kasich, a former U.S. House member from suburban Columbus, a connection to vote-rich northeastern Ohio. Taylor is from Green, an Akron suburb.
While no date has been set, Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland also told his followers on Twitter to be watching for a lieutenant governor announcement.
Here’s what Kasich told his followers about Thursday:
Tomorrow afternoon, I will be making a special announcement which will have a tremendous impact on Ohio’s future. While the rest of the world will hear this announcement at a 3:00pm EST press conference, I am excited to be able to share this information with you exclusively on Twitter at 1:30pm EST.
Please make sure you sign up for a Twitter account and follow me so you can learn about this historic announcement before anyone else. If you’re new to Twitter or just beginning to learn the ropes, please be sure to check out the Kasich for Ohio Twitter Guide. Then, look for my tweet at 1:30pm EST tomorrow afternoon.
Afterward, you will be able to watch the press conference live on KasichForOhio.com at 3:00pm EST.
Sincerely,
John R. Kasich
Candidate for Governor
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TweetRep. Seth Morgan mulls run for state auditor
With incumbent Republican Mary Taylor now expected to run for lieutenant governor, state Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, said on Wednesday, Jan. 13, that he is “exploring” running for the GOP nomination for auditor this year.
Like Taylor, Morgan is a CPA - Certified Public Accountant.
“We’re going to continue to look at the best way to serve the people of my district,” Morgan said. “We are exploring a potential run for state auditor.”
Morgan said that he was interested in “carrying on the professional legacy” of Taylor.
Taylor is expected to be named the lieutenant governor running mate of GOP gubernatorial candidate John Kasich as early as Thursday, according to a key GOP insider.
Morgan, 31, is serving his first term in the Ohio House. Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper is the Democratic candidate for auditor. The filing deadline is Feb. 18.
Morgan’s entry into the race would give the Dayton-area three statewide candidates. State Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, is running for the GOP nomination secretary of state, and former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine of Cedarville is seeking the GOP nomination for attorney general.
Both auditor and secretary of state have special importance this year. That’s because both are members of the Apportionment Board which will draw new state legislative lines after the 2010 census. The governor also is a member of the the board, along with a legislator from each party.
The party that wins two of the three statewide offices in November will control legislative redistricting.
House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, on Tuesday signaled that it’s unlikely the legislature will agree by a Feb. 3 deadline to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the May 4 ballot to replace the Apportionment Board with a more bipartisan plan for redistricting.
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TweetVoters split evenly on Obama approval; blame Bush for economic woes
For the first time, voters across the country split evenly - 45-45 percent - on whether they approve President Barack Obama’s performance as president.
A new Quinnipiac University Poll released on Wednesday, Jan. 13, also found that voters blame former Republican President George W. Bush more than Democrat Obama, 55-20 percent, for the nation’s economic woes.
Release of the poll comes just a week before the first anniversary of Obama’s inauguration as president on Jan. 20, 2009.
Here’s your chance to get in the discussion:
Previous polls had shown more approval than disapproval for Obama. On Dec. 23, 2009, a poll showed 46 percent approved and 43 percent disapproved, down from a high of 59-31 approval rating in a June 4, 2009 poll.
Still, the poll found that by a 45-30 percent margin, voters said Obama has been a better president than Bush. However,by a 35-24 percent margin, they said Obama’s policies have made the United States less safe than the polices of Bush. About 38 percent said safety is about the same.
“When asked to compare, voters give Obama a higher rating that George W. Bush, but that’s not much to write home about since Bush’s approval at one point was among the lowest of any president in history,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Polling Institute, said in a press release.
In other key poll findings, voters said Obama
*Is honest and trustworthy, 56-37 percent.
*Is a strong leader, 66-32 percent.
*Does not share their views on issues they care about, 50-46 percent.
*Is being fiscally irresponsible in his spending of federal money, 53-43 percent.
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