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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2010 > May > 27
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Strickland suspends inmate work program
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today, May 27, suspended the Pickaway Correctional Institution’s Inmate Work Program at the Governor’s Residence.
A statement released late Thursday afternoon said the governor decided to suspend the program after learning an inmate consumed alcohol while working at the residence today.
“I have directed the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to immediately suspend the program until a full and thorough external review of this program can be completed,” Strickland said.
According to the Associated Press, prisons spokeswoman Julie Walburn says the department believes two inmates may have been drinking at the home on Thursday. It was unclear where the alcohol may have come from.
Strickland has been facing political fallout since January after aides canceled an unrelated contraband sting involving an inmate at the residence.
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House OKs redistricting overhaul ballot proposal
The House on Thursday, May 27, approved a proposal for the November ballot asking voters to overhaul how Ohio draws new state legislative districts every 10 years.
House Joint Resolution 15, approved 69-28 in the Democratic-controlled House, differs from Senate Joint Resolution 5, a competing plan passed earlier by the Republican-controlled Senate.
Negotiations are expected to start immediately with the goal of coming up with a compromise before the legislature leaves for the summer, possibly at the end of next week.
“I’ve got work to do,” said Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, sponsor of the Senate plan.
Husted’s proposal would do away with the five-member Apportionment Board, made up of the governor, auditor, secretary of state and a legislator from each party. The party that controls two of the three statewide seats on the board controls redistricting. It draws legislative districts after each census.
His plan would instead set up a seven-member commission - governor, auditor, secretary of state, House speaker, Senate president and House and Senate minority leaders. A five-vote supermajority would be required to adopt a redistricting plan. Also, at least two votes would have to come from commission members not in the majority party.
The new commission also would draw U.S. House districts. The legislature now draws the U.S. House districts.
Compactness and competitiveness would be emphasized in drawing new districts under the plan.
The House plan would not change how U.S. House districts are drawn.
It calls for Ohio citizens after each census - including the 2010 census - to submit proposals to the Apportionment Board based on: competitive fairness; political competitiveness; communities of interest and compactness.
The board would administer the process but district lines would be determined by the winner of a public competition using the predetermined criteria.
Challenges would be settled by a judicial tribunal.
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Ohioans one step closer to being allowed to carry guns in bars, restaurants
Concealed carry permit holders would be allowed to carry their guns into bars and restaurants that sell alcoholic beverages under legislation approved 23-10 on Thursday, May 27, by the Ohio Senate.
Senate Bill 239 now goes to the Ohio House.
The permit holder would be allowed to carry the gun in bars and restaurants as long as he or she was not drinking.
The bill also removes requirements that guns carried by permit holders in motor vehicles be kept out of sight in locations such as glove compartments.
Sen. Shannon Jones, R-Springboro, sponsor of the bill, said more than 40 other states already permit permit concealed carry in bars and restaurants.
