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Improving the economy tops fall legislative agenda in Columbus

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By William Hershey, Staff Writer Updated 6:46 PM Saturday, September 12, 2009

COLUMBUS — When state legislators return this week, one issue will top their agenda for the rest of the year:

Improving Ohio’s sagging economy.

While Gov. Ted Strickland, Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, and House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, agree on the goal, they’re not united on the path to get there.

“Our priority for the fall will be advancing the Third Frontier,” Budish said last week. He said the House wants the legislature to approve putting a renewal and possible expansion of the program on the May 2010 ballot.

The 10-year program, aimed at promoting high-tech research and promoting jobs, doesn’t expire until 2012 but it’s important to keep the momentum going, said Budish.

“I think it’s been the gem of job creation in Ohio,” he said. New research shows that the program has created 48,000 jobs, according to the development department.

Harris said he wants to continue the program, but wants to do it right and make sure there is “third-party oversight” for how money is spent.

“This is not something you can rush into,” Harris said. “... If we can’t get it done for the primary election, we’ve got the general (in 2010).”

Voters in 2005 approved a bond issue that included $500 million for the program. Including money from other sources, the commitment to the Third Frontier reached $1.6 billion but some non-bond money has been diverted and the total now is about $1.35 billion, said John Griffin, director of the development department’s division of technology and innovation.

The program so far has awarded about $1 billion in grants, including about $120 million in the Dayton area, according to Griffin.

Although Strickland would not have to approve a resolution putting a Third Frontier issue on the ballot, he supports renewing the program, said Amanda Wurst, his spokeswoman.

“The governor’s legislative priorities are job creation, job retention and economic development,” she said.

A second boost to the economy could come by approving changes in how Ohio carries out the nearly $3 billion it spends annually on public construction projects. A state panel last spring recommended changes aimed at speeding up construction and saving money.

Both legislative leaders also expressed interest on an elusive goal – changing the way the state draws legislative districts to provide fairness and competition.

State Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, said he is making changes in a proposed resolution to establish a bipartisan seven-member commission to oversee the creation of new state legislative and congressional districts after each census. Husted is endorsed by the Ohio GOP in the secretary of state race in 2010.

The goal is to get the proposal on next year’s May primary ballot.

“My objective is to get that passed and sent to the House,” said Harris.

“I am hopeful that we’ll be able to come up with a plan that creates competitive districts” and takes politics out of the process, said Budish.

The five-member Apportionment Board – made up of the governor, secretary of state, auditor and a legislator from each party – now draws state legislative districts while the legislature draws U.S. House districts.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Ohio Fall legislative agenda

•Economy – considering ballot proposal to renew Third Frontier and approval of changes in public construction methods.

•Reapportionment/redistricting – considering ballot proposal to create more competitive legislative districts.

•Gay rights – House poised to pass bill banning discrimination in employment and housing based on sexual orientation or gender identity; Senate action unlikely.

•Election reform – House and Senate working on separate plans dealing with issues such as early voting and voter identification requirements.

•Gambling – Senate drafting legislation to regulate campaign contributions from gambling interests.

•Texting ban — House and Senate both considering legislation banning texting while driving.

•Foreclosure moratorium – Senate action appears unlikely on House-passed bill imposing six-month moratorium on residential mortgage foreclosures.

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