Third Frontier, a casino location and redistricting may be heading to ballot

The Legislature’s deadline for May election is Feb. 3.

Ohio lawmakers face deadline in getting key goals on May 4 ballot

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By William Hershey, Staff Writer 9:43 PM Sunday, January 10, 2010

COLUMBUS — When it comes to getting things done, 2009 was not a very good year for the Ohio Legislature and Gov. Ted Strickland.

Strickland signed 16 bills into law, the fewest for the first year of a legislative session dating back to 2003.

That record of gridlock makes the task before lawmakers this month seem even more daunting, although they won’t need Strickland’s help for the three proposed constitutional amendments backers want to put on the May 4 ballot.

Resolutions proposing constitutional amendments don’t require a governor’s approval.

The amendments would:

• Renew the Third Frontier economic development program.

• Replace Ohio’s partisan legislative districting system with a bipartisan plan.

• Change the site for a Columbus casino.

The deadline for getting them on the May ballot is Feb. 3.

“I think we’d like to get all three of them done,” said Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland.

To meet the challenge will require bipartisan cooperation in a Legislature where that has been scarce.

It requires approval from supermajorities to get an issue on the ballot — 60 votes in the 99-member House and 20 votes in the 33-member Senate.

Democrats control the House, 53-46, meaning if all Democrats are on board at least seven Republicans are needed.

Republicans control the Senate 21-12, which mathematically gives the GOP alone enough votes. However, it’s unlikely that a GOP-only plan would fly in the Democratic-controlled House, making it necessary to work along bipartisan lines in the Senate. Here are looks at the three proposals:

Third Frontier

It’s hard to find anybody against the Third Frontier, the high-tech program launched by former Republican Gov. Bob Taft. It has created or retained 48,000 jobs through June 30 at an annual average salary of $67,087, according to a state report.

It provides state money to businesses and universities for research, with the goal of commercialization to create products, technologies and jobs.

About $120 million in grants has been awarded to Dayton-area projects.

It provides the kind of help the Dayton area needs, Chris Kershner, vice president for public policy and economic development for the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, said in an e-mail.

“The Dayton region’s economy is in a time of transition, moving from a traditional manufacturing-based economy to an economy that is rooted heavily in research and development, information technology, advanced manufacturing and aerospace,” said Kershner.

The key disagreement is over how much money the state should borrow to continue the program. Voters in 2005 approved issuing $500 million in bonds to help pay for it.

Strickland and House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, this time want to issue $1 billion in bonds over five years.

Senate President Harris, House Minority Leader William Batchelder, R-Medina, and other Republicans say $500 million is enough to borrow. There appears to be willingness to compromise.

“I think the times call for a robust effort with a program that has proven its ability to pay huge dividends, but I also understand that I’m not the only person who has good ideas, and that I’m willing to listen to what others have to say,” said Strickland, who is involved in negotiations even though he doesn’t have to sign legislation to get the issue on the ballot.

Redistricting reform

The Senate has already passed its version of redistricting reform, sponsored by Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, a candidate for secretary of state.

It would set up a seven-member commission after each census to draw up new state legislative and congressional districts. Members would include: the governor, secretary of state, auditor, House speaker, Senate president and House and Senate minority leaders.

Approval of any plan would require five votes, with at least two coming from representatives of the party in the minority on the commission.

The criteria for drawing districts would include factors such as compactness and competitiveness.

It would replace the Apportionment Board for drawing legislative districts and the Legislature for drawing U.S. House districts.

The Apportionment Board is made up of the governor, secretary of state and auditor and a legislator from each party. The party that holds two of the three statewide offices on the board controls the process.

The House is working on a plan to use Husted’s seven-member commission, but it would only draw up state legislative districts, with the Legislature still determining U.S. House districts.

Also, the House plan is expected to place a greater emphasis on competitiveness than the Senate version. In addition, the members of the all-Democratic Ohio Legislative Black Caucus — five senators and 12 House members — have an interest.

“I think the most important part is maintaining the districts that the caucus has now,” said Rep. Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, a black caucus member.

House Minority Leader Batchelder, whose GOP caucus would have to provide votes for a House plan, said there might not be enough time to reach agreement on such a complicated issue. He called it “something akin to an atomic bomb.”

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