Schuring proposes schoolfunding resolution
Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 4, sponsored by Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), earmarks portions of state revenue for primary,
secondary and higher education funding, specifically:
- 59.6% of the state income tax,
- 71.2% of the sales and use tax,
- 70% of the commercial activity tax,
- 25.4% of the kilowatt-hour tax,
- 100% of lottery profits.
The funds would go into a separate education fund. SJR 4 also would create the Education Stabilization Fund, a rainy day fund to account for changes in revenue, expenditures or tax collection decreases.
OSBA worked with Schuring, business, higher education and other stakeholder groups on the proposal to bring a legislative solution to the school-funding problem. While Schuring’s proposal is one option, OSBA continues with other efforts to solve the school-funding dilemma. SJR 4 may keep the school funding debate active in the legislature. OSBA continues work with the Getting It Right campaign for an overhaul of the school-funding system in Ohio.
To be eligible for the November 2008 General Election, Schuring’s proposal has to be approved by 20 senators and 60 representatives, or three-fifths of each chamber. SJR 4 has been referred to Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee.
Missing child legislation moving forward
House Bill (HB) 181, sponsored by Rep. Arlene Setzer (R-Vandalia), requires public and nonpublic schools to flag the records of students identified as missing children and notify law enforcement of requests for those records. The legislation proposes the following:
- Allows, but does not require, a law enforcement agency that takes a missing child report to notify the school in which the missing child was most recently enrolled that the child is the subject of a missing child report and that the child’s school records are to be flagged.
- Requires the person in charge of admissions at the school to flag the missing student’s records so that if the records are requested, any school official responding to the request is alerted. If the records are requested, the school must report the request to the law enforcement agency that took the missing child report.
- Requires that when forwarding a copy of the missing student’s record, the flag must be removed so that the receiving district or school would be unable to tell that the records were ever flagged. However, the person in charge of admission at the originating school must retain the flag in the records until notified that the student is no longer missing.
- Requires the law enforcement agency to promptly inform any school that was notified under the bill’s provisions that the minor is no longer missing when it receives notices that the student has been returned, released or otherwise located.
The legislation recently passed the Senate and will now go to the House for a concurrence vote on the Senate’s changes.
Governor announces plan for electricity re-regulation
The House Public Utilities Committee continues to hold hearings on Gov. Ted Strickland’s electricity plan, Senate Bill (SB) 221. The governor announced a plan to re-examine electric utility deregulation after Ohio failed to develop the benefits of a truly competitive market for electric power. The plan supports stable and affordable prices and encourages development of alternative energy technologies. SB 221 would do the following:
- Grant the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) the authority to regulate electric utilities under the traditional regulatory approach that applied before SB 3 of the 123rd General Assembly.
- Authorize a distribution utility to apply for a modified standard service offer (SSO) consisting of either an electric security plan (ESP) or a market rate option (MRO).
- Require open, competitive bidding for generation supply under MRO.
- Require an electric distribution utility to supply a portion of its SSO supply from advanced energy, in the amount of 25% of the number of kilowatt hours it supplies in its certified distribution territory, and subject to other requirements, including the use of sustainable resources and the location of the facility, by the end of 2025.
- Require PUCO to establish energy efficiency standards related to the actual load growths and peak demands of electric distribution utilities and authorize rules for revenue decoupling.
- Grant the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) authority over programs to achieve best cost rates for state-owned buildings, facilities and operations; state-supported colleges and universities; willing local governments; and willing school districts through pooled purchases of electricity and the financing of taxable or tax-exempt prepayment of commodities.
SB 221 moved quickly through the Senate, but the process in the House is expected to be much slower. OSBA is working with the Buckeye Association of School Administrators and Ohio Association of School Business Officials to ensure school districts will be able to obtain electricity at the lowest cost and still benefit from consortiums such as SchoolPool. We will keep you updated as SB 221 moves through the legislative process.
Legislation prohibiting strikes introduced
Sen. John Carey (R-Wellston) has introduced SB 264, legislation that would prohibit classroom teachers employed by boards of education from striking. Teachers, like police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel, would have to enter into binding arbitration to settle their unresolved collective bargaining disputes. OSBA is analyzing SB 264, and will be an interested party on the legislation. The bill has been referred to the Senate Education Committee.
For the latest legislative updates, please contact the OSBA legislative division at (614) 540-4000; or (800) 589-OSBA.
Editor's Note: All information in this article was current as of December 20, 2007.
