Senate Education Committee
The committee accepted another version of House Bill (HB) 154 during its third hearing. The revised bill would maintain the proposed School Transformation Board and school improvement committees. Click here for a description of the new substitute bill. The committee is expected to accept amendments to and vote on the bill before the end of September.
The following school district representatives testified on the bill:
• Jeff M. Graham, superintendent, Canton City;
• Donald J. Jolly II, superintendent, Warrensville Heights City;
• Dr. Eugene T.W. Sanders, superintendent, Sandusky City;
• Ronald Shadd, board member, Youngstown City;
• Brenda Kimble, board member, Youngstown City;
• Eric Resnick, board member, Canton City;
• Stephanie Eichenberg, board member, Toledo City;
• Patrick Schymanksi, board member, Elida Local (Allen);
• Tina Cvetkovich, board member, Youngstown City;
• Jackie Adair, board member, Youngstown City.
Senate Finance Committee
The committee conducted a first hearing on the following bills:
• HB 2, sponsored by Reps. Jon Cross (R-Kenton) and Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown), which permits a collaboration of school districts, among others, and multiple industry sector partnerships to act as a regional sector partnership and be eligible for state grants.
• Senate Bill (SB) 85, sponsored by Sen. Tina Maharath (D-Columbus), which revises the signage requirements for school zones.
Senate Health, Human Services and Medicaid Committee
The committee conducted a first hearing on SB 126, sponsored by Sen. Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville), which appropriates $5 million to ESCs to assist with hiring social workers or mental or behavioral health professionals and to authorize a mental health professional to provide a crisis assessment to a suicidal minor, without parental consent.
Senate Judiciary Committee
The committee conducted a first hearing on SB 144, sponsored by Sen. Sandra R. Williams (D-Cleveland), which requires student instruction on the prevention of and disciplinary procedures for harassment, intimidation or bullying and to create the offense of aggravated bullying as a third-degree misdemeanor.
The committee also conducted a second hearing on SB 118, sponsored by Sen. Kristina D. Roegner (R-Hudson), which increases the penalty for assault if the victim is acting as a sports official or the assault is committed in retaliation for the victim's actions as a sports official.
Senate Transportation, Commerce and Workforce Committee
The committee conducted a first hearing on the following bills:
• SB 134, sponsored by Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), which increases the penalties for the offense of improperly passing a stopped school bus. It also allows images captured by school bus cameras to be used as corroborating evidence for such an offense and appropriates $250,000 in grant funding each year for purchasing and installing cameras on school buses.
• HB 4, sponsored by Reps. Tracy M. Richardson (R-Marysville) and Phillip M. Robinson Jr. (D-Solon), which requires the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation to act as a liaison between the business community and the Ohio Department of Education or the chancellor of higher education with regard to industry-recognized credentials or certificate programs.
Posted by Will Schwartz on 9/20/2019.