Facts in a Flash

State Legislative Conference
This year’s State Legislative Conference is March 19 at the Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square. The conference provides school board members, superintendents, treasurers and others with a great venue to meet with their state legislators and discuss issues impacting public education.

Attendees will hear briefings and discussions on the state budget and other legislation. Speakers include:
• Kimberly Murnieks, director, Office of Budget and Management;

• Sen. Larry Obhof (R-Medina), Senate president;

• Rep. Larry…

Committee assignments have been announced, and meetings are underway! Rep. Louis W. Blessing III (R-Colerain Township) chairs the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee, and Sen. Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) chairs the Senate Education Committee. Meanwhile, Reps. Robert R. Cupp (R-Lima) and John Patterson (D-Jefferson) serve as co-chairs of the House Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education.

Click here for a list of House committee assignments, and click…

New law

Last month, the governor signed into law House Bill (HB) 502, which requires certain public school employees to undergo youth suicide awareness and prevention training once every two years.

General Assembly activity

Last month, the General Assembly sent the following bills to the governor for his signature:
• HB 66, which requires…

New laws
The governor signed into law the following bills:
• House Bill (HB) 491, which extends the alternative high school graduation pathways to the classes of 2019 and 2020, exempts treasurers from liability for certain cases in which loss of public funds occur, and revises licensure for pupil services personnel;
• HB 291, which allows school districts, among others,…

General Assembly activity
The General Assembly sent the following bills to the governor for his consideration:
• House Bill (HB) 291, which allows school districts, among others, to purchase an “employee dishonesty and faithful performance of duty policy” instead of individual surety bonds for officers, employees and appointees who are otherwise required to give a bond;
• HB…

General Assembly activity
The General Assembly sent House Bill (HB) 491 to the governor for his signature. The bill extends the two alternative high school graduation pathways to the classes of 2019 and 2020 that were previously afforded to the class of 2018 only. Modifications were made to the pathways for the class of 2020. The bill also includes language from HB 705, which exempts treasurers from liability for certain cases in which loss of public funds occur. Click…

Senate Ways and Means Committee

The committee adopted a substitute version of House Bill (HB) 343 during its fourth hearing. The bill now requires a board resolution for each property valuation challenge; requires naming the properties and property owners that will be challenged; prohibits a challenge on residential property, but still allows counter-complaints; and increases the threshold for filing counter-complaints from $50,000 to $100,000. Click…

Welcome back to Facts in a Flash! Now that the Ohio General Assembly is back in session, you can stay up-to-date on all the activity at the Ohio Statehouse.

State Board of Education activity

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General Assembly activity

The General Assembly sent the following bills to the governor:

• House Bill (HB) 87, which requires funds that are returned to the state because of a community school enrollment audit to be credited back to certain public school districts;

• HB 312, which deals with the use of credit cards and debit cards by school districts and other…

House activity

The House passed several bills, sending them to the Senate for consideration. They include:
• House Bill (HB) 342, which requires the ballot wording on property tax proposals to be in terms of tax per $100,000 of fair market value rather than per $100 of tax valuation. The bill passed 61-32.
• HB 58, which requires the State Board of Education to adopt a…