Local lawmakers split on merits of collective bargaining bill

Feb. 27, 2011, Mansfield News Journal

STORY BY JESSICA ALAIMO • CentralOhio.com

COLUMBUS — In all likelihood, voters will get to weigh in on collective bargaining for public employees in November.

But that possibility hasn’t stopped the issue from getting an explosive reaction in Columbus in recent days.

Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Sen. Shannon Jones, R-Springboro, would curtail collective bargaining rights for public employees. All pay scales would be replaced with a merit pay system.

Employees would no longer be able to bargain for health insurance benefits, and the binding arbitration process would be eliminated.

Rural Ohio communities live without broadband

Feb. 21, 2011, Newark Advocate

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

People living in Appalachia are more likely to get inky fingers while reading this story. That’s because they’re less likely to be reading it on a high-speed Internet connection.

Overall, 99.3 percent of Ohio residents have access to high-speed connections, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The state has the 13^th highest penetration rate among the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

However, 30 of Ohio’s 88 counties have at least some households with no broadband providers. Most of those counties are in southeastern Ohio.

A matter of public concern

Feb. 20, 2011, Marion Star

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

The firefighters union claimed it needed 13 people every shift to keep its community safe.

City leaders said they couldn’t afford the cost. There was impasse over wages and health insurance costs, too.

The disagreement could have led to a strike 27 years ago. But in January 2010, the city of Marion and its union went in front of a neutral arbitrator. He gave the final word, siding with the union on some issues and the city on others. One public labor attorney called it a“rare” good arbitration decision.

That process is at the heart of the debate over public employment that erupted in recent weeks when Ohio’s new Republican leaders introduced a bill to overhaul the process.

What are Marion County legislators working on?

Feb. 6, 2011, Marion Star

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

The legislative session is under way in Columbus, and lawmakers are preparing to tackle some of the state’s biggest issues.

An $8 billion budget hole could mean major changes to local governments, jails and prisons, state employees and schools.

The Ohio General Assembly returned to work last month. As of Thursday evening, 86 bills have been introduced in the House, and 61 in the Senate.

What have Marion County lawmakers been up to these last few weeks?We contacted them to find out.