SB 5 revision protects death benefits

Mar. 30, 2011, Marion Star

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

Sara Winfield,whose husband was killed in the line of duty in Marion County, told a legislative committee that Senate Bill 5 might keep her and other survivors of slain police officers from getting their full benefits.

The controversial legislation seeks to curtail collective bargaining rights of public employees. On Tuesday, Republican lawmakers added a clause to protect the benefits of surviving spouses and families of officers and firefighters who die in the line of duty. The legislation goes before the full House for a vote today.

However, one Fraternal Order of Police representative said he is not sure if the complex Senate Bill 5 language would interfere with death benefits, even with the change.

School districts learn how deep state cuts might be

Mar. 30, 2011, Marion Star

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

Local school officials figured they would have less state and federal aid in 2012. Tuesday, they learned what the cuts could be.

Last week, Gov. John Kasich touted more state aid for local districts. However, the slight increases in state foundation aid don’t make up for what school districts stand to lose from the expiration of stimulus funds and an accelerated phase-out of the personal property tax reimbursement.

The Office of Budget and Management unveiled projections of how much less schools would get from the reimbursements under Kasich’s proposed budget.

CHEERY PART OF SCHOOL FUNDING PICTURE RELEASED

Mar. 25, 2011, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

Most school districts could expect increases in basic state aid under Gov. John Kasich’s proposed budget, Ohio executives told school districts Thursday.

But school officials knew not to get excited, because these numbers only reveal the cheerier half of an otherwise grim picture. School districts will lose funds in other places, most likely resulting in a net loss, school and union officials say. Districts don’t know how those losses will be divided.

Barbara Shaner, associate executive director of the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, said the group cautioned its members as the numbers came out: The big picture could look a lot different.

These projections make for strange bedfellows: The Ohio Education Association, the largest teachers’ union in the state, echoed the business officials association in calling the figures misleading. Union spokeswoman Michele Prater referred to the calculations as “sleight of hand” that seeks to disguise an overall drop in state funding for schools.

House backs Teach for America plan

Mar. 24, 2011, Zanesville Times Recorder

By JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

Ohio lawmakers are on their way to approving a new source of teachers for troubled Ohio schools, but not without opposition.

The Ohio House approved a bill Tuesday to allow Teach for America participants to be certified in Ohio. If it passes in the Senate, it already has the support of Gov. John Kasich.

Teach for America is a national organization of recent college graduates willing to teach in low income and under-performing schools. The graduates must have a college degree, though not necessarily in education, and undergo a screening process. They also attend an intensive five-week training course and must commit to their school for at least two years.

More than a budget: Kasich aims to shake up Ohio governments

Mar. 20, 2011, Mansfield News Journal

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

With an $8 billion budget hole and a pledge not to raise taxes, Gov. John Kasich had no choice to issue cut after cut in his first budget proposal.

But he also went a few steps further, by suggesting changes that could mean a radical departure from the way Ohio government does business.

“Years of neglect, switching programs into the next fiscal year, smoke and mirrors, refusing to address the basic fundamental structural problems of our budget. That’s what it is, a structural imbalance in our budget because we didn’t take care of the foundation,” Kasich said in his State of the State address. “… We’re trying to give everybody flexibility from state rules and regulations. Let’s have common sense.”

Kasich plans to get rid of what he considers to be costly regulations that come via collective bargaining and prevailing wage agreements.

Then there’s the hammer. Kasich is asking that, by 2013, state aid to local governments be cut in half. To deal with these cuts, he’s asking governments to share services, personnel, and to buy in bulk. He also seeks to remove obstacles to privatization and is promising to get rid of other costly mandates and regulations.

Schools react to Kasich’s cuts

Mar. 18, 2011, Coshocton Tribune

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

More state money would go to education under Gov. John Kasich’s proposed budget, but it is likely many individual school districts still would have less cash to work with.

Kasich unveiled his $55.5 billion biennial budget Tuesday. Despite a 1.5 percent increase in general state aid to schools, the overall K-12 budget in his plan decreases funding by about $1.8 billion (or 15 percent) over the next two years — largely because of an $875 million loss in federal stimulus money and the accelerated phase-out of a tax on equipment.

Although critics of the budget decry these cuts as a slashing of services, proponents say that by cutting special services, more money can be put to general use, giving districts more flexibility.

The Office of Budget and Management has not yet released a district-by-district breakdown on how much each district would receive in the upcoming biennium.

Most services face trims in attempt to curtail $8 billion deficit

Mar. 16, 2011, Chillicothe Gazette

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

In some cases, Gov. John Kasich used a steak knife, in others, a battle ax, but most state services face at least a twinge of pain under the administration’s proposed 2012 budget.

Many of these are small cuts to services and reimbursement programs.

These cuts are part of an effort to mend an $8 billion budget gap. Kasich unveiled his budget Tuesday, which included a host of cuts and structural changes. These cuts are all included in an 80-page segment of the budget titled “The Savings Book.”

401(k)-style retirement plans on the table for public employees

Mar. 11, 2011, Mansfield News Journal

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

COLUMBUS — Ohio’s GOP legislative leaders say a 401(k)-style retirement plan may be on the table for new public employees, although it is not in the pending pension reform legislation.

The General Assembly is considering an overhaul to Ohio’s five public retirement systems. A House committee is holding hearings on the legislation.

House Speaker Bill Batchelder, R-Medina, and Senate President Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond, say they are open to moving new hires from the current defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan. Ohio’s legislative leadership spoke on a panel Thursday at the annual legislative session sponsored by The Associated Press.

DeWine: Ohio medical board must do more to fight prescription drug abuse

Mar. 11, 2011, Mansfield News Journal

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said the State Medical Board of Ohio has not been aggressive enough in fighting prescription drug abuse and investigating doctors who irresponsibly prescribe dangerous drugs.

DeWine said tackling prescription drug abuse will be a top priority in his administration. He addressed the issue during a seminar at The Associated Press’ annual legislative session Thursday in Columbus.

County’s growth since 2000 almost unparalleled

Mar. 10, 2011, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

LANCASTER — Fairfield County is the fourth-fastest growing county in Ohio, and has one of the lowest housing vacancy rates, according to U.S. Census data released Wednesday.

Most of this growth occurred in the communities closest to Columbus. The county had 146,156 people in 2010, a growth rate of 19 percent since 2000.

The Census Bureau counted every person in the country in 2010 collecting data on age, race and housing.

Legislation will have an affect on public workers

Mar. 9, 2011, Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

Overshadowed by the furor over proposed changes in collective bargaining laws, a small group of legislators is working on a measure that also could have a profound impact on Ohio’s public employees.

A House subcommittee is considering major changes to Ohio’s five public pension systems. Among the ideas:

❚ Increasing employee contributions.

❚ Increasing the minimum years of service and age required for a full pension.

❚ Adjusting computations for final average salary, using five highest years instead of three.

Three of Ohio’s five public pension funds lack the assets to cover 30 years of liabilities, as required by state law. If they don’t fix that, the systems must present a plan to the Legislature to bring funding back in line.

Sweet home far away from work

Mar. 6, 2011, Marion Star

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

MARION — Jessica Abrams has a job she enjoys.

But to maintain gainful employment, she spends two hours in her car each day. She doesn’t want to move from Marion to Columbus.

The cost of living is lower where she lives, and she prefers the school system. But it puts a strain on her family.

“I don’t think I could find a job here making the kind of money that I do now, but I hope to eventually,” said Abrams, 31.

The average commute for Ohio workers has increased from 20 minutes in 1990 to 22.6 minutes in the past five years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

It doesn’t sound like much on the surface, but that amounts to an additional 21 hours in the car each year.

Child obesity rates stay steady

Mar. 3, 2011, Fremont News-Messenger

By JESSICA ALAIMO

Special to the News-Messenger

Obesity rates among children statewide have stayed relatively steady, a new study from the Ohio Department of Health shows.

About 30 percent of Ohio's third-graders are either overweight or obese, according to the study, conducted during the current school year. This is the same rate found in a 2004 study.

However, some counties have seen great fluctuations. Sandusky and Coshocton counties, for example, had decreases of about 10 percent in overweight and obese children. Butler and Champaign counties had increases of about 15 percent.

Overcorrecting can worsen crash

Mar. 3, 2011, Granville Sentinel

JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

Three seconds. That’s how much time a driver has to figure out what to do when a vehicle goes out of control.

While any other time the person likely could tell you how to handle the situation, now panic is setting in.

They should know not to hit the brakes. They do. They should know which way to turn the wheel. But they don’t.

While the Ohio Department of Public Safety does not keep data on it, in the past month, there have been at least 12 instances of serious crashes in Ohio where a driver overcorrected, according to various news reports.