Bill Harris

Lawmakers and Gov. Ted Strickland agreed to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on industries such as advanced energy and biomedicine in the coming years to try to create tens of thousands of jobs.

But they still must find the money to fund the portion of the stimulus designated for the upcoming two-year budget, which is projected to have a $7.3 billion deficit.

Funds from the sale of bonds and a tax credit for historic preservation -- a total of $360 million -- are already available for use. But half of the stimulus package, including spending to create jobs in the advanced energy and biomedical industries, still faces several potential obstacles, including:

• A lawsuit involving the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation is holding up the release of $230 million for the package.

In an update on the 2-year-old audit, Taylor, a Republican, said there has been some progress, but many "missed opportunities."

"Ohio's Medicaid program still cries out for comprehensive reform," she said in a press conference.

Medicaid Director John Corlett disputed the major findings of Taylor's audit update. He said the state's $13 billion health-care program for the poor and disabled, managed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, actually implemented 74 of the 109 original recommendations.

Further, Corlett said Medicaid savings far exceed Taylor's $100 million estimate. He said the biggest savings was $1.4 billion in "avoided costs" because of changes in commercial and Medicaid billing. The agency also received $180 million more in revenue from third parties and implemented $159 million in cost-containment initiatives, he said.

Ohio Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland said in a statement that he would veto legislation in its current form that would pay Ohio veterans a bonus using rainy-day funds.

"I strongly support honoring Ohio veterans with a bonus paid for by selling bonds, just as our state has done in the past and just as the Ohio Senate has voted to do," Strickland said. "However, considering the historic budget challenges before us, I do not believe it is fiscally responsible to pay for this worthy priority with rainy-day funds that are designed to be used for budget emergencies.  Therefore, if the bill remains in its current form I would veto it."

The newly elected Ohio House Democratic leadership for the 128th General Assembly gathered in the Statehouse Wednesday to discuss some legislative priorities for the next session. Ohio Speaker of the House-elect Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) said that his top priority was economic development and jobs, but also floated some ideas on urban revitalization.

"In 2006, the people of Ohio elected a new governor in Ted Strickland to turn Ohio around," Budish said. "It's difficult for a governor to do that by himself. He needs cooperation from the Ohio House and Senate."

Budish said he plans to work closely with Strickland, Senate President Bill Harris (R-Ashland) and Minority Leader-elect Bill Batchelder (R-Mediana) to move Ohio forward over the next two years.

"We will do our best to work with Republicans across the aisle," Budish said. "And I believe Bill Batchelder wants to do the same."

Ohio Senate

State Sen. Keith Faber

COLUMBUS -- With Democrats controlling the governor’s office and the state House, Republicans will have to rely on their majority in the state Senate to keep the GOP from getting rolled over on key decisions.

Newly-elected Senate Republican majority leader Keith Faber said despite pressure from Democrats, his caucus will stand up for its ideals but won’t be obstructionist.

“I think obstructionist is a funny word. I mean obviously, if you’re a Democrat and we don’t pass everything you give us, we’re an obstructionist,” he said. “Where the governor and the House may try to go to a more liberal-left position, I think they [voters] expect us to be in the middle of the road and adopt fiscal conservatism.”

The Ohio Senate Republican caucus unanimously selected Senate President Bill Harris (R-Ashland) to continue his leadership for the upcoming 128th General Assembly on Tuesday afternoon.

Harris will be joined in leadership by state Sen. Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond), who was selected as the chamber’s president pro tempore; Senator Keith Faber (R-Celina), who was voted majority floor leader, and Senator Mark Wagoner (R-Toledo), who was elected majority whip.  

All will officially assume these posts in January when the new session begins.

Four Republicans are campaigning for Senate GOP leadership positions.

Senate President Bill Harris (R-Ashland) will run for re-election, while state Sens. Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond), Keith Faber (R-Celina) and Mark Wagner (R-Toledo) are campaigning inside the caucus for leadership posts. Next Tuesday the caucus is expected to meet and elect its leaders for the 128th General Assembly.

Ohio Senate President Bill Harris (R-Ashland) released a statement following the news that former state Sen. Eugene Watts (R-Galloway) has passed away.

"On behalf of the members and staff of the Ohio Senate, we send our deepest condolences and prayers to the family of former State Senator Gene Watts," Harris said. "Gene Watts was a veteran of the United States Army and a professor of history at The Ohio State University, and throughout his more than 15-year tenure in the Ohio Senate, he never forgot those roots."

Harris said Watts will always be remembered as a champion of education and veterans issues.

While the Ohio Republican Party mocked Gov. Ted Strickland's announcement that the state's budget is in defecit and requires hundreds of millions in cuts, the party's top man in the state Senate praised Strickland.

Senate President Bill Harris (R-Ashland) said he supported Strickland's budget orders.

"I appreciate that the governor took steps to address the budget shortfall through spending cuts and reducing the size of government rather than the alternative, which is raising taxes," he said.

However, Harris criticized Strickland's move yesterday to mandate government-funded construction projects pay employees a "prevailing wage," which is closer to the hourly wage union construction workers earn compared to non-union workers.

Gov. Ted Strickland and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown made the announcement with Service Employees International Union District 1199 President Becky Williams Thursday morning that the union-led coalition is ending its campaign to put an issue on the ballot Nov. 4 that would require employers to give full-time workers seven paid sick days a year.

The coalition leaders, including SEIU and the Healthy Families Act Coalition, will instead work to pass a federal paid sick-leave bill co-sponsored by Brown that would apply to all states.

Ohio leaders have praised the removal of the contentious issue from Ohio's ballot, but Democrats and Republican leaders are still divided over the issue. Ohio Democrats support the measure in national form, while Ohio Republican leaders criticize any "mandates" on businesses and say that making the issue national makes the presidential election that much more important.