Scott Oelslager today chatted with Ray Horner on how investing in education leads to workforce development and job creation, and also discussed tax cuts for small businesses. 

Listen to the interview below: 

Scott Oelslager Talks Budget with Ray Horner

Chris Widener today chatted with 610 WTVN News Radio on investing $1 billion in new money to public schools across the state of Ohio this fall. Dollars are being invested into lower wealth districts to improve economic disadvantage and K-3rd grade literacy.

Widener said investing money into lower weath districts helps the state as a whole because it provides fairness in quality of education for everyone to have a better future. 

To listen to the interview, click the link below:

Chris Widener Talks Investing in Education on 610 WTVN News Radio

Ohio Senate President Keith Faber (R–Celina) has named Senators Scott Oelslager (R–North Canton) and Bill Coley (R–Liberty Township) to the state budget conference committee. The committee is charged with the responsibility of reconciling the differences between the House-passed and Senate-passed versions of the state budget.
 
“We are working closely with the Governor and our colleagues in the House to continue improving upon the good things already contained in the budget such as lower taxes and additional funding for important programs like education and local governments,” said Faber. “I believe the House and Senate have given the conference committee a strong foundation to do what is best for Ohio’s economy and best for all Ohioans.”
 
Oelslager and Coley, who serve as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, will be joined by Senator Tom Sawyer (D–Akron) when they take their seats on the bicameral conference committee this week.
 
“Both the House and Senate have put their marks on the budget with the primary goal of creating jobs and growing Ohio’s economy,” said Oelslager. “I look forward to working with the conference committee to take the best ideas from both versions to craft a final bill to present for the Governor’s signature.”
 
“Our number one priority in the Statehouse remains creating an environment in Ohio where we can create jobs and grow our economy for the long-term,” said Coley. “Working with the Governor and our colleagues in the House, I believe we are putting the final touches on a bill that does just that.”
 
The committee will hold its first hearing on Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Members of the Ohio Senate today announced the introduction of a new bipartisan bill aimed at systemic reform of Ohio’s Medicaid system. The legislation, jointly sponsored by Senators Dave Burke (R–Marysville) and Capri Cafaro (D–Hubbard), seeks to help Ohioans gain access to affordable health care while minimizing costs to Ohio and maximizing the benefit to Ohio taxpayers.
 
“My colleagues in the General Assembly take very seriously the need to assist struggling Ohioans with basic services that provide a hand up rather than a hand out,” said Senate President Keith Faber (R–Celina). “This bipartisan working group has given thoughtful consideration to reforms that will make the Medicaid system more efficient and sustainable over the long-term. This bipartisan bill is the next step in the process.”

“The House and Senate have spent many weeks holding hearings and listening to testimony and now is the time for action,” said Senate Minority Leader Eric H. Kearney(D-Cincinnati).  “The legislation is a good start, but only a start.  We should seize the opportunity now to encourage workforce development, protect Ohio businesses and provide health coverage to more Ohioans.”
 
Senators Burke and Cafaro have engaged with colleagues in the Ohio House over the last several weeks to discuss possible Medicaid reform legislation. This bill, along with a companion bill introduced today in the House, aims to reduce health care costs and define performance metrics that create accountability for the Medicaid program.
 
“Our goal from the beginning has been to find ways to provide more services to more people in a more efficient and cost-effective manner,” said Senator Burke. “We have to remember when it comes to Medicaid, the taxpayer is the provider. Tax dollars we spend on Medicaid are dollars we are taking away from education, economic development, and other items important to Ohio. I believe it’s possible to achieve our objectives and bring true reform to Medicaid that is cost-effective and outcome driven. This bill will enable us to determine what that looks like.”
 
"This legislation represents a first step toward providing health coverage to more Ohioans especially the working poor and veterans," said Senator Cafaro.  "The goal is to make sustainable reforms that improve health outcomes that contain costs and hold all parties involved accountable to continued health care and workforce innovation.  While I am encouraged by the progress we have made, there is still much work to be done. We are at a critical crossroads to take action."
 
Among the policy priorities:

• Establish firm spending targets
• Establish performance measures and targets that focus on medical outcomes
• Increase consumer involvement in the delivery of Medicaid services
• Remove costly legislative mandates that prohibit innovation and flexibility
• Streamline legislative involvement in caseload
• Invest in research and evaluation for Medicaid and the entire health care system in Ohio
• Eliminate statutory regulations that impede the cost-effective delivery of health care

State Senator Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) today announced that the Senate has unanimously passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 15 which urges the U.S. House of Representatives to hold further hearings on the nationwide broadband public safety network, known as FirstNet. The hearings would require the House of Representatives to identify costs of the network to Ohio and the other states.

FirstNet would be a single nationwide public safety broadband network for first responders. The federal system is set be built and Ohio’s local public safety personnel will be required to pay for it and use it. The costs are unidentified, but the program is expected to require tens of billions in funding.

“As a State, we operate at our best when we manage and build large infrastructure projects with our chosen private sector partners, rather than allowing the federal government to make those decisions for us,” said Patton. “Because FirstNet is a one size fits all approach to emergency communications, I simply cannot imagine the chaos that would ensue if we were to surrender control of our local emergency communications to Washington bureaucrats.”

The resolution suggests if FirstNet’s proposal does not create an adequate return on investment, as determined by the state, Ohio and other states should be permitted to opt-out with no net costs. If Ohio chooses to participate, the resolution suggests FirstNet pay fair market compensation to the State for access to state-owned assets.

The resolution will now proceed to the Ohio House of Representatives for further consideration.

The Ohio Senate today approved House Bill 59, the state’s biennium budget proposal, which includes as its cornerstones a $1.4 billion tax cut for Ohio’s small businesses and the largest legislative investment in education in more than 10 years. Senate President Keith Faber (R–Celina) praised the budget as an investment in Ohio’s economy and a key tool to continued job growth in the state.

“Small businesses are the engine that drives our economy,” said Faber. “Whether it’s purchasing new equipment, expanding operations, or growing payroll, this substantial tax relief will allow small business owners to invest back into their company, which will spur economic growth.”

Small businesses employ approximately half of Ohio’s private-sector workforce and make up nearly 98 percent of all businesses in the state. In the past two and a half years, Ohio has created more than 115,000 jobs and gone from 48th in the nation for job creation to being the number one job creator in the Midwest. The Senate’s $1.4 billion tax cut aims to continue Ohio’s economic progress and stimulate the state’s economy by encouraging increased investment and payroll expansion by these job creators.

The budget proposal also includes the Senate’s plan for education funding in Ohio. “Supporting Achievement Everywhere” seeks to adequately care for the educational needs of all Ohio children. Funding is increased $221 million over the House proposal for a total of nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars of spending on education over the biennium. The Senate plan increases the core opportunity grant per-pupil and distributes resources among more districts across the state.

“This is the largest investment in our public school districts by the General Assembly in more than a decade,” added Faber. “Our plan is a student-centered plan that increases the funding level per pupil, but also invests into important gifted education and early childhood education programs. We want to make sure that our kids get the best education possible. Having a successful public school system and a well educated workforce will be key to Ohio’s continued economic success.”

The Senate’s education plan also identifies and targets specific categories for additional funding to ensure that the money is mindfully invested in specific programs such as gifted education, career-tech training, and the state’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee. Included in the $717 million education funding increase is a $30 million investment in early childhood education and $100 million for the “Straight A Fund,” which rewards schools for measures that promote innovation and efficiency.

Additional Senate changes include:

Higher Education Plan

• Ensures a 2 percent cap on tuition increases at all Ohio public universities,
• Institutes a university-supported plan for higher education funding encouraging student graduation and degree completion, not just student recruitment,
• Establishes a process to implement the College Credit Plus Program to help Ohio students receive high school and college credit simultaneously to lower tuition costs and aid students in getting a high-quality education in a reasonable amount of time.

Protecting Ohio’s Environment

• Increases to $56 million the CleanOhio program to preserve farmland, improve trails, and fund additional conservation & public works projects,

Reforming the Bureau of Workers Compensation

• Funding is increased from $5 million to $15 million for the BWC’s successful Workplace Safety Grant program,
• The Senate has empowered the BWC to reform its payment system to save Ohio employers $900 million
• The BWC reforms will reduce BWC payments by 2 percent for private employers and 4 percent for public employers

Other Funding Improvements

• TourismOhio funding will increases by 14 percent, making $8 million available each year to support tourism efforts,
• The Senate increased funding by 19% for the Hispanic & Latino Affairs Commission to better serve Ohio’s fastest-growing demographic
• Children’s crisis care facilities received additional state funding over the biennium
• The Senate invested $1 million to combat human trafficking in Ohio

The bill will now be returned to the Ohio House of Representatives where it is expected to be referred to a conference committee where the House and Senate versions will be reconciled. The Ohio Constitution requires that the budget be balanced and, by law, the bill must be signed by the Governor on or before July 1st.

State Senators Chris Widener (R–Springfield) and Bill Beagle (R–Tipp City) today announced that Senate Bill 7 has been signed into law by Governor John R. Kasich. The bill, which the Senators jointly sponsored, is designed to keep law enforcement officers safe by giving them access to additional information on potentially dangerous suspects.
 
“Our law enforcement personnel put themselves in harms way every day to keep the people of Ohio safe,” said Beagle. “We owe it to these brave men and women to arm them with all the information we have so they can be prepared for any situation. We know all too well that this information can mean the difference between life or death and I’m glad that today we have taken this step to keep all Ohioans safe.”

The bill requires courts of law to enter all violent offense convictions where mental health evaluation or treatment is ordered into the Ohio law enforcement database known as "LEADS." This includes all cases where the suspect has been found not-guilty by reason of insanity. This LEADS entry will allow immediate access to public court records.
 
Senate Bill 7 was authored in response to a 2011 tragedy in Clark County where Deputy Sheriff Suzanne Hopper was gunned down after approaching a suspect who, unbeknownst to her, had a history of violence toward police.
 
“The story of Deputy Suzanne Hopper is just one example of a local hero who has sacrificed their own life while serving and protecting our community,” said Widener. “I can think of no way to better honor her life than by taking every possible step to keep our citizens and protectors safe.”
 
With the Governor’s signature, Senate Bill 7 is now law and will go into effect in 90 days.

State Senator Peggy Lehner (R–Kettering) today announced that her legislation, Senate Bill 21, has been signed into law by Governor John R. Kasich. The bill will make adjustments and improvements to Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee, which was approved during the last legislative session (House Bill 555, 129^th General Assembly).
 
“The early years are vitally important to a child’s education and development, which is why Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee is such a necessary initiative,” said Lehner. “We have been working with teachers and school administrators to make sure that this program is as effective as it can possibly be and I believe that Senate Bill 21 takes an additional step to providing our kids with the tools they need to be successful.”
 
The main objective of Senate Bill 21 is to provide a broader number of options for educators to be qualified to teach students who have either been retained or are at risk of being retained in 3^rd grade due to reading struggles.
 
With the Governor’s signature, Senate Bill 21 is now law and is immediately effective.

Joined by the Senate Republican Leadership Team and other members of the Majority Caucus, Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina) today announced the Senate's support for "Supporting Achievement Everywhere." The Senate-backed initiative would modify Ohio's school funding formula and increase the budget for K-12 spending.

"This is a carefully planned investment in Ohio's children, schools, and future," said President Faber. "Our caucus is extremely committed to making education in Ohio all that it can be and this significant investment is an example of that commitment."

The Senate’s plan seeks to adequately care for the educational needs of all Ohio’s children by increasing the state’s overall contribution to K-12 education and spreading the resources among more districts in the state.

The plan represents the state's largest investment in the public school system over the past decade. Among the changes, it increases the Opportunity Grant Per-Pupil Funding to $5,745 in fiscal year 2014 and $5,800 in fiscal year 2015.

Overall, the plan increases state education aid $717.4 million.