The last couple of weeks have proven more than just challenging with the death of my youngest brother, David of Painesville Township.

While a lot of folks - including strangers - have sent cards of sympathy, the family was still floored by the very kind gesture of U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette and his staff.

The staff took the time to send a really nice floral arrangement to Dave's celebration of life  memorial service at our home church, Bible Community , in Mentor on Saturday.

I was deeply touched by the gesture and I wish to say publicly "thank you" to both the Congressman and his staff. The gesture was deeply appreciated and flowers remained as a memorial during Sunday's morning and evening services.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Ohio Senate Bill 5 is shaping up to be one of the most spirited pieces of legislation in recent state history.

The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Shannon Jones, R-Springboro, aims to prohibit state employees from collective bargaining.

It also would abolish salary schedules for public employees and instead require merit pay, among other changes, to the Collective Bargaining Law.

The bill comes at a time when state officials are trying to find ways to eliminate an estimated $8 billion or more budget shortfall.

Gov. John Kasich has expressed his support for the bill in concept, but he has also signaled that he might bring forward his own plan that could go even further by banning public employee strikes.

Reports from Columbus, including those from national media outlets, showed thousands of union employees, teachers, police and firefighters and others descended onto the state capital to let their presence be felt and voices be heard during opposition testimony for the bill at an Ohio Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee hearing. Among them was Tim Burga, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO.

“Workers and trade unions understand the state of our economy and the challenges confronting our public budgets at all levels,” Burga testified. “State and local employee unions are regularly working with government administrators and elected officials to find ways to be flexible and reduce costs to balance budgets while delivering needed services.

“As a result, pay freezes, cost pick-ups, benefit reductions and unpaid leave have been implemented at the state and local levels. Public employee unions have assured this Committee that they will continue to work collaboratively with government officials as we work together to find solutions to create private sector jobs that sustain our public budgets.”

As reported last week, state Sen. Tim Grendell, R-Chester Township, said he does not support the bill in its current form and believes the bill in general goes too far.

“When talking about labor situations, you need to have a balance,” Grendell said. “If problems with the current system are too costly to taxpayers and too favorable to employers we need to address those issues.

“As written, Senate Bill 5 essentially tips the balance in a way that eliminates any protections for people who work as public employees.”

Grendell said later that discussions have begun to encourage more flexibility on the bill.

Announcements and filings
Peter V. Wayman announced he will seek a fourth term for Madison Township trustee. Wayman cites the township’s ability to provide basic services of police, fire and roads during a rough economy while maintaining a good fiscal budget.

Wayman has filed petitions with the Lake County Elections Board. Stay tuned for future fundraiser details.

Kirtland Councilman Doug Davidson has filed petitions to run for mayor against incumbent Mark Tyler.

Former Euclid Councilwoman Charlene Mancuso has announced she is running for Euclid mayor. Mancuso served on Euclid Council from 2003 to April 2008.

A registered nurse, Mancuso says she has a track record of building consensus among disparate parties in her work with state and local government agencies.


Fundies
Karen Kowall, candidate for Willoughby Municipal Court judge: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Pine Ridge Country Club, Wickliffe. See Marisa Cornachio or Dana Lutz.

Lake Commissioner Daniel P. Troy: Mardi Gras Party, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 8 at Holiday Inn Express LaMalfa Centre in Mentor. See Kip Molenaar.

Jamie Callender, candidate for Ohio Senate: Mardi Gras party from 6 to 8 p.m. March 8 at the Quail Hollow Inn in Concord Township. See Jamie or Heidi Callender.

Lake Commissioner Robert E. Aufuldish: St. Patrick’s Day celebration from 5 to 7:30 p.m. March 17 at Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites LaMalfa in Mentor. See Kathie Aufuldish-Freshour or Ernie Koenig.

Deadlines for information within this column are Thursdays at noon.

John Arthur Hutchison’s column appears Sundays in The News-Herald.
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah

Talk about strange government line item requests. The Cleveland Metroparks' February 24 meeting will include an item calling for a bid that will award money for the purchase of "various frozen mice, rats and rabbits."

Strange, that is, until one realizes that the request is for the parks system's Cleveland Zoo with the various frozen delicacies are used for the care of snakes, birds and other critters.

That makes such purchases necessary.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com

Count former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland among those trying to rally supporters to attend a rally Tuesday in Columbus against Senate Bill 5.

“I want to invite you to come to the Statehouse in Columbus on Tuesday to voice your opposition to this bill,” Strickland wrote in an e-mail sent by the Ohio Democratic Party.

The measure sponsored by state Sen. Shannon Jones, R-Springboro, aims to prohibit the state and state employees and state institutions of higher education and their employees from collective bargaining.

It also would abolish salary schedules for public employees and instead require merit pay, among other changes to the Collective Bargaining Law.

Gov. John Kasich has expressed his support for the bill in concept, but he has also signaled that he might bring forward his own plan that could go even further by banning public employee strikes.

Republicans are the majority party in the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate.

Hundreds of union protesters packed the Statehouse last Tuesday during a committee hearing conducted by the Ohio Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee.

-- John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: newsheraldjah

See how U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township; U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, voted in Congress in the week ending Feb. 18, 2011:

Ohio in Congress, 20110218

OhioInCongress, 20110218, 2


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Last week, I wrote that after redistricting is completed, it’s quite possible that Lake County could wind up with three Ohio House of Representatives districts.

The change could occur because Ashtabula and Trumbull counties have lost population while Lake County has gained during the past 10 years.

Ashtabula County also shares a portion of the 99th House District with five townships in Trumbull County.

That Trumbull County territory shared with Ashtabula County might be needed for other House districts in Trumbull.

So if that scenario happens it would dramatically change how the 18th Senate District is shaped because state law requires each Ohio Senate District to contain three House districts.

Currently, the district is comprised of Lake, Geauga and portions of eastern Cuyahoga counties and is represented by state Sen. Tim Grendell, R-Chester Township.

The House districts within the 18th Senate District are the 62nd, consisting of western Lake County and Concord Township, and the 63rd, consisting of Mentor and eastern Lake County, plus the 98th that consists of Geauga County, and Gates Mills, Highland Heights and Mayfield Village in Cuyahoga County.

If the Madison area is joined with the 99th House District, as is quite possible, then Lake County’s Ohio Senate district would most likely be redrawn so that the district is comprised of Lake and Ashtabula counties, dropping Geauga and eastern Cuyahoga counties. Just like it was 10 years ago.

Geauga County’s new state Senate district would likely move south toward Portage County and potentially into the eastern portion of Summit County.

Best guess is Geauga County’s new Senate district and the 98th House District would no longer include Cuyahoga County.

So if Lake County joins with Ashtabula County to form a Senate district, how would that affect potential partisan candidates?

Ashtabula County with 65,010 registered voters traditionally leans Democrat and had 19,594 Democrats and 10,069 Republicans registered at last count.

Lake County, known as a bellwether county, has 157,387 registered voters who are mostly independent. The county had 11,241 Democrats and 12,577 Republicans registered at last count.

So when the political parties nominate candidates in primary elections in 2012 for state Senate, could it be a Lake County Republican vs. an Ashtabula County Democrat?

You may remember that Roaming Shores Democrat Robert Boggs, former Ohio Department of Agriculture chief, county commissioner and state representative, was the 18th District’s senator in the 1990s prior to the tenure of Republican Robert A. Gardner of Madison Township.

Concord trustee bid?
Is attorney Erik L. Walter planning another bid to run for Concord Township trustee this November? Trustee Connie Luhta is up this year. Walter ran for trustee in November 2009, but lost to Trustees Christopher A. Galloway and Paul R. Malchesky. Walter and Bob Patterson also ran in 2007, but Luhta fended off their challenge.

Fundies
n Willoughby Hills Mayor Robert M. Weger: 5 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at Willoughby Hills Community Center for “Envision the Future” pasta dinner. See Tom Lobe, Gloria Majeski or Darleen Weger.

n Karen Kowall, candidate for Willoughby Municipal Court judge: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 3 at Pine Ridge Country Club, Wickliffe. See Marisa Cornachio or Dana Lutz.
n Lake Commissioner Dan Troy: Mardi Gras Party, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 8 at Holiday Inn Express LaMalfa Centre in Mentor. See Kip Molenaar.

n Jamie Callender, candidate for Ohio Senate, will host a Mardi Gras party from 6 to 8 p.m. March 8, at the Quail Hollow Inn in Concord Township. See Jamie or Heidi Callender.

John Arthur Hutchison’s column appears Sundays in The News-Herald.
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah

U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township, says he hopes local small businesses will use a new feature on his congressional website to share their thoughts on how federal regulations impact their work.

Visit the website at http://latourette.house.gov and click the “Job Creators Speak Out” section on the right side of the page. Clicking the link will direct you to the American Job Creators website, where you can submit a detailed response.

“The Administration often talks a good game about helping small business grow and prosper, but I hear from countless small business owners who say nothing proposed in DC ever truly helps, and they feel buried in regulations,” LaTourette said.

He said local businesses don’t object to all regulations, but there are some that make their heads spin, like a new health care law provision that requires the filing of a1099 tax form each time you spend at least $600 with any vendor. LaTourette is asking local businesses to contact him and share their stories about coping with regulations and what can be done to help ease the burden.

“You are in a better position to advocate what could help your business than a DC-insider who has never had to meet a payroll, much less wrestle with inventory, manufacturing and distribution issues, regulations and tax compliance,” LaTourette said. “This is a chance to tell me the unvarnished truth about what works, what doesn’t, and why regulations affect your business in particular. Please be brutally honest and don’t be afraid to share your opinion.”

-- John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: newsheraldjah

See how U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township; U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, voted in Congress in the week ending Feb. 11, 2011:

Ohio in Congress, 20110211

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Editor's note: Here is a sneak peek at the political notes column authored by John Arthur Hutchison that will appear in the Comment Section in Sunday's print edition of The News-Herald:


Not only does Ohio have to shrink down from 18 congressional districts to 16, but the boundaries of the 99 Ohio House of Representatives districts and 33 Ohio Senate districts will likely change as well.

Ohio’s population was 11,536,504 for 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and that’s an average of 116,530 per state House district. In 2000, Ohio’s population was 11,353,140; an average of 114,678 per district.

Census figures by Ohio county aren’t available yet, but estimates are from 2009.

Lake County currently has two House Districts — the 62nd, consisting of western Lake County and Concord Township, and the 63rd, consisting of Mentor and eastern Lake County.

The county’s population in 2000 was 227,511 and the estimated population for 2009 grew 9,624 to 236,775.

When the redistricting maps are drawn, Lake County could end up with two state House districts and share a third with Ashtabula County because of Lake County’s population gain and Ashtabula County’s population loss. Perhaps the Madison area joins with Ashtabula County?

The 99th House District currently is composed of Ashtabula County plus four townships and part of Mesopotamia Township in northern Trumbull County. Perhaps the Trumbull territory is absorbed by House District 64 to the south?

The 99th House district had a population of 109,349 in 2000, but Ashtabula County’s estimated population has declined by 1,961, down to 100,767 from 102,728; and Trumbull County’s estimated population declined in 2009 by 14,957, down to 210,157 from 225,114 in 2000.

With Trumbull County’s population declining and Lake County’s population growing, from which county will the 99th House District get the territory it needs? More on the Senate redistricting later.

In order
The order in which questions and issues are listed on a ballot rotates as part of a four-year cycle based on state law passed in 1996.

The idea was proposed because trends showed that as voters made their way down ballots they were less likely to approve issues and questions, so rotating their order seemed in order.

State issues always appear first, and will be followed this year and in 2015 by townships, school and other districts, county, and municipal. In 2010, and in 2014, the order is school and other districts, county, municipal, then townships. Next year, and in 2016, it is municipal, townships, school and other districts, then county. In 2009 and in 2013, it is county, municipal, townships, then school and other districts.

An issue with issues
Lake County commissioners, citing costs, were unhappy Feb. 3 to see a handful of schools and a library filed to have issues voted upon for a May 3 special election.

The office of Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted is required to certify ballot language by Feb. 22 and entities could withdraw their requests at no cost until then.

After that time, entities could withdraw their issues until the day before the first absentee ballots for an election are issued, but the longer the wait, the more costs for which the requesting entity would be responsible.

For example, poll worker training schedules have to be completed by boards of elections by March 4, and absentee ballots become available March 19 for voters who are military or civilian overseas.

Tyler announces
Kirtland Mayor Mark Tyler announced he plans to seek re-election for a four-year term. Filing deadline is Aug. 10.

Fundies
n Lyndhurst Municipal Court Judge Mary Kaye Bozza: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights. Bozza also is endorsed by Pipe Fitters Local Union 120.

n Willoughby Hills Mayor Robert M. Weger: 5 to 7:30 p.m., Feb. 23 at Willoughby Hills Community Center for “Envision the Future” pasta dinner. See Tom Lobe, Gloria Majeski or Darleen Weger.

n Karen Kowall, candidate for Willoughby Municipal Court judge: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 3 at Pine Ridge Country Club, Wickliffe. See Marisa Cornachio or Dana Lutz.

n Lake Commissioner Dan Troy: Mardi Gras Party, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 8 at Holiday Inn Express LaMalfa Centre in Mentor. See Kip Molenaar.

n Jamie Callender, candidate for Ohio Senate, will host a Mardi Gras party from 6 to 8 p.m. March 8, at the Quail Hollow Inn in Concord Township. See Jamie or Heidi Callender.

John Arthur Hutchison’s column appears Sunday in The News-Herald.
JHutchison@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @newsheraldjah

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, has joined a bipartisan group of senators to propose legislation to provide the president with legislative line-item veto authority.

Portman joined Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Thomas Carper, D-Del.; Mark Udall, D-Colo.; Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; Dan Coats, R-Ind.; and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.; on Tuesday to introduce the bipartisan Reduce Unnecessary Spending Act of 2011.

The legislation would provide the President with legislative line-item veto authority, which he requested in May of 2010, and would help in curbing wasteful spending and reducing the deficit, Portman said.

“I think we now have the opportunity to do something very simple — which is to use the power of transparency with the legislative line-item veto,” the senator said in a statement. “It is really just about shining a spotlight on specific spending items that don’t make sense, and sunlight, after all, is the best disinfectant.”

Portman says he supported this effort when he served in the U.S. House of Representatives. Also, when Portman served as Budget Director in 2006, he says he advocated for and helped pass similar legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc,; in an effort to curb wasteful spending.

“I wouldn’t be co-sponsoring the Reduce Unnecessary Spending Act if I didn’t believe this would work,” said Portman. “Like the balanced budget requirement, putting in place actual caps on spending and ensuring that we have the discipline in the House and Senate to get our fiscal house back in order so that future generations are not burdened with the excesses of our generation.”

-- John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com

See how U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township; U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights; U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, voted in Congress in the week ending Feb. 4, 2011:

Ohio in Congress, 20110204


-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com