“Lame Duck” Session

The following column was submitted by State Representative Dorothy Pelanda.
The period of time between the general election and the end of the year is known as the “lame duck” session in legislative bodies. It is the end of the two-year 129th General Assembly, and many legislators now serving will not return in January for the 130th General Assembly due to term limits, an election loss, or for other reasons.

Lame ducks are presumed to have less political power than those who will sit for the subsequent session of the General Assembly, but they also have more freedom to vote their will without political consequence.

The lame duck session is the time for the legislative body to wind up its work, and for members to push for floor votes on bills that may have been tied up in Committee for many months. It is also an opportunity to introduce difficult or controversial legislation because lame duck legislators may provide needed votes that they would not normally provide.

Most bills, once referred to Committee, will have at least three hearings before the Chair will ask the committee members to vote the bill out for consideration by the House.  The more complex or controversial bills can require more hearings.

More than 600 bills were introduced in the House during the 129th General Assembly, and time alone prevented many of them from being given full consideration in Committee.  Some of those bills are likely to be re-introduced during the next General Assembly.  It sometimes requires a great deal of persistence to shepherd a bill through the legislative process from introduction to enactment.  For example, it took seven years for the “Human Trafficking” bill, which was finally signed into law by Governor Kasich this summer, to make its way though the process.

During this year’s lame duck session, action is expected on a wide range of bills. Ohio’s legislative ethics law, which was enacted in 1994, will be considered for modernization. Ohio’s school district report card and performance measure standards will be considered for updating. A bill proposing to ban internet cafes in Ohio will see action, as will legislation to update Ohio’s “call before you dig” statutes. I am pushing for a vote on a bipartisan bill I sponsored to prohibit schools from withholding grades, transcripts or diplomas, for nonpayment of fees, from children who have been adjudicated as abused, neglected or dependent.

As your legislator, I continue to focus on job creation and job retention, and to making Ohio the best place for our children to grow and prosper. Please feel free to write, call or e-mail with your concerns.

State Representative Dorothy Liggett Pelanda represents the 83rd House District in the Ohio House of Representatives, which includes Union and Logan counties, as well as most of Marion County. You can find more information about and contact Pelanda by clicking here.