The following column was submitted by State Representative Dorothy Pelanda.
On March 1, 1803, Ohio became the 17th state in the Union. Ohio was the first state carved from a continuous area known as the Northwest Territory, and the debate surrounding our statehood was fiercely argued. We almost became two states divided by the Scioto River.
The same passion emanated from the House Floor debates last week over the Governor’s budget proposal to fund Ohio’s highway projects by issuing $1.5 billion dollars in bonds backed by the Ohio Turnpike. Some legislators from the northern part of the state contend that the Turnpike is theirs, not Ohio’s, and that revenues generated by the Governor’s plan should be spent only on highway projects in the northern part of the state. The debate waged on for over three hours. The majority eventually concluded, by a 58-36 vote, that a legislator’s parochial interests must be second to what is best for our state as a whole. Otherwise, we risk disintegrating as a state.
Other budget issues must be examined with this same philosophy in mind.
The top three components of the Governor’s budget are relatively new in Ohio’s history. The state sales tax was enacted in 1935. Medicaid became part of Ohio’s budget in 1971. Finally, the School foundation Formula for K-12 public education was enacted in 1975. Governor Kasich’s proposals on these components are regarded by some of our longest-serving members as the most complex they have seen in the history of their service.
At this stage of the House’s budget process, it is generally agreed that there are some unintended consequences of the proposed sales-tax provisions, and I anticipate that the House will propose several Amendments in order to continue to promote the growth of businesses in Ohio.
The Governor asserts that by expanding Medicaid coverage, Ohio will save $404 million dollars over the next three years. The Governor also pledges that if the federal government fails to live up to its matching-dollars promise, Ohio will opt out of the federal exchange. While many Ohioans, including myself, dislike the imposition of the Affordable Care Act upon the citizenry, the Governor contends that expansion is the best option for Ohio. To date, although many constituents have asked me to vote “no” on expansion, I have yet to hear a better alternative. As the budget process continues, we will be persistent in our search for better ways to address this issue.
The Governor’s K-12 proposals focus on academic excellence for Ohio’s children and a merit-based system for recognizing good teachers; administrative and property aspects of Ohio’s educational system are secondary considerations. In meeting with the school superintendents in my district, I have stressed that this is another area where parochial interests must be secondary to what is in the best interest of Ohio as a whole.
Your views are always welcome, and my door is always open. Please feel free to contact me at 614-466-8147, or by e-mail at [email protected].
State Representative Dorothy 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.
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