7th District January 2014 eNewsletter
Content
From the Desk of Rep. Dovilla
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From the Desk of Rep. Dovilla At the Statehouse Around the 7th Upcoming Events
Dear 7th District Resident: Happy New Year! I hope you and your family had an enjoyable holiday season and that, despite this month’s cold weather, 2014 is off to a good start. January marks the beginning of my fourth year of service in the Ohio House of Representatives, an opportunity for which I remain incredibly grateful to the people of the communities of southwestern Cuyahoga County. Together, we are continuing to realize progress for our great state. As I remain focused on our top priority of job creation, we are advancing bills to improve Ohio’s economic climate. One such initiative, my entrepreneur-in-residence legislation, recently passed the House by a unanimous, bipartisan vote. I am also continuing to work on legislation to make our government more transparent and accountable for all Ohioans, including measures to strengthen public corruption statutes and improve our state’s whistleblower protection laws. You can read more about each of these proposals in the “At the Statehouse” segment below. In our district, we are getting ready to kick off another round of office hours in the 7th District’s public libraries and our popular “Legislator for a Day” reading program for elementary school students. We have included additional information on these opportunities for residents of all ages to engage with state government in this newsletter’s “Around the 7th” section. Thanks again for the opportunity to serve you. If you wish to share your views on an issue or if I may be of assistance on a matter related to state government, please feel free to contact our office at 614-466-4895 or [email protected]. We hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, State Representative Mike Dovilla At the Statehouse
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92 – Proud New Homeowners 150 – Responses to Constituents
This month, we would like to recognize the service of our former elected and appointed community leaders: Dean Van Dress Berea City Council Gale Patten Berea Board of Education Heidi Dolezal Len Reinhard North Royalton Board of Education
Robert Blomquist Olmsted Falls Mayor Paul Stibich Garry Thompson Olmsted Falls City Council Rhonda McCrone Michelle Theriot Olmsted Falls Board of Education Scott Ross Olmsted Township Board of Trustees David Frazee Jennifer Sinisgalli Strongsville Board of Education
Job creation remains my top priority as your representative to the Ohio General Assembly. Our efforts during the past three years have helped Ohio’s private sector job creators generate more than 175,000 net new jobs. But I believe we can do more. That’s why I have introduced two bills this session to help continue improving Ohio’s economic climate. I am pleased to report that one of those measures recently passed the House by a unanimous, bipartisan vote. House Bill 218, which I sponsored with Rep. Cliff Rosenberger, my colleague from Clinton County in southwest Ohio, would establish a pilot program to appoint private sector entrepreneurs in Ohio to serve in state agencies for one year. These volunteers would analyze the internal processes of such agencies, recommend ways in which they can be more business friendly, and eliminate unnecessary rules and regulations on Ohio’s job creators. This innovative publicprivate partnership will help make state government more efficient and effective for small business, the engine of our state’s economy. H.B. 218 has been referred to the Senate Workforce and Economic Development Committee for further action. One of my other areas of policy focus is an issue on which I have worked for over 15 years during my period of federal service and in the Ohio Statehouse: making government more transparent and accountable. Ohio’s taxpayers deserve a state government that executes its duties in an efficient, effective, and ethical manner – and Ohio’s public sector employees deserve legal protection in helping us to achieve those ends. I am working on three bills during this legislative session that can continue moving Ohio’s government in the right direction. One such measure, House Bill 162, was recently reported favorably by the House Judiciary Committee. This bill, which I am sponsoring with Rep. Marlene Anielski of Walton Hills, would amend current law to include the crimes of extortion and perjury to those for which a public official or employee could forfeit his or her pension if convicted of such a federal or state felony. Taxpayers deserve a government that works for them. While certainly a rare occurrence, those who exploit their public positions for personal gain should not be able to add insult to injury by keeping the taxpayer-funded portion of their pensions or to use it as a bargaining chip in a sentencing deal, as was the case with disgraced former County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora. Most recently, I began drafting legislation to strengthen Ohio’s whistleblower protection statutes for public employees. As you may be aware, a recent court ruling by the Franklin County Court of Appeals ruled that current state law only protects workers who submit complaints about potential criminal conduct and not those who report noncriminal concerns to the inspector general. Ohio bears the dubious distinction of one of the weakest whistleblower laws in the Nation,
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ranking 47th among the 50 states according to a recent study. My bill would protect state employees who report noncriminal misconduct to Ohio’s inspector general, thus reducing the chilling effect this recent judicial holding could have upon public employees seeking to report wrongdoing without having to worry about whether it is criminal or civil in nature. Around the 7th As 2014 gets underway, we have scheduled our next round of district office hours in branches of the Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) in the 7th District. I invite you to join me between 10:00 a.m. and noon on any of these days for a one-on-one, no appointment necessary meeting in your community: · March 1: Olmsted Falls · March 8: Berea · March 29: North Royalton · April 26: Strongsville I am also pleased to announce our 4th Annual “Representative for a Day” reading contest for elementary school students (grades 1-6). Once again, we are partnering with our local library branches and every elementary school in the 7th District to encourage young people to read ten books between February 17th and March 14th, 2014, and complete a bookmark registration form that can be obtained at any of the four CCPL branches in our District. Winners – selected from completed forms that are returned to the library or school by close of business on March 14th – will be invited to Columbus this spring for a mock legislative session, personal tour of the Statehouse, and lunch. Good luck to all our young readers! Earlier this month, I continued my visits with Greater Cleveland organizations and institutions seeking support for projects from the upcoming capital budget bill. Among these meetings were the following: On January 10, I had the opportunity to visit the innovative think[box] facility at Case Western Reserve University and to learn more about CWRU’s plans for the old Lincoln storage building on campus. On January 13, I met with trustees and staff for our city’s world renowned Cleveland Orchestra. We discussed the orchestra’s capital bill request for ongoing improvements at Severance Hall and Blossom Music Center. Upcoming Events Upcoming dates of note on my official calendar and in our community include the following:
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January 25, February 1, 8, and 15 (1:00-4:00 p.m.): Open House – New Location of Small Business “Golf: Inside and Out,” 19694 W. 130th St., Strongsville February 5: “Fueling the Buckeye Economy: Canada-U.S. Energy Summit and Supplier Matchmaking Forum” with Canadian Consul General Roy Norton, Independence February 19 (10:00 a.m.): Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC) monthly meeting, OTIC HQ, Berea February 22: “Believe in Ohio” STEM initiative launch event, Hudson High School February 24: Gov. Kasich’s State of the State address, Medina Performing Arts Center
For more information on any event or to submit an event for inclusion in a future issue of the 7th District Newsletter, please email our office at [email protected]. Thank you!
· · · ·
From the Desk of Rep. Dovilla At the Statehouse Around the 7th Upcoming Events
Dear 7th District Resident: Happy New Year! I hope you and your family had an enjoyable holiday season and that, despite this month’s cold weather, 2014 is off to a good start. January marks the beginning of my fourth year of service in the Ohio House of Representatives, an opportunity for which I remain incredibly grateful to the people of the communities of southwestern Cuyahoga County. Together, we are continuing to realize progress for our great state. As I remain focused on our top priority of job creation, we are advancing bills to improve Ohio’s economic climate. One such initiative, my entrepreneur-in-residence legislation, recently passed the House by a unanimous, bipartisan vote. I am also continuing to work on legislation to make our government more transparent and accountable for all Ohioans, including measures to strengthen public corruption statutes and improve our state’s whistleblower protection laws. You can read more about each of these proposals in the “At the Statehouse” segment below. In our district, we are getting ready to kick off another round of office hours in the 7th District’s public libraries and our popular “Legislator for a Day” reading program for elementary school students. We have included additional information on these opportunities for residents of all ages to engage with state government in this newsletter’s “Around the 7th” section. Thanks again for the opportunity to serve you. If you wish to share your views on an issue or if I may be of assistance on a matter related to state government, please feel free to contact our office at 614-466-4895 or [email protected]. We hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, State Representative Mike Dovilla At the Statehouse
Forward this newsletter to a friend!
92 – Proud New Homeowners 150 – Responses to Constituents
This month, we would like to recognize the service of our former elected and appointed community leaders: Dean Van Dress Berea City Council Gale Patten Berea Board of Education Heidi Dolezal Len Reinhard North Royalton Board of Education
Robert Blomquist Olmsted Falls Mayor Paul Stibich Garry Thompson Olmsted Falls City Council Rhonda McCrone Michelle Theriot Olmsted Falls Board of Education Scott Ross Olmsted Township Board of Trustees David Frazee Jennifer Sinisgalli Strongsville Board of Education
Job creation remains my top priority as your representative to the Ohio General Assembly. Our efforts during the past three years have helped Ohio’s private sector job creators generate more than 175,000 net new jobs. But I believe we can do more. That’s why I have introduced two bills this session to help continue improving Ohio’s economic climate. I am pleased to report that one of those measures recently passed the House by a unanimous, bipartisan vote. House Bill 218, which I sponsored with Rep. Cliff Rosenberger, my colleague from Clinton County in southwest Ohio, would establish a pilot program to appoint private sector entrepreneurs in Ohio to serve in state agencies for one year. These volunteers would analyze the internal processes of such agencies, recommend ways in which they can be more business friendly, and eliminate unnecessary rules and regulations on Ohio’s job creators. This innovative publicprivate partnership will help make state government more efficient and effective for small business, the engine of our state’s economy. H.B. 218 has been referred to the Senate Workforce and Economic Development Committee for further action. One of my other areas of policy focus is an issue on which I have worked for over 15 years during my period of federal service and in the Ohio Statehouse: making government more transparent and accountable. Ohio’s taxpayers deserve a state government that executes its duties in an efficient, effective, and ethical manner – and Ohio’s public sector employees deserve legal protection in helping us to achieve those ends. I am working on three bills during this legislative session that can continue moving Ohio’s government in the right direction. One such measure, House Bill 162, was recently reported favorably by the House Judiciary Committee. This bill, which I am sponsoring with Rep. Marlene Anielski of Walton Hills, would amend current law to include the crimes of extortion and perjury to those for which a public official or employee could forfeit his or her pension if convicted of such a federal or state felony. Taxpayers deserve a government that works for them. While certainly a rare occurrence, those who exploit their public positions for personal gain should not be able to add insult to injury by keeping the taxpayer-funded portion of their pensions or to use it as a bargaining chip in a sentencing deal, as was the case with disgraced former County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora. Most recently, I began drafting legislation to strengthen Ohio’s whistleblower protection statutes for public employees. As you may be aware, a recent court ruling by the Franklin County Court of Appeals ruled that current state law only protects workers who submit complaints about potential criminal conduct and not those who report noncriminal concerns to the inspector general. Ohio bears the dubious distinction of one of the weakest whistleblower laws in the Nation,
To unsubscribe please reply to this newsletter with the response, “Unsubscribe.”
ranking 47th among the 50 states according to a recent study. My bill would protect state employees who report noncriminal misconduct to Ohio’s inspector general, thus reducing the chilling effect this recent judicial holding could have upon public employees seeking to report wrongdoing without having to worry about whether it is criminal or civil in nature. Around the 7th As 2014 gets underway, we have scheduled our next round of district office hours in branches of the Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) in the 7th District. I invite you to join me between 10:00 a.m. and noon on any of these days for a one-on-one, no appointment necessary meeting in your community: · March 1: Olmsted Falls · March 8: Berea · March 29: North Royalton · April 26: Strongsville I am also pleased to announce our 4th Annual “Representative for a Day” reading contest for elementary school students (grades 1-6). Once again, we are partnering with our local library branches and every elementary school in the 7th District to encourage young people to read ten books between February 17th and March 14th, 2014, and complete a bookmark registration form that can be obtained at any of the four CCPL branches in our District. Winners – selected from completed forms that are returned to the library or school by close of business on March 14th – will be invited to Columbus this spring for a mock legislative session, personal tour of the Statehouse, and lunch. Good luck to all our young readers! Earlier this month, I continued my visits with Greater Cleveland organizations and institutions seeking support for projects from the upcoming capital budget bill. Among these meetings were the following: On January 10, I had the opportunity to visit the innovative think[box] facility at Case Western Reserve University and to learn more about CWRU’s plans for the old Lincoln storage building on campus. On January 13, I met with trustees and staff for our city’s world renowned Cleveland Orchestra. We discussed the orchestra’s capital bill request for ongoing improvements at Severance Hall and Blossom Music Center. Upcoming Events Upcoming dates of note on my official calendar and in our community include the following:
· · · · ·
January 25, February 1, 8, and 15 (1:00-4:00 p.m.): Open House – New Location of Small Business “Golf: Inside and Out,” 19694 W. 130th St., Strongsville February 5: “Fueling the Buckeye Economy: Canada-U.S. Energy Summit and Supplier Matchmaking Forum” with Canadian Consul General Roy Norton, Independence February 19 (10:00 a.m.): Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC) monthly meeting, OTIC HQ, Berea February 22: “Believe in Ohio” STEM initiative launch event, Hudson High School February 24: Gov. Kasich’s State of the State address, Medina Performing Arts Center
For more information on any event or to submit an event for inclusion in a future issue of the 7th District Newsletter, please email our office at [email protected]. Thank you!
