7th District May 2014 ENewsletter

· From the Desk of
Rep. Dovilla
· At the Statehouse
· Around the 7
th
· Upcoming Events
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100 – Proud New
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166 – Responses to
Constituents


Sally King
Grindstone Award Recipient

Dwight Oltman
Retirement from Baldwin
Wallace

Joe Hattery
Max McLaughlin
Kevin Rowan
Troop 701 Eagle Scouts



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From the Desk of Rep. Dovilla

Dear 7th District Resident:

Greetings from the People’s House! The first full month of
spring was a busy time at the Ohio Statehouse and around the
communities of the 7th District – Berea, North Royalton, Olmsted Falls,
Olmsted Township, and Strongsville.

On the legislative front, the House of Representatives has been
working its way through the Mid-biennium Budget Review (MBR), a
substantial proposal of policy reforms and Fiscal Year 2014-2015 budget
adjustments from the Kasich Administration. Many of the bills that
comprise this package have been passed by the House and are now
pending in the Senate; others remain in House committees for
additional legislative mark-up in the coming weeks. On April 9, the
House recessed to allow members time to work in their districts; we are
scheduled to return for our next voting session on May 7.

Closer to home, we have maintained a particularly active
schedule while the House and most of its standing committees have
been in recess. Spring marks a celebratory time each year for Eagle
Scout courts of honor, commencement exercises and other year-end
ceremonies at schools and organizations, as well as our regular meetings
with constituents, small business visits, and speaking engagements at a
variety of civic groups. If you would like me to visit your local club or
organization to offer an update on state government, please contact our
office.

We also wrapped up our semi-annual series of district office
hours at public libraries in April; we have now held 28 such
opportunities during my period of service in the legislature. Stay tuned
for the next round of meetings in the fall; they are a great opportunity
for a one-on-one, no appointment necessary visit to share your opinions
with me as your state legislator.

Thank you for the continuing opportunity to represent you and
your family at the Statehouse and throughout our communities of
southwest Cuyahoga County. It is always a pleasure to hear from
constituents, whether to hear your opinion on an issue, provide support
with casework, or offer recognition at an event. Feel free to contact me
to this newsletter with the
response, “Unsubscribe.”
if I may be of assistance; simply call 614-466-4895 or send an e-mail to
[email protected]. We hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,


State Representative Mike Dovilla

At the Statehouse

The Mid-biennium Budget Review (MBR) has been the main
legislative focus of the House this spring. This package of budget
adjustments and policy proposals numbered 1,620 pages when Gov.
Kasich’s administration presented it to the General Assembly. In order
to manage such a massive proposal, the House divided the original bill
(House Bill 472) into 14 measures, which were referred to 11 standing
committees for action. On April 9, the House passed nine of these 14
bills by wide bipartisan or even unanimous votes before concluding its
work prior to a recess that will run until May 7, the day after Ohio’s
primary election.

Among these bills was House Bill 488, the veterans/higher
education portion of the MBR, which I am honored to sponsor for the
second consecutive General Assembly. As we discussed in last month’s
newsletter, this legislation will substantively revise the options
available to Ohio’s veterans who seek college degrees or occupational
licenses. The bill will create for the first time a uniform process for
awarding college credits to veterans for military training. By
establishing the Military Articulation and Transfer Assurance Guide,
state institutions of higher education will have a baseline of standards
for granting college credit for military experience. The bill will also
require the state’s institutions of higher education to adopt a policy
regarding veterans’ support and assistance, an important action to help
our returning service members transition from military to civilian life in
an academic environment. House Bill 488 unanimously passed the
House by a vote of 92-0 on April 9 and is now pending in the Senate.

With two-thirds of the 130th General Assembly now complete,
this is a good time to evaluate the progress of my legislative agenda for
2013-2014. During my freshman term (2011-2012), I was pleased to have
eight bills I authored enacted as state law. This session, we are
advancing the following initiatives, some of which have been signed
into law and others of which are in various stages of the legislative
process:

· H.B. 49: Ohio Elder Justice Act (passed House; pending in Senate)
· H.B. 62: “Welcome to Ohio” (enacted in H.B. 51, biennial
transportation budget)
· H.B. 77: Ohio Manufacturing Month – October (enacted)
· H.B. 162: Public corruption/pension reform (passed House;
pending in Senate)
· H.B. 218: Entrepreneur-in-Residence (passed House; pending in
Senate)
· H.B. 259: Economic gardening (passed House in H.B. 483; pending
in Senate)
· H.B. 439: Whistleblower protection (pending in House
committee)
· H.B. 471: Identity theft protection (passed House in H.B. 494;
pending in Senate)
· H.B. 474: Ohio Beekeepers Association license plate (pending in
House committee)
· H.B. 488: Veterans MBR (passed House; pending in Senate)

If you are interested in more details on a specific bill, or you have a
legislative concept of your own, please contact our office.


Around the 7
th

With the House standing in recess from voting sessions since
April 9 for the Easter/Passover holidays and district work period, it has
been a busy few weeks around our communities here in southwest
Cuyahoga County. Among the activities in which I have participated are
the following:

On April 13, Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 701 in Olmsted
Falls conducted an Eagle Scout Court of Honor where we presented
House commendations to those who have earned this highest rank in
Scouting.

On April 17, I met with representatives of the Berea Federation
of Teachers and the Cleveland Teachers Union for a discussion of
education issues.

On April 18, I visited with Drs. Deucher and Sharma, cardiologists
at Southwest General Health Center, for a discussion of health care
issues and tour of the facility’s new emergency department.

On April 21, I participated in the monthly meeting of the Ohio
Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission in Berea.

On April 21, I met with Tim Zvonchek, Commander of Veterans
of Foreign Wars Post 3345, for a discussion of veterans affairs issues.

On April 22, I attended the 47th Annual Grindstone Award
Dinner and presented a House commendation to Sally King, the worthy
recipient of this year’s award.

On April 23, I visited Strongsville High School to speak to
junior/senior government classes on state government issues.

On April 25, I attended the 5th Annual Kiwanis Empty Bowl
dinner at Berea-Midpark High School to raise funds for local food banks.

On April 26, I hosted district office hours at the Strongsville
branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library.

On April 26, I presented a House commendation to David Geier,
owner of Golf: Inside and Out, a small business that recently relocated
from North Royalton to a larger location in Strongsville.

On April 26, I attended a memorial ceremony and plaque
dedication for the late Charles F. Burke, Professor Emeritus of Political
Science at Baldwin Wallace University.

On April 27, I appeared as a guest on “Kelly and Company” radio
program with Tom Kelly on WHK 1420AM.

On April 27, I presented House commendations to four newly
minted Eagle Scouts of BSA Troop 201 at St. Mary of the Falls in Olmsted
Falls.

On April 28, I met with Chris Russo and Mark Bivenour,
proprietor and executive vice president, respectively, of The Brew
Kettle for a tour of their production works and offices in Strongsville.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming dates of note on my official calendar and in our
community include the following:

· May 9: Groundbreaking of new middle school, Strongsville
· May 10: The Essential Race to support Wounded Warrior Project,
Olmsted Township
· May 10: Graduate commencement, Baldwin Wallace University,
Berea
· May 11: Undergraduate commencement, Baldwin Wallace
University, Berea
· May 12: Legislator for a Day assemblies, Falls Lenox Primary
School, Olmsted Falls
· May 17: Alumni Celebration, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea
· May 26: Memorial Day commemoration with VFW Post 3345,
Strongsville
· May 29: Olmsted Falls High School Commencement
· May 30: North Royalton High School Commencement
· June 1: Strongsville High School Commencement
· June 3: Berea-Midpark High School Commencement

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!