Latest Public Policy News

June 4, 2013 -- Ohio Senate Finance Committee Releases Omnibus Amendment

Read the Senate Finance Committee's Omnibus Amendment here. 

May 29, 2013 -- Legislative Service Commission Releases Comparison on Senate Version of Budget

Read the LSC's Comparison document on the Senate version of HB 59 here.

April 30, 2013 -- OACC Testifies Before Senate Education: Finance Subcommittee

Read the proponent testimony offered by OACC Vice Chair Paul Brown, President of Zane State College, here. 

April 18, 2013 -- House Clears HB 59

The House cleared HB 59 on a 61-35 vote. Read the analysis of the House-passed version here. 

April 16, 2013 -- OACC Offers Proponent Testimony on SB 1

Read testimony from Jim Buck, CFO, Southern State Community College, on behalf of the OACC here.

Feb. 4, 2013 - Gov. Kasich's FY 14 FY 15 Executive Budget Proposal Released

Gov. John R. Kasich's FY 14- FY 15 executive state budget proposal has been released. Read the "Blue Book" here.

Nov. 30, 2012 - Higher Education Funding Commission Report

The final report of the Higher Education Funding Commission is available here. Recommendations, developed by presidents of Ohio's community colleges and public universities, are expected to be incorporated into the executive proposal of the FY14-FY15 state budget for consideration by the Ohio General Assembly.

Sept. 12, 2012 - Pension Reform Bills Clear General Assembly

Bills to reform the state's five public pension systems have cleared the Ohio General Assembly.

The full House approved bills Wednesday that included committee-adopted changes for most of them except the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) that give the pensions boards of trustees authority to make modifications to employee contribution levels without legislative approval. The Senate concurred in the House-passed legislation later in the day.

The OACC is tracking these bills: SB 341 (School Employees Retirement System), SB 342 (State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio) and SB 343 (Public Employees Retirement System). Pursuant to direction from our Presidents, the OACC was an interested party on these bills.

Links to the three pension bills tracked by the OACC are available on the OACC's Ohio Legislation page here.

June 4, 2012 - Pension Reform Bills Pending in the Ohio House

Bills to reform the state's five pension systems have passed the Ohio Senate and are pending in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Senate Bills 341 (School Employees Retirement System), 342 (State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio) and 343 (Public Employment Retirement System) join bills to reform the state's police and fire pension system and the State Highway Patrol pension system that are pending or expected to be pending in the House Health and Aging Committee.

The Ohio Senate passed SBs 341, 342 and 343 and the police and fire pension reform bill on May 17 and passed the State Highway Patrol retirement system reform bill on May 24.

Links to the three pension bills tracked by the OACC are available on the OACC's Ohio Legislation page here.

May 23, 2012 - Legislature Passes Main Mid-Biennium Budget Review; Education MBR Pending In House (Updated)

The Ohio General Assembly has given final approval to the main Mid-Biennium Budget Review bill (HB 487) and it is awaiting review by Gov. John R. Kasich.

The main MBR contains policy and language changes that affect many state agencies and areas of state government.

The education MBR (SB 316) was passed by the Ohio House of Representatives on June 7.

Links to both bills can be found on the OACC's Ohio Legislation page here.

April 2, 2012 -- Governor Signs Capital Bill (HB 482); Capital Reappropriations Bill Has Also Been Signed

 Gov. John R. Kasich has signed into law House Bill 482, the capital bill. The law becomes effective 90 days after being filed with the Ohio Secretary of State's office.

HB 482 contains the recommendations of the Ohio Higher Education Funding collaborative that have been endorsed by every public college president in Ohio. Read the bill here.

Also, the capital reappropriations bill, Senate Bill 312, has passed final legislative consideration and has been signed by Gov. Kasich. It becomes law 90 days after being filed with the Ohio Secretary of State's office. Senate Bill 312 contains projects approved in previous capital bills. Read the bill here.

Feb. 15, 2012 -- Ohio Higher Education Capital Funding Collaborative Recommendations

Read the report and recommendations of the Ohio Higher Education Capital Funding Collaborative here.

Jan. 5, 2012 - Public Policy Update

Two key issues will have a major impact on our members and will be winding their way through the Statehouse: the proposed Capital bill for FY2013-FY2014 and issues surrounding Workforce Development.

CAPITAL BILL

Gov. John R. Kasich’s administration has said it anticipates offering to the Legislature for its consideration a Capital Bill in February or March 2012.

As part of the upcoming Capital Bill, the Kasich administration has expressed its intent to move away from the formula that has traditionally provided capital funding to higher education. Office of Budget and Management Director Tim Keen has said that he expects the Capital Bill to be “restrained” in size and that the emphasis will be on renovations and repairs to existing assets and not new construction.

On Dec. 13, Gov. Kasich and key members of his administration met with university and college presidents in Columbus to describe his approach to the Capital Bill.

Currently, a committee to be convened by Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee and to be made up of Ohio Association of Community Colleges President Ron Abrams and Inter-University Council of Ohio President Bruce Johnson as well as Lakeland Community College President Morris Beverage, Zane State College President Paul Brown, Miami University President David Hodge and University of Toledo President Lloyd A. Jacobs will be meeting to develop a process for determining priorities for the capital bill. Recommendations are due to the Kasich administration by Feb. 15.

The OACC will actively advocate for the needs of all of our members.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Gov. John R. Kasich’s administration is very interested in workforce development and the role that community colleges can play in this very important issue.

On Dec. 13, Gov. Kasich and key staff members called together workforce development representatives from Ohio’s community colleges to get an update on efforts to link community college students and graduates with job opportunities including those offered through the Web site www.OhioMeansJobs.com.

Community college representatives updated the governor and his staff on their efforts and described the powerful work being done by community colleges to link students and graduates to high-demand positions.

The Ohio Association of Community Colleges is starting a monthly dialogue of workforce development officials from our community colleges and it’s anticipated that the Kasich administration will partner with the OACC and our member colleges to see how they can assist the good work being done by our members on this.

Please stay tuned for more details on this issue as they develop.

The OACC is also monitoring issues surrounding the topics of the Mid-Biennium Budget Review, Shared Services, Construction Reform Rules and other issues. The association will provide updates as warranted.

June 4, 2010 - Ohio General Assembly Passes Casino Implementation Legislation

Last night the Ohio General Assembly came to a conference committee compromise and passed the Casino Implementation Legislation HB 519.

Two significant provisions are included for Community Colleges.

First, HB 519 includes a provision to give preference to University System of Ohio colleges and universities, private career colleges and schools, and proprietary institutions for the training of casino employees. 

Some community colleges in other states had reported some difficulty with new “fly-by-night” institutions springing up to train casino workers, some of whom did not provide quality service to students. As a result, OACC advocated that the legislature include language to give preference to University System of Ohio colleges and universities for casino training opportunities.  While this language was expanded in the legislative process to also include career colleges and proprietary institutions, OACC is hopeful that this provision will serve to primarily limit this preference to existing institutions operating in Ohio and will limit the number of opportunistic new-comers; or, at minimum, provide a vehicle for discussing the problem, should it arise.

Secondly, a portion of the compromise entailed appropriating $100 million of the $200 million in one-time workforce funds available under the constitutional amendment through a separate piece of legislation, SB 181. This $100 million was appropriated to the Ohio Board of Regents as follows:

• $50 million in FY 11 to the Co-op/Internship Program
   
• Requires the Chancellor to develop a work force development pilot program for areas of the state with high unemployment and appropriates $25 million for the pilot program for urban areas and $25 million for rural areas.
   
• Requires that, of the $25 million for rural areas, $12.5 million must be used for areas in Appalachia and $12.5 million must be used for areas elsewhere in the state.
   
• Requires a supermajority of the Controlling Board, including the votes of at least two Senators and two Representatives, to approve the pilot program.

Note:The constitutional amendment passed by voters in November 2009 specified that $200 million in one-time licensure fees would go to workforce development.  The remaining $100 million has not yet been appropriated and likely will be appropriated in the FY 12-13 biennial budget.

March 30, 2010 - President Obama signs Education Reconcilation Bill

This legislation terminates the Federal Family Education Loan program, with all colleges moving to the Direct Loan program by July 1, 2010; ensures a maximum Pell Grant of $5,550 beginning July 1, with additional increases over the next four years; and funds a new Commmunity College and Career Training Grant Program. Learn more at the American Association of Community Colleges