Friday, November 13, 2009

The Ohio House isn't working hard enough

... says Rep. Jay Hottinger (R-Newark) in today's Columbus Dispatch, in an article written by Jay Siegel.

Instead of holding full voting sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as has been common in recent years (Thursdays were also used pretty regularly 10 years ago), both the House and Senate have canceled half of their session dates this year, rarely meeting more than once a week. When Democrats took control of the House, the legislature became politically divided for the first time in 14 years, contributing to the gridlock.

“We should be here a heck of a lot more than we are. When things are going poorly in this economy, it’s begging us to step in and provide solutions where we can," said Rep. Hottinger. House Speaker Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) argues that the legislature has been productive, pointing to a number of initiatives placed into the two-year budget.

Hottinger said Budish has been in the legislature only since 2007. “When he says we’ve been quite productive, he has noting to compare that to.”

And when the House does work, it isn't concentrating on the right issues.

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