Office of the Governor Press Releases

Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today announced that the Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio Department of Education will begin requesting proposals from teams of public high schools and colleges who are interested in becoming “early adopters” of the Seniors to Sophomores program.

Seniors to Sophomores is a dual enrollment program, announced by Strickland in his 2008 State of the State address, which enables qualified high school seniors to get an early jump on college.

“In order for Ohio to be competitive for the jobs of the future, we must increase the number of Ohioans with college degrees to ensure our state has the best-educated workforce,” Strickland said. “Seniors to Sophomores will give high school seniors the opportunity to graduate from high school with a diploma in one hand and a college transcript in the other. These students will know they can be successful in college and will leave high school with the confidence and credits to continue their higher education to receive a college degree.”

Seniors to Sophomores allows high school seniors, who meet academic standards, to take college level courses that will be transferable to public colleges and universities in the University System of Ohio. Students who elect to take a full load of college courses in their senior year will be able to enter college on a second-year level, or as college sophomores. Tuition for the year will be free.

Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric D. Fingerhut asked to have the award process fast-tracked so the program can be available to as many high school seniors across Ohio this fall as possible. The pilot programs will be evaluated in 2009 for greater expansion the following school year.

“I hope to see a wide variety of partnerships that reach as many students as quickly as possible. Our best partnerships will be those that address the variety of barriers around our state that students face in earning college credit, and can become models for other partnerships with similar challenges. We have an opportunity here to implement a progressive program to make college more accessible and affordable,” said Chancellor Fingerhut.

A total of $4 million is available under this special grant program. The maximum grant for each team is $100,000. Due to the source of the funds, eligibility is limited to public high schools, though the Seniors to Sophomores program will eventually serve all schools in Ohio, public and private. Funds may be used to plan for encouraging high school students to participate in all college-level programs, as well as implementation of Seniors to Sophomores.

“Early Adopter” school districts are responsible for ensuring that participating students are able to earn their high school diploma through this program. Applications for “Early Adopter” funding may be submitted from the school district – college partnerships beginning March 10.

If a student would like to participate in Seniors to Sophomores but does not attend an “Early Adopter” school, the Ohio Board of Regents will work directly with the student to either find a Seniors to Sophomores program nearby or find other college credit options that will provide the student with a full year’s worth of college credit. Students can sign up for updates by clicking here or can call 1-877-IATTAIN.

A Request for Applications [RFA] providing details for school districts interested in applying for “Early Adopter” incentive funds is posted here.

Columbus, Ohio – Governor Ted Strickland today signed the following bill:

Senate Bill 286

State Senator Gary Cates sponsored Senate Bill 286 that allows midday pickup and delivery of voted ballots to the county board of elections for eligible counties for the March 4, 2008 primary, and specifies that optical scan ballots that contain more than the permissible number of marks for a particular office, issue or question only invalidates that one office issue or question, not the entire ballot.

Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today announced Ohio has maintained its current strong bond ratings from Moody’s, Fitch and Standard and Poor’s.

Fitch and Standard and Poor's maintained Ohio’s AA+ rating and Moody's has continued to assign Ohio an Aa1 rating.

“By acting quickly to address the $733 million budget shortfall and by continuing to make sound, fiscally responsible decisions, the State of Ohio continues to earn the trust and confidence of investors and the financial markets,” Strickland said.

“Ohio's AA+ GO rating reflects its careful financial management, a demonstrated record of maintaining fiscal balance, and a moderate, rapidly amortizing debt burden,” Fitch said in its report.

According to Standard and Poor’s report, Ohio’s AA+ rating took into consideration the 2008-2009 biennium budget that “preserves the budget stabilization reserve and continues tax reform initiatives but relies on substantial cost containment,” and Ohio’s “vast, broad, and diverse economic base, which is anchored by manufacturing and includes several regional centers and corporate headquarters, in addition to expanding service sectors.”

Moody’s said its rating reflects Ohio's “strong history of financial management” and “established practice of prompt action to address budgetary shortfalls.”

“The bond ratings present an accurate picture of Ohio’s economy at this time, including both our challenges and our achievements,” Strickland said. “While we continue to confront the effects of the national economy on Ohio, we will continue to manage the state in a fiscally responsible manner while making needed investments to bring the jobs of the future to Ohio.”

The rating services recognized the challenges the state is currently facing, including the loss of manufacturing jobs, the high number of home foreclosures, and, according to Moody’s, “tax restructuring measures that have limited financial flexibility.”

Standard and Poor's report outlined Strickland’s proposed $1.7 billion investment in Ohio’s economy. Building Ohio Jobs will generate $1.7 billion in bond sales to directly invest into the jobs of the future while making needed investments in our infrastructure to make Ohio an attractive place to do business.

According to Moody’s, “Ohio has maintained a moderate debt burden relative to other states,” ranking Ohio 21st in net tax-supported debt per capita and percentage of personal income. In Moody’s 2007 State Debt Medians report Ohio amounted $974 per capita and 3 percent of personal income in net tax - supported debt.

“I will continue to work with the Ohio General Assembly to invest in Ohio,” Strickland said. “And I believe the Building Ohio Jobs plan represents the best, most responsible approach to creating tens of thousands of new jobs in our great state.”

The bond rating services assigned their ratings to the upcoming series of State of Ohio bonds to be issued by the Ohio Public Facilities Commission and the Ohio Building Authority in the next 30 days.

Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel is currently accepting applications to fill a vacant seat on the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, General Division. The vacancy will occur on March 31, 2008 as a result of the retirement of Judge Marvin A. Shapiro.

Applicants for the Court of Common Pleas position must be a resident and registered elector of Summit County and not yet 70 years old on the day they begin their duties, as dictated by Ohio law. In addition, they must be admitted to practice law in Ohio and have maintained their legal license for six years prior to assuming the judicial post or served as a judge of a court of record in any jurisdiction in the United States.

The term of the Summit County appointment will extend until April 30, 2009. To continue service in the position, the appointee must run in the November 2008 judicial election.

In the case of all judicial vacancies, applicants must follow the guidelines set forth by Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel to ensure their eligibility for appointment.

Applications must be submitted directly to the judicial panel and will then be distributed to the at-large and regional panel members. Details and the full text of the application procedure are available on the Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendations Panel’s website at www.ojarp.org.

Requirements for all applicants include submitting a letter of interest, resume, panel questionnaire and no more than six letters of recommendation.

All materials submitted by applicants for a judicial vacancy will be considered public record under Ohio law. Applicant communication with panel members must be directed to the entire panel; all attempts to contact or influence a panel member are prohibited. Applicant questions and concerns should be addressed to Kent Markus or Jeff Ruppert in the Governor’s Office at (614) 466-3555.

Applications for the Summit County appointment must be received by Friday, March 7, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.

Candidates must be available to interview in person on Friday, March 21, 2008 in Columbus. Individual candidate times and interview locations will be determined at a later date.

Governor Strickland has selected the following individuals to serve on the regional committee for the current Summit County vacancy:

Pat Darrow – Secretary-Treasurer and Business Manager, Teamsters Local 348

Edward Gilbert – Attorney, Gilbert Law Offices

Max Rothal – City of Akron Law Director

Kathryn Belfance – Attorney, Kathryn A. Belfance & Associates, LLC

Anne Connell-Freund – Executive Vice President of Operations, Oriana House and Vice-Chair, Summit County Children Services Board

Marco Sommerville – President, Akron City Council

At-large panel members assigned are:

Janet E. Jackson, Chair - President and CEO of United Way of Central Ohio

Meg Flack - Board Member of the Ohio League of Women Voters

Doloris Learmonth - Managing partner at Peck Shaffer and Williams LLP in Cincinnati

Joy Malek Oldfield – Partner at Hill Hardman Oldfield, LLC, in Akron

Charles “Rocky” Saxbe – Former state representative, currently a senior partner in the Columbus law firm of Chester, Wilcox and Saxbe, LLP

Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel is currently accepting applications to fill a vacant seat on the Sandusky County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division. The vacancy will occur on March 31, 2008 as a result of the retirement of Judge James R. Sherck.

Applicants for the Court of Common Please position must be a resident and registered elector of Sandusky County and not yet 70 years old on the day they begin their duties, as dictated by Ohio law. In addition, they must be admitted to practice law in Ohio and have maintained their legal license for six years prior to assuming the judicial post or served as a judge of a court of record in any jurisdiction in the United States.

The term of the Sandusky County appointment will extend until February 9, 2009. To continue service in the position, the appointee must run in the November 2008 judicial election.

In the case of all judicial vacancies, applicants must follow the guidelines set forth by Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel to ensure their eligibility for appointment.

Applications must be submitted directly to the judicial panel and will then be distributed to the at-large and regional panel members. Details and the full text of the application procedure are available on the Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendations Panel’s website at www.ojarp.org.

Requirements for all applicants include submitting a letter of interest, resume, panel questionnaire and no more than six letters of recommendation.

All materials submitted by applicants for a judicial vacancy will be considered public record under Ohio law. Applicant communication with panel members must be directed to the entire panel; all attempts to contact or influence a panel member are prohibited. Applicant questions and concerns should be addressed to Kent Markus or Jeff Ruppert in the Governor’s Office at (614) 466-3555.

Applications for the Sandusky County appointment must be received by Friday, March 7, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.

Candidates must be available to interview in person on Friday, March 21, 2008 in Columbus. Individual candidate times and interview locations will be determined at a later date.

Governor Strickland has selected the following individuals to serve on the regional committee for the current Sandusky County vacancy:

Roger Wise – Farmer and President of Ohio Farmers Union

James Ellis – Attorney, Arnold, Caruso, Green & Belazis, Ltd.

Robert Heid – Attorney, Heid Law Offices

Karen Wagner – Member, Fremont City Council

Delores Burel – Program Director, Bridge the Gap

Barbara Tuckerman – Director, Sandusky County Board of Elections

At-large panel members assigned are:

Janet E. Jackson, Chair - President and CEO of United Way of Central Ohio

Meg Flack - Board Member of the Ohio League of Women Voters

Doloris Learmonth - Managing partner at Peck Shaffer and Williams LLP in Cincinnati

Joy Malek Oldfield – Partner at Hill Hardman Oldfield, LLC, in Akron

Charles “Rocky” Saxbe – Former state representative, currently a senior partner in the Columbus law firm of Chester, Wilcox and Saxbe, LLP

Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel is currently accepting applications to fill a vacant seat on the Circleville Municipal Court. The vacancy was created because of the untimely death of Judge John R. Adkins.

Applicants for the municipal court position must be a resident and registered elector of Pickaway County and not yet 70 years old on the day they begin their duties, as dictated by Ohio law. In addition, they must be admitted to practice law in Ohio and have maintained their legal license for six years prior to assuming the judicial post or served as a judge of a court of record in any jurisdiction in the United States.

The term of the Circleville appointment will extend until December 31, 2009. To continue service in the position, the appointee must run in the November 2009 judicial election.

In the case of all judicial vacancies, applicants must follow the guidelines set forth by Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel to ensure their eligibility for appointment.

Applications must be submitted directly to the judicial panel and will then be distributed to the at-large and regional panel members. Details and the full text of the application procedure are available on the Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendations Panel’s Website at www.ojarp.org.

Requirements for all applicants include submitting a letter of interest, resume, panel questionnaire and no more than six letters of recommendation.

All materials submitted by applicants for a judicial vacancy will be considered public record under Ohio law. Applicant communication with panel members must be directed to the entire panel; all attempts to contact or influence a panel member are prohibited. Applicant questions and concerns should be addressed to Kent Markus or Jeff Ruppert in the Governor’s Office at (614) 466-3555.

Applications for the Circleville appointment must be received by Monday, March 10, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.

Candidates must be available to interview in person on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 in Columbus. Individual candidate times and interview locations will be determined at a later date.

Governor Strickland has selected the following individuals to serve on the regional committee for the current Circleville vacancy:

Larry Schieber – pharmacist, Circleville Medicine Shoppe

Amy Elsea – president, Pickaway County Chamber of Commerce

Mike Kelley –business manager, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 189

Michael Hess – attorney, Bower & Hess law firm; president, Pickaway County Bar Association

Philipp Roar – officer, Circleville Police Department; Circleville Chapter Ohio Patrolman's Benevolent Association

Kathy Crowder-Dorsey – attorney, Dorsey Law Office

The at-Large panel members assigned to the current Circleville vacancy are:

Panel Chair James Ray – retired judge, Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division.

Janica Pierce – attorney, Chester Willcox & Saxbe, LLP.

John Kulewicz – attorney, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

Betty Davis – president, Community Concepts, Inc.

Isabel Framer – court certified Spanish/English interpreter and chair of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Judicial Interpreters and Translators.

Columbus, Ohio – Governor Ted Strickland today issued the following statement calling on the Ohio House to ensure stable and predictable energy prices to protect Ohio businesses and consumers.

“I applaud the Speaker for recognizing the importance of advanced energy to Ohio’s economic future and for embracing the advanced energy portfolio standard to create new jobs in Ohio.

If we want to create Ohio jobs we must pass a comprehensive energy bill as soon as possible – a bill that provides predictable, reliable and affordable electric prices to protect Ohio businesses and consumers.

I have heard from businesses throughout Ohio that without the assurance of reliable and affordable energy prices, their ability to plan for a strong economic future is greatly diminished. In fact, just today an Ohio newspaper is reporting that a steel company, Steel Development, LLC, has ruled Ohio out of a potential $1 billion investment because it feels that Ohio’s energy prices are unpredictable.

Ohio businesses and Ohio workers need to know when the House plans to finish its work. I think it is appropriate for the House to make clear the date it will finalize a comprehensive energy plan which will protect jobs by ensuring the predictability that Ohio businesses desperately need, create new jobs by investing in advanced energy, and protect consumers and businesses by keeping the final rate decisions in the public realm, not in the hands of the utility companies.”

Columbus, Ohio – Governor Ted Strickland today signed the following bills:

House Bill 214

State representatives Jeff Wagner and Courtney Combs sponsored House Bill 214, which establishes several foster care reforms. These reforms include increasing the preplacement training for foster caregivers from 24 to 36 hours and allowing foster caregivers to fulfill up to 20 percent of their continuing training requirement by teaching training classes or mentoring other foster caregivers.

The bill also exempts the names, documentation and other identifying information regarding a foster caregiver or prospective caregiver from public record, unless the caregiver has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, indicted, or charged with certain offenses. The bill also establishes a procedure by which two county boards of mental retardation and developmental disabilities must work together when a foster child moves to a different county and requires the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities to jointly educate professionals of both systems.

Senator Gary Cates sponsored the companion bill, SB 164, in the Senate.

Senate Bill 148

State Senator Keith Faber sponsored Senate Bill 148, which revises retirement eligibility requirements and benefit calculations for the School Employees Retirement System (SERS) members whose membership begins on or after the bill’s effective date. The bill also increases the age at which a new SERS member is eligible to retire under a current plan and requires the SERS board, at least once every 10 years, to direct its actuary to evaluate eligibility requirements.

Senate Bill 157

State Senator Steve Buehrer sponsored Senate Bill 157, which authorizes a person to nominate, by a durable power of attorney or a writing, a guardian for a person’s incompetent adult child. The bill also changes the conditions that must be followed in nominating a guardian for an incompetent adult child.

Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today signed an executive order that provides clear guidelines to create a more efficient and effective regulatory environment in Ohio.

Following a philosophy of “Common Sense Business Regulation,” the executive order requires agencies to review existing rules and processes; to treat those affected by their rules and regulatory processes as customers and treat them consistently across regions, offices, and departments; and to consolidate regulatory rules and processes.

Additionally, the executive order directs certain cabinet agencies to designate an existing staff member as an agency regulatory ombudsman who will act as a liaison between the agency and those affected by the regulatory rules and processes.

“Regulations for conducting business in Ohio exist to promote health, safety and economic vitality,” Strickland said. “A transparent, common sense approach to our state regulatory process will help us keep good-paying jobs in Ohio and make Ohio a more attractive place to bring the jobs of the future.”

Required regulatory reviews will determine if existing rules are needed to implement the underlying statute and ensure consistency with federal rules and the Common Sense Business Regulation process.

After a review, state agencies must amend or rescind rules that are unnecessary, that unnecessarily impede economic growth, or that have had unintended negative consequences.

“We must act as partners to ensure Ohio’s regulatory environment is flexible, respectful and responsive to Ohio’s citizens and the people who do business in our state,” Strickland said. “State agencies will be guided by the principle that the individuals and businesses they regulate are customers, and they will be held accountable for the quality of customer service they provide.”

The executive order also outlines the approach for cabinet agencies to employ before submitting proposed rules to the Joint Committee on Agency Review (JCARR). Agencies should focus on outcome when designing or modifying a set of rules, draft rules that are easy to understand and not duplicative, and draft rules so they promote transparency, predictability, consistency, flexibility, and balance in regulatory activity.

The executive order directs agencies to work to make Ohio a more attractive place to do business by drafting rules that are the least burdensome necessary to accomplish the goals of a particular rule.

In addition, the Ohio Department of Administrative Services and the state chief information officer will establish an electronic notification system that allows interested parties to receive information regarding changes to -- or adoption of -- any rules of interest to them.

Finally, the executive order also directs state agencies to set a greater emphasis on outreach to those affected by state regulations and establishes expectations regarding agencies’ approach to regulatory compliance.

The text of the governor’s executive order is below:

Executive Order 2008 – 04S
Implementing Common Sense Business Regulation

1. Ohio Has A Rich History of Business Innovation and Technological Advancement. Ohio has long been a state that facilitates and promotes invention and innovation. Consequently, as the State’s economic landscape becomes increasingly global and diverse, our state government must respond to that diversity by crafting better methods for appropriately regulating entities that conduct business in the State.

2. Ohio Is Committed to Fostering an Environment that Facilitates and Promotes Business Growth. In order for Ohio to remain an attractive venue for entities doing or seeking to do business in the State, Ohio must ensure that its regulations create an atmosphere in which businesses and individuals affected by those regulations are treated as partners in identifying and achieving regulatory goals. Accessibility, flexibility, respect, timely responsiveness, problem solving, and continuous improvement must be the hallmarks of the State’s approach to regulatory activity.

3. State Regulations for Entities Doing Business in Ohio Must Meet the Needs of All Interested Stakeholders. Ohio’s citizens, their government, and those doing business in the State have a mutual stake in Ohio’s business regulations and regulatory processes. Consequently, all of these parties must act as partners in the administration of State business regulations.

4. Developing Common Sense Business Regulation in Ohio. Regulations for conducting business in the State exist to promote the health, safety, and economic vitality of Ohioans. These objectives can only be achieved when the process by which regulations are enacted is transparent and accessible to persons outside of government and when those regulations are crafted so that they are easy to understand. Accordingly, I hereby order all cabinet agencies, boards and commissions to implement and adhere to the following Common Sense Business Regulation approach when developing proposed rules for consideration by the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (“JCARR”):

a. As a general matter, business regulations requiring or prohibiting certain conduct should be established through rulemaking. Case-by-case, subjective, or retroactive approaches should be avoided, when possible. When designing or modifying a rule or set of rules, agencies should carefully consider the perspective of those who will be affected by them.

b. All proposed rules submitted to JCARR should be written so that they are easy to comprehend. Specialized terms that are familiar to and used by specialists in their field must be defined and/or simplified so that they can be understood by a non-specialist reader of the rule. Duplication of rules already in existence is to be avoided.

c. All proposed rules should be drafted so that they promote transparency and predictability regarding regulatory activity, consistency of business regulation within the State, appropriate flexibility, and a reasonable balance between the underlying regulatory objectives and the burdens imposed by the regulatory activity.

d. Federally promulgated rules should be implemented as written, unless separate state rules are permitted and appropriate to achieve an Ohio-specific public policy goal.

e. Proposed rules should focus on achieving outcomes rather than the process used to achieve compliance. They should be based on the best scientific and technical information that can be reasonably obtained and designed so that they can be applied consistently.

f. Agency rules are expected to impose the least burden and costs to business, including paperwork and other compliance costs, necessary to achieve the underlying regulatory objective. This will make Ohio a more attractive place to do business and avoid placing entities doing business in the State at a competitive disadvantage relative to businesses located in other states or countries.

g. Agencies should consider whether proposed rules, and the cumulative effect of related rules, make Ohio a more or less attractive place to do business. Where appropriate, proposed rules should be written with a date on which the rules will expire, in order to account for the rapid changes in many sectors of the economy. Furthermore, where authorized and appropriate, agencies should make exceptions to rules and provide exemptions for small businesses.

h. Prior to submission to JCARR, each proposed rule must be provided to the chief legal officer of the entity submitting the rule to JCARR, who is responsible for ensuring the clarity of the rule and overall compliance with this Order.

5. Administering Common Sense Business Regulation in Ohio. The administration of business regulation in Ohio should be efficient, consistent across state agencies, and accessible and transparent to all interested parties. Accordingly, I also hereby order the following:

a. Agencies should treat those affected by their rules and regulatory processes as customers and treat them consistently across regions, offices, and departments.

b. Agencies should coordinate with each other to combine and minimize regulatory filings and to minimize worksite interruptions necessary to regulatory activity.

c. Agencies should strive to reduce the processing time for regulatory approvals, permits, licenses, and other actions requiring agency response. Additionally, agencies should work cooperatively with applicants to expedite processing, when possible, and keep in mind business deadlines and other commercial demands.

d. Agencies should require submission of the minimum amount of information necessary to administer their rules. Agencies should avoid requiring submission of intellectual property or other confidential business information and should protect it if it needs to be submitted.

e. Agencies should, when possible and appropriate, provide those affected by their rules and processes with compliance education and the ability to make compliance inquiries without risk of enforcement. In cases of regulatory noncompliance, an agency’s enforcement response should be proportional to the circumstances and should take into consideration whether the agency contributed to the noncompliance. Before undertaking enforcement activity, and absent exceptional circumstances, the agency should discuss the regulatory violation with the noncompliant individual or business in order to explore the possibility of resolving the matter without enforcement proceedings.

f. Agencies should, when appropriate, waive penalties for first-time or isolated paperwork or procedural regulatory noncompliance. Each cabinet agency, board and commission shall prepare and publish on its website a policy describing the circumstances in which such waivers will be granted.

g. Agencies should engage in continuous regulatory process improvement including, but not limited to, eliciting customer feedback regarding their administration of regulatory responsibilities. Further, agencies should periodically evaluate their regulatory performance using measurable standards, data, or other objective criteria.

h. The Ohio Department of Administrative Services and the State Chief Information Officer shall establish a centralized electronic system that will allow interested parties to register and receive notices and communications regarding agencies’ proposed development, amendment or rescission of any rule of interest to them.

6. Providing an Agency Regulatory Ombudsman. When, despite the best practices and efforts, an agency does not address a concern regarding the implementation of a proposed rule to the satisfaction of a regulated industry, entity or person, an opportunity to address that concern should be provided. Accordingly, I order each of the following cabinet agencies, to the extent that they have not already done so, to designate a staff member to serve as a Regulatory Ombudsman to act as a problem-solving liaison between the agency and those affected by its rules and processes: Administrative Services, Agriculture, Commerce, Development, Environmental Protection, Health, Industrial Commission, Insurance, Job and Family Services, Natural Resources, Taxation, Transportation, and Workers’ Compensation. Each Regulatory Ombudsman shall have direct access to the director of the agency in question.

7. Reviewing Existing Rules and Regulatory Processes. I also hereby order each cabinet agency, board and commission to review its existing body of promulgated rules, and the processes implementing them, to ensure that they comply with this Order. Each may do so as part of an existing statutory or other periodic review of rules and processes, but must:

a. Determine, as if for the first time, whether each rule is needed to implement the underlying statute.

b. Amend or rescind rules that are unnecessary, ineffective, contradictory, redundant, inefficient, needlessly burdensome, that unnecessarily impede economic growth, or that have had unintended negative consequences.

c. Reduce or eliminate areas of state regulation where federal regulation now adequately regulates the subject matter.

d. Select for earlier review those rules or processes that, in the agency’s judgment, appear to be least consistent with developing and administering Common Sense Business Regulation.

8. Accountability for Compliance with this Order. Although this Order is directed to and binding upon all personnel in the cabinet agencies and boards and commissions, the director, administrator, or other head of each such entity shall be accountable for implementing the Common Sense Business Regulation approach to the extent applicable and practicable within that entity.

9. No Private Right of Action Created by this Order. This Order is not intended to, and does not, confer any legal rights upon businesses or others regulated by Ohio’s cabinet agencies, boards and commissions, and it shall not be used as a basis for legal challenges to rules, approvals, permits, licenses or other actions or to any inaction of any governmental entity subject to it.

10. I signed this Executive Order on February 12, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio and it will expire on my last day as Governor of Ohio unless rescinded before then.




____________________________
Ted Strickland, Governor



ATTEST:


___________________________________
Jennifer Brunner, Secretary of State

Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today released the following statement on today’s tragic events in Portsmouth, Ohio:

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic events that took place today in Portsmouth. My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this terrible incident,” Strickland said. “I want to thank members of local law enforcement, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and all other emergency personnel for their hard work in responding to this very difficult situation.”

Columbus, Ohio – In his State of the State address, Governor Ted Strickland today proposed a $1.7 billion jobs package, expanding access to college for high school seniors and allowing the governor to appoint a newly-created Director of the Ohio Department of Education.

Strickland outlined a $1.7 billion jobs stimulus package, Building Ohio Jobs, which will invest in job-creating industries and Ohio workers.

Through issuing bonds, the $1.7 billion Building Ohio Jobs package will create more than 80,000 good-paying jobs in Ohio and lay the foundation for future economic prosperity by investing in the state’s energy economy, distribution infrastructure, biomedicine, bioproducts, public works, our downtown neighborhoods and the Clean Ohio fund.

“Building Ohio Jobs, and all these programs within it, represent a commitment to opportunity and strength,” Strickland said. “It is an investment in job-creating industries, in our communities, and in our workers. And it will create opportunity today, tomorrow, and for generations.”

Strickland also proposed a reorganization of the leadership structure at the Ohio Department of Education and an expansion of higher education opportunities for the state’s college bound students.

In K-12 education, Strickland called for the establishment of a new position: Director of the Ohio Department of Education. Under the governor’s proposal, the Director would be appointed by the governor and serve as a member of the governor’s Cabinet, subject to the approval of the senate. The current State Board of Education and the state superintendent would serve in advisory and additional roles as determined by the Director of the Department of Education.

In higher education, Strickland announced that Chancellor Eric Fingerhut’s 10-year strategic plan will guarantee that high-quality associate and bachelor’s degrees in core fields will be available on a campus within 30 miles of every Ohioan.

Strickland also proposed the Seniors to Sophomores initiative, which directs the Chancellor to give every 12th-grader who meets the academic requirements a choice of spending their senior year in their home high school, or spending it on a University System of Ohio campus. Tuition would be free.

To honor the state’s commitment to our veterans, Strickland called for the creation of the Department of Veterans Affairs, which will consolidate Ohio’s veterans’ services to one agency and ensure the state is effectively providing veterans with the benefits they have earned.

“I look forward to working with the General Assembly on this effort,” Strickland said. “Let us make Ohio known for its commitment to our entire military community.”

In addition, Strickland urged the General Assembly to complete work on his Energy, Jobs and Progress bill as soon as possible. The plan will guarantee that electricity prices remain stable and the supply of electricity is reliable while protecting and creating jobs and establishing Ohio as a leader in advanced energy efforts.

A summary of the Governor’s State of the State address is included below:

Economy: Building Ohio Jobs, $1.7 Billion Ohio Jobs Package

To respond to the state’s economic challenges, Governor Strickland is proposing Building Ohio Jobs, a $1.7 billion jobs stimulus package to create more than 80,000 jobs and lay the foundation for future economic prosperity.

Through issuing bonds, the plan will invest:

• $250 million in the advanced and renewable energy economy, including solar, wind and clean coal.

• $150 million in our state’s infrastructure to help create a seamless network of roads, rails, and ports to support our logistics and distribution industry.

• $100 million in bioproducts that use renewable sources instead of petroleum to create plastics and other products.

• $200 million in the biomedical industry, saving lives by fueling Ohio’s leadership in new medical products.

• $200 million establishing the Ohio Main Streets Renewal Initiative to spur redevelopment in downtown neighborhoods in our cities and towns.

• $400 million in the Clean Ohio fund, to advance our efforts to reclaim brownfields and other damaged lands and preserve farm land and open spaces.

• $400 million in the Ohio Public Works Commission to help our local partners with road, bridge, water and sewer projects. These are projects that spur growth in our cities and towns and Ohio as a whole.

Higher Education: Seniors to Sophomores Initiative

Governor Strickland’s Seniors to Sophomores Initiative directs the Chancellor to give every twelfth grader who meets the academic requirements a choice of spending their senior year in their home high school, or spending it on a University System of Ohio campus. Tuition would be free.

Higher Education: Bachelor’s Degree Offered within 30 Miles of Every Ohioan

Chancellor Fingerhut’s 10-year strategic plan will guarantee that high-quality associate and bachelor’s degrees in core fields will be available on a campus within 30 miles of every Ohioan.

Education: Allowing the Governor to Appoint a newly-created Director of Department of Education

To ensure a direct line of responsibility and accountability in education, Governor Strickland is calling for the establishment of a new position: the Director of the Department of Education. The Director will be appointed by the Governor and serve as a member of his Cabinet. The existing structure of the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent would remain in place in advisory and additional roles as determined by the director.

Veterans: Establishing the Ohio Department of Veterans Affairs

To honor our commitment to Ohio’s veterans, Governor Strickland is calling for the creation of the Ohio Department of Veterans Affairs and the consolidation of the state’s services to veterans in this new Cabinet-level agency.

The full text of the speech is available here.