Athens' legislators have work in store for them when Statehouse members return from break.
State legislators have mixed feelings about returning to the daily grind of committee meetings and legislative sessions.
After a three-month recess this summer, representatives will have the chance next week to catch up on bills that were held up during budget talks earlier this year.
“It’s been a much slower time,” Rep. Debbie Phillips, D-Albany, said. “The budget really is kind of an all consuming process with some really long days.”
Phillips said she hoped that, as things ramp up at the statehouse in the coming months, she'll have a chance to push forward some legislation that has been in the works for several months.
She said she has been working on one bill that is slated to replace the “five of eight” rule, which was overturned earlier this year.
The original law required public schools to hire five faculty members — including art teachers, physical education coaches, music teachers, counselors, nurses, librarians, social workers and visiting teachers — for every 1,000 students.
Phillips, who opposed the abolishment of the law, said she and some of her colleagues are looking to introduce a new bill before the end of the year.
Sen. Lou Gentile, D-Steubenville, said his primary focus for the rest of this legislative season will be a bill that aims to encourage small business owners to hire veterans.
"My primary function as a legislator is to try to ... grow existing businesses,” he said. “I want to do that in a way that’s sustainable, and that respects living wage jobs.”
His bill will provide tax credits to companies that hire veterans.
The bill, Senate Bill 18, was originally introduced in February. According to a news release issued on Feb. 17, the bill could allow businesses to earn $2,400 per veteran employed.
“That’s one initiative that I’m really pushing hard on,” he said.
In April, Gentile also co-sponsored a resolution with fellow Sen. Troy Balderson, R-Zanesville, who represents a portion of Athens County, that calls upon U.S. Congress to increase funding for diabetes research.
The resolution has been referred to the Health and Human Services committee.
In June, just before senate’s recess, Balderson sponsored a resolution that called on Congress to lift the 1975 ban on the export of crude oil.
The resolution states that the increased use of drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the country "has made this country more crude oil independent."
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Phillips is also working on legislation concerning hydraulic fracturing.
Her bill calls for stronger regulations in the monitoring of injection wells.
Sarah Huffman, legislative aide to Balderson, also noted that the Ohio Appalachian Teaching Program, sponsored by Balderson in the budget bill, began taking effect this academic school year.
The program, which will receive $125,000 per year, recruits teachers to teach in Appalachian counties after graduation.
“Although the budget was already passed this summer, the Ohio Appalachian Teaching Fellowship is just beginning to take shape,” Huffman said.
Gentile said he is looking forward to returning to the regular schedule of legislative session.
“The hardest time of the year for me is the summer months, because there are a number of events that take place in the Athens county region,” he said. “It’s expected that you attend many of these events, so (I have to deal with the) unpredictability of my schedule.”
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