Ohio's legislative priorities

“Jobs, abortion, estate taxes and health care top the agenda of Ohio House leaders,” the Cincinnati Enquirer said earlier this week of the opening salvo of bill introductions at the commencement of Ohio’s 129th. General Assembly. "House leaders traditionally unveil their top-priority legislation on the first day of the session," the article said. "No. 1: House Bill 1, authorizing Gov. John Kasich to create JobsOhio, a nonprofit economic development corporation, privatizing the Ohio Department of Development. The proposed legislation says the new private corporation 'would perform state economic development functions … pursuant to a contract with Department of Development.'"

Some of the more notable bills introduced include:

HB 3, repealing Ohio's estate tax. According to a recent Forbes article, thirteen states – including Ohio -- and Washington, D.C., have estate taxes only. Typically, these taxes exempt $1 million or less per estate and carry a top rate of 16%. Six states – including Indiana, Kentucky & Tennessee -- levy only an inheritance tax, with the rate depending on the relationship of the heir to the deceased and the taxes kicking in, in some cases, on the first dollar of bequest. New Jersey and Maryland levy both estate and inheritance taxes. Republicans said the tax puts Ohio at a disadvantage because 30 other states have no such tax, according to a Cleveland Plain Dealer article. The opposing view there is that eliminating the tax would be a blow to municipalities, which receive about 80 percent of estate tax revenue. That amounted to about $231 million in the last fiscal year.

HB 11, if passed, would prohibit state departments and agencies from implementing or enforcing a provision of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act unless that department or agency submits a report to the general assembly containing the information described by the bill, and, the Revised Code specifically authorizes that department or agency to implement or enforce such a provision.

Concurrent here is newly elected Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s having contacted Florida’s newly-elected AG Pam Bondi seeking to have Ohio added in with the 20 other states challenging the constitutionality of the federal Health Care Reform Act (Press Release and originating complaint )


HB 12 would establish new requirements concerning services, providers, third-party liability, and reports for Ohio's Medicaid program, including each Medicaid provider selected by the department of job and family services giving to the family services bond with surety, to the satisfaction of the department, for the faithful adherence by the provider to the requirements of Section 5111.03 of the Revised Code.

HB 13 would require the Director of Job and Family Services to seek federal approval to create a premium assistance component of the Medicaid program.

HB 17 would authorize a $2,400 income tax withholding credit for an employer that hires and employs a previously unemployed individual.