Wachtmann Report By State Senator Lynn Wachtmann

    The Ohio House of Representatives wrapped up its work on House Bill 119, the $52 billion biennial state budget, this past week and sent it to the governor for his signature.  Members included provisions in the budget that expand health care services for those in need and make a high-quality college education more accessible and affordable for students and families. The General Assembly also enacted the largest property tax cut in Ohio history for seniors and disabled individuals.

    The budget also included measures that impact our local communities.  Several months ago, I wrote in my weekly column about a budget amendment I sponsored that repealed the new sewage treatment system rules that went into effect at the beginning of this year.  There were several changes to this amendment during the budget process, and I wanted to update you on the final version of the budget.

    Under House Bill 119, the new rules regarding household sewage disposal systems have been suspended until July 1, 2009 and the original rules have been restored until that time.  The bill also creates the Household Sewage and Small Flow On-Site Sewage Treatment System Study Commission to examine the overall issue including costs and make recommendations on the use and regulation of these systems.  There will also be an application fee of $25 for a sewage treatment system installation permit.

    The new rules put in place at the beginning of the year were confusing and were hampering the construction of new homes in many areas of Ohio, including northwest Ohio.  While I agree that household sewage treatment systems need to be regulated, I am pleased to see that more time is now being taken to study the issue and gather more information so that future rules will be easy to enforce and will benefit homeowners and homebuilders.

    Members of the House also worked during the budget process to restore $1 million in funding over the biennium for abstinence education in Ohio schools.  The money goes toward programs that teach students the only 100 percent effective way to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS, is through abstinence. Unfortunately, the governor line-item vetoed this funding when he signed House Bill 119 into law, meaning Ohio will no longer be eligible for matching federal funds and students will not receive valuable information that could help keep them healthy.

    In addition to the budget, members of the House also passed a number of other bills before returning home for summer recess.  One of these bills was House Bill 238, sponsored by State Representatives Bob Latta and Jimmy Stewart.  This legislation increases the penalties for poaching white-tailed deer and other wildlife in Ohio.  By increasing these fines, we can improve the quality and quantity of the wildlife here in our state for the many hunters, trappers, fishermen, and wildlife watchers who contribute billions of dollars to our economy each year.   

    House Bill 238 increases the fines for poaching any wildlife in Ohio and specifically increases the penalty for poaching an antlered white-tailed deer through the use of a gross scoring system based on various antler measurements.  Additionally, any person convicted of taking, buying, selling, or possessing any wild animal unlawfully will have their Ohio hunting license revoked until the fines are paid.  The new fines will be determined by the Department of Natural Resources and will take into consideration factors such as the type of animal and whether it is an endangered or threatened species.

    As always, I welcome your thoughts on any of the matters we discuss here at the Statehouse. If you have any questions, thoughts or concerns or need assistance working with a state government agency, please contact my office. I can be reached by mail at 77 S. High St., 11^th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215 or by phone at 614.466.3760.