An Unclean Repeal. The Ohio General Assembly has voted to repeal HB 194, the voter suppression measure that was slated to be on ballot this fall as petitions signed by Ohio voters for a referendum had been certified. We expect the governor to sign SB 295 which is the legislation that repeals HB 194, thus restoring early and absentee voting rights …almost. SB 295 still cuts off the final three days of in-person absentee voting before Election Day. So, the republican majority that was in such a hurry to end alleged voter fraud and restrict early and absentee voting opportunities decided to back off when they realized a citizens’ veto of HB 194 could be a replay of what happened with SB 5. All of us need to understand that the repeal of 194 was purely political, not a move to respect the will of the people. Moreover, the loss of the three days of in-person absentee voting makes this repeal unclean as it does not reflect the wishes of those who petitioned to place the issue on the ballot.
STRS. You will find attached a document that describes the proposed changes to protect the solvency of our pension system as recommended by the State Teachers Retirement System Board. The legislation required to implement these changes has been voted out of committee in the Ohio Senate and will pass today in a floor vote. The latest information we have is that the House of Representatives will not act on the pension reform legislation at this time as they are awaiting a report from an independent study commissioned by the Ohio Retirement Study Council which is due to be released in July. Please review the attachment as you will note there are significant changes in the employee contribution rate as well as the age and service requirements for full retirement benefits. You will also see a chart that displays the fourteen year phase-in of the change calling for a teacher to complete 35 years of service and be age 60 in order to receive a full retirement. We will keep you updated as the proposals move through the legislature.
In Union,