From the Statehouse

By Jennifer Garrison

February 18, 2010

The past couple months have seen a flurry of activity at the Statehouse.  We in the House have been hard at work crafting and approving two pieces of legislation that strengthen Ohio’s agricultural economy and a bill that protects the interest of those who serve consumers.

We don’t often give much thought to how food ends at our dinner table but there’s a story in every meal we eat.  House Bill 363 transfers the permitting process of large-scale, concentrated animal feeding facilities (CAFFs) to an agency well-versed in the topic, the Ohio Department of Agriculture.  To ensure the quality of the food on your plate, the bill implements background checks for facility owners, investors, and operators through the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

This legislation allows Ohio to meet requirements set by the 123rd General Assembly as part of a five-year application process to the U.S. EPA.  This bill was passed as an emergency matter because of the December 31, 2009 deadline set by the US EPA.  Had it not passed, we would have had to wait another 5 years to address the issue.  Both the Ohio EPA, which used to permit such operations, and the Department of Agriculture support the bill for its ability to streamline the permitting process for CAFFs.

I voted “yes” on HB 363 as it passed out of the House by an overwhelming majority. The bill was quickly approved by the Senate and signed by the Governor to become law.  

SB 131 promotes the use of renewable, non-petroleum based products across the state.  The bill establishes a bio-based product preference program that will apply to all purchases made by state agencies and institutions of higher education. State agencies will not have to follow the requirement if any of the following is true:

the bio-based product exceeds 5% of the cost of a similar product that is not bio-based

availability of the bio-based item is limited

performance of the bio-based product does not meet required standards

In addition, the bill extends the bio-diesel tax credit for an additional two years.

I co-sponsored and voted “yes” on SB 131 as it passed out of the House. The Senate quickly concurred with House amendments and the bill has been sent to the governor for his consideration.

The House also worked to protect the interests of those who find unclaimed funds.  House Bill 126 requires the Director of the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) to withhold from the unclaimed funds the registered finder’s fee.  OBM shall pay that amount directly to the finder pursuant to the parties’ written contract. A written contract is required.  Under current law, the finder’s fee is paid directly to the owner of the unclaimed funds who is left to pay the finder at their own discretion.

I voted “yes” on HB 126 as it passed out of the House by an overwhelming majority. The bill now goes to the Senate for its consideration.

In addition, the House passed a bill to name certain roads and create special license plates honoring a number of people and organizations. Of local interest, the bill designates a portion of State Route 313 in Guernsey County as the “Guernsey County Veterans – Flags of Honor Memorial Highway.”

HB 27 also creates a license plate to honor Phi Theta Kappa.  Phi Theta Kappa is the academic honors society for two-year technical schools and community colleges.  The organization has a local chapter at Washington State Community College.

I co-sponsored and voted “yes” on HB 27 as it passed out the House unanimously in October, and I voted “yes” to concur with Senate amendments this week. The bill now awaits Governor Strickland’s signature.

You can reach Jennifer Garrison in her Columbus office at (614)644-8728, in the district at (740)373-2414 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Her website is www.jennifergarrison.com.