Politics & Government

Guest Column: "A Recap of 2011 in Ohio"

The state representative reflects on the past year.

The following column by State Representative Marlene Anielski was submitted by her office to Patch:

A Recap of 2011 in Ohio

In these first few weeks of January, Ohioans across the state will make their New Year’s resolutions, anticipating what they can accomplish in the coming 12 months. We often pledge to achieve a personal goal, overcome an obstacle, or reverse a bad habit. While making these resolutions requires looking into the future, we can only set a goal by reviewing the past. In 2012, my colleagues and I in 129th Ohio General Assembly will strive to continue the success of 2011. To do this, we must first take a look at the highlights of the previous year.
 
The state legislature worked hard in 2011 to generate an environment in which businesses could flourish. We improved Ohio’s tax environment and restructured parts of state government to better serve our citizens. We began 2011 with the passage of House Bill 1, creating JobsOhio, an entity focusing on economic advancement. Since its formation, JobsOhio has been working to bring industry to our borders and strengthen Ohio’s job market. In the past year, JobsOhio was involved in 245 projects, resulting in the creation or retention of nearly 83,000 jobs.
 
One of the state legislature’s greatest accomplishments this past year was the passage of the biennial operating budget. We closed a projected $8 billion budget gap by restructuring the way we use our financial assets. Instead of relying on tax hikes or one-time resources, the General Assembly made necessary cuts, while preserving essential services and government functions.
 
The state budget also took specific actions to stimulate our economy and improve Ohio’s business outlook. For instance, the budget created InvestOhio, a tax credit program that incentivizes investment in Ohio’s small businesses. When Ohioans invest in a small company, they will receive a 10 percent tax credit on the condition that they retain the investment for at least two years. Innovative measures such as this one are brightening tomorrow for Ohio’s families and economy.
 
In addition to all the economic-minded legislation passed in 2011, many other bills were considered by the legislature as well. I jointly sponsored House Bill 195 with Rep. Nan Baker, legislation that would require sweepstakes device operators and distributors to be licensed. Unregulated sweepstakes games can disadvantage the player. I will continue to support this legislation because this change is necessary to make sweepstakes parlors fair and legal proprietors.
 
Responding to a recent tragic court case, Rep. Michael Stinziano and I introduced a bill mandating stricter reporting protocol in the event of the death or disappearance of a child under 16 years of age. The legislation would also raise the penalty for misleading public officials. This bill is necessary to ensure the welfare of Ohio’s youth and hold our citizens to a higher standard of conduct, and I hope to have it heard on the House floor in 2012.
 
The Year 2011 certainly brought many changes in Ohio’s political landscape. All Ohioans can look forward to a more economically successful future for the Buckeye State, and the House will continue to find ways to improve state law to benefit all of our citizens.


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