The Ohio Assembly just returned to work after a two month break. First of all, I’d like to say, I would LOVE to get a 2 month break from work. Ok, ok, I’m fully aware this was just a break in the legislative session, but the representatives and senators were drafting new legislation, holding meetings and town halls, and working together to figure out what bills have enough votes and what bills will likely get killed for lack of votes. Ok, maybe I’m just hoping this is what happens when they are out of session, but I digress...
On Thursday, June 7th, 2018, upon returning from break, the Ohio House passed 28 bills. Some of which go over to the Senate and some are now going to the Governor to be signed or vetoed. These bills discuss everything from overtime for Registered Nurses, the regulation of unused oil and gas wells, licensing additional pupil services personnel in schools, and designating new Memorial Highways.
Of course I don’t really have an issue with designating Memorial Highways, because I just don’t think changing the name of a highway has any effect positive or negative on my life or anyone’s life for that matter. I would roll my eyes and disagree with any additional costs for placing new signage for these highways, but other than that, I don’t see any inherent unintended consequences.
Some of the other bills, such as the bill stating that Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses can’t be “forced” to work overtime is an example of something that sounds like a really reasonable measure on the surface, but I can already see lots of unintended consequences that might have negative effects on patient care if there are not enough nurses to fully staff medical facilities and the economic prospects of nursing professionals if they depend on the overtime earnings they were previously receiving.
I have no doubt that these bills that were passed by the house have been worked on and debated for quite some time at this point, but just the sheer volume of new legislation being passed through so quickly seems to just smack of being a mockery of the way the system was supposed to be. I have little if any faith that all of the representative in the Ohio House actually read each and every one of the bills pushed through in their entirety. When legislation of this volume is being rammed through, the elected legislators are relying far too heavily on unelected staffers to help write and draft, to form an opinion as to how to vote on the bill and so on. In other words, it gives too much power to unelected policy wonks and for that and numerous other reasons, is a violation of the public trust.
http://www.daily-jeff.com/news/20180608/after-two-month-hiatus-ohio-house-passes-whopping-28-bills
