First Dem speaker in years outlines initiatives

By Marc Kovac

The new speaker favors some degree of regionalization.

COLUMBUS — The first Democratic speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives in more than a dozen years took the gavel and presided over his first session Monday, outlining a number of tax credits and initiatives he believes will help boost Ohio’s economy.

Armond Budish, from the Cleveland area, took the leadership podium in his second term in office after a unanimous vote by representatives in attendance.

“I think that we can move the state forward,” Budish told reporters following the session, responding to questions about his priorities as speaker. “I think that we have a lot of opportunity here. One of the messages I was trying to get across ... is that great challenges do provide great opportunities. We will have to rethink a number of programs that we currently provide. We’ll have to take a look at the budget very closely and determine that we can continue to deliver services the people of Ohio need given the difficult economic times.”

Monday’s ceremonies in the House and Senate marked the official start of the 128th General Assembly and the first Democrat-controlled House in 14 years. Lawmakers took their oaths of office, and both chambers elected majority and minority leaders. Committee assignments, bill introductions and other legislative business are expected to start in earnest at the end of the month.

Budish used the opening day to outline his priorities, many aimed at building the state’s economy.

“The people of Ohio are hurting,” he said. “We face huge problems. We are hemorrhaging jobs. Businesses and our young people are leaving the state.”

He added, “A good speaker must create a vision for the state to help improve the lives of Ohioans and lift those who cannot lift themselves.”

Among the speaker’s specific priorities were increased incentives to promote business startups, including targeted tax credits for Ohioans who are starting or working for new ventures.

“We in Ohio have a rich history of entrepreneurs building successful businesses that create and sustain large numbers of jobs,” he said.

Budish also outlined a potential compact with Ohio’s cities, aimed at increasing job creation and investment in the state’s urban centers.

That compact could include a waiver of state income taxes for newly created jobs, increased state funding for school building projects and free broadband services for citizens.

Participating cities would commit to waiving municipal income taxes in like fashion and take part in a review of services, including firefighting and waste collection, to determine whether they could be delivered more effectively on a regional basis.

“I believe that there are services that cities currently provide that may, in many cases, be provided more efficiently on a regional approach as opposed to a city-by-city approach,” Budish said. “I don’t have any anticipation of forcing any cities to do anything. But with incentives and proper study and review, there may be a number of services that can be offered more efficiently by groups of cities or regions getting together.”

But Budish acknowledged that many of his ideas would be contingent on the state of the economy and whether resources can be identified in the state budget to fund them.