Northeast Ohio monopolizes power in state Legislature

COLUMBUS, (AP) — Northeast Ohio has a rare grip on all levers of power in the new state Legislature, a potential boon for the region in terms of the money and projects that lawmakers often dole out to their constituents.

Senate President Bill Harris and House Speaker Armond Budish — as well as Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro and House Minority Leader Bill Batchelder — all come from the northeastern quadrant of Ohio.

The sphere of influence runs from Cafaro’s home of Hubbard to Harris’ home of Ashland, up to Batchelder’s district in Medina and to Budish’s home in Beachwood.

Regions of the state, notably the Cincinnati area in the 1990s and the early part of this decade, have had a succession of lawmakers in the most powerful positions. But political observers can’t remember a time when one region controlled the top four positions simultaneously.

Former Senate President Richard Finan, a Cincinnati lawmaker who served in the chamber’s top spot from 1997-2003, said residents of Northeast Ohio are in position to benefit greatly from the twist of circumstance that created the current geographic concentration of power.

Democrats took control of the House this month for the first time in 14 years, replacing a GOP speaker from the Dayton area with Budish, who dominated caucus fundraising. Harris maintained his post.

Vern Riffe, who served as House speaker for a record 20 years from 1974 -94, ruled the House with a firm hand while doling out benefits to southern Ohio. Those included Shawnee State University, whose creation he backed despite claims by opponents that the state didn’t need another college.

When Stanley Aronoff of Cincinnati was Senate president before Finan, a $40 million performing arts center planned for Columbus ended up in Cincinnati when Columbus dragged its feet, Finan said. The Aronoff Center for the Arts bears his name.

In his address to open the legislative session, Budish proposed a “compact” with Ohio cities in which the state would waive income taxes on newly created jobs if the cities would do the same.

This type of program would benefit the more densely populated areas of Northeast Ohio — such as Cleveland and the Akron/Canton area — as opposed to rural areas. Expanding gambling, which lawmakers will consider in an effort to help plug a projected $7 billion budget deficit over the next two years, has more support in Northeast Ohio than other regions of the state. Budish has said he’s willing to expand gambling to increase revenue.