Will legislative game-playing continue?

COLUMBUS — A strange and unusual thing happened in Gov. Ted Strickland’s office last week.

The governor signed a stack of bills passed by both the Democratic Ohio House and the Republican Ohio Senate, marking the first time in a long while that the dueling chambers were able to agree on multiple, non-budget-related bills.

House Bill 19 requires school districts to include dating violence prevention in health classes for middle and high school students. HB 290 adds a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program to the state’s core education curriculum and includes provisions that could help the state net additional federal funds.

Senate Bill 89 allows out-of-state or federally employed advanced practice nurses to issue prescriptions in Ohio. And SB 124 deals with estate transfer issues.

Granted, it’s not exciting legislation that’s going to put very many Ohioans to work or provide extra income in average Ohioans’ paychecks. But there’s something to be said about lawmakers actually being able to work together to change existing laws and policies or create new ones.

New year

That said, the new year brings new questions about whether Statehouse Republicans and Democrats can work together to pass priority legislation desired by the two chambers, by Strickland or by the greater electorate.

Take the whole payday lending mess. More than a year ago, lawmakers passed and the governor signed legislation that they said would put a stop to lenders charging triple-digit interest on short-term loans.

Yet, according to regularly updated studies by Policy Matters Ohio and other nonprofits that keep tabs on such issues, there are dozens of payday storefronts in the state still lending money at exorbitant rates.

Lawmakers voiced outrage when the issue came to light, with many saying something should be done about it. But months later, there appears to be little traction for legislative action.

Strickland has been pushing for prison sentencing reforms, something he and others believe could save the state billions in coming years by diverting nonviolent offenders into community corrections or other programs instead of behind bars, where taxpayers have to foot the bill for their care.

Both chambers agree that reform is needed to tighten the state’ elections system. Neither chamber, so far, has been willing to give way to ideas being pushed by the other.

There are lots of other examples of bills with widespread support that went nowhere in 2009. Even Strickland acknowledges the need for more legislative action. But, he adds, “I can only deal with what is sent to me, and thus far there have been a relatively limited number of pieces of legislation that have been passed by both houses and sent to me for my signature.”

X Marc Kovac is the Vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent. E-mail him at mkovac@dixcom.com or on Twitter at Ohio Capital Blog.