House Republicans plan ‘extensive’ debate on SB 5

By Marc Kovac | March 4, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Rep. Robert F. Hagan, D-Youngstown. (AP Photo/Larry Phillips)

COLUMBUS

Republicans in the Ohio House say they’ll have “extensive hearings” on controversial legislation changing the state’s collective- bargaining laws — despite rumors that final action on Senate Bill 5 could come as soon as next week.

Though a full schedule of hearings before the House’s Commerce and Labor Committee had not been released as of Thursday afternoon, Mike Dittoe, spokesman for Republicans in the House, said Speaker Bill Batchelder and GOP leadership plan to take the time necessary to review the legislation as passed this week by the Ohio Senate.

“Given that there were substantive changes to the bill in the last 48-72 hours, I think that the speaker wants a chance to sit down with everyone and discuss what those changes were,” Dittoe said, adding, “I think it will be a very thoughtful process.”

Several Republican members of the committee said they are supportive of collective-bargaining reform but are still considering Senate Bill 5.

“I don’t believe they should have the right to strike or force anyone to join a union in the public sector,” said Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, a Republican from Napoleon. “Collective bargaining as passed in 1983 is helping to bankrupt and cause higher taxes in all areas of government where there are public employee unions that have collective-bargaining rights.”

But Wachtmann said he hasn’t made up his mind on the legislation as passed by the Senate. He plans to talk with senators who voted for and against the bill, and he said he’ll meet with firefighters, police officers and others in northwest Ohio to hear their perspective.

“Now that the bill is in the House, I’m going to be spending a lot of time on it,” he said.

So is Rep. Todd McKenney, a Republican from New Franklin.

“I’ve spent my morning beginning to read it and talking to some close friends who are impacted by it,” he said Thursday.

Rep. Kristina Roegner, a Republican from Hudson, supports the legislation, though she said she is not opposed to amendments.

“I think it’s definitely something that we need as a state and some tools that we can give to the local governments as well to help manage their costs,” she said. “This is a good thing for the taxpayers of Ohio.”

Rep. Bob Hagan, a Democrat from Youngstown who opposes the bill, said he will be ready with questions, even if Republicans have enough votes to pass the bill.

“We represent 3 million people, even if we’re in the minority, and I think we have to make that point as clear as we can,” he said. “We will do our best to make sure that people get a hearing and that the bill is read.”

He added, “It’s not law yet. It has to go through the process. ... I’m going to rally the troops and make sure that they listen to our debate ... Whether they want to hear it or not, they’re going to hear about the struggles that working people go through, and they’re going to hear about the importance of collective bargaining.”