OML UPDATE AT-A-GLANCE
Here are the top three things you need to know this week:
- Governor Kasich announced that a surplus of $657.5 million from Fiscal Year 2018 has been deposited in Ohio's Rainy Day Fund, bringing the total near the statutory maximum of $2.7 million.
- At a Q&A session at an Ohio Association of Regional Councils conference, gubernatorial candidates Mike DeWine and Richard Cordray both promised to allow local communities to provide input as to how their respective administrations would address local issues such as infrastructure and workforce development. Neither candidate committed to supporting any specific kind of funding.
- Governor Kasich signed an executive order this week that would impose civil penalties on farmers in certain areas who do not adopt nutrient management plans. The order is intended to curb phosphorus runoff at the source.
PAYDAY LENDING BILL PASSES SENATE,
AWAITS CONCURRENCE FROM HOUSE
The much-publicized and hotly-debated HB 123, known as the
"
Payday Lending
"
bill and sponsored by Rep. Koehler (R
-
Springfield) and Rep. Ashford (D
-
Toledo), passed the Senate 21-9 this week.
The bill
'
s sponsors explained they introduced the bill to protect those who take out loans from payday lenders. As passed by the House, the bill capped loans at an interest rate of 28%, in addition to other provisions such as barring fees for paying off the loan ahead of schedule and capping fees and charges at 50% of the original loan amount.
During the bill
'
s time in the Senate, it continued to experience fierce opposition from the payday lending industry. In the Senate Finance Committee, a substitute bill was adopted that, among over provisions, restricted loans to 30-day intervals with a maximum term of 12 months and caps the overall cost of a loan at 60% of the original principal. The legislation now waits for concurrence from the House of Representatives.
BILLS OF MUNICIPAL INTEREST: LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Here are the bills of municipal interest that passed out of the Senate this week:
- HB 34 - PUBLIC NOTICES. Sponsored by Rep. Hambly (R - Brunswick) and Rep. Ryan (R - Newark), would authorize certain state agencies, local governments, and other boards, commissions, and officers to deliver certain notices by ordinary mail and electronically instead of by certified mail, modify the requirements for public records training for elected officials, and allow a county prosecuting attorney to enter into a contract with a regional airport authority, port authority, or regional planning commission to be its legal adviser. The bill passed 30-0 and now heads to the House for concurrence on a substitute bill that was adopted by the Senate.
- SB 51 - LAKE ERIE. Sponsored by Sen. Skindell (D - Lakewood) and Sen. Eklund (R - Chardon), would authorize the creation of a special improvement district to facilitate Lake Erie shoreline improvement. The bill passed 30-0 and now heads to the House for concurrence on amendments that were adopted by the Senate.
Here are the bills signed into law this week by Governor Kasich:
- SB 299 - WATER IMPROVEMENTS. Sponsored by Sen. Gardner (R - Bowling Green) and Sen. O'Brien (D - Hubbard), would credit additional amounts of the Local Government Fund to fund public safety services in areas that experienced a 30% or more decrease in the taxable value of certain power plants between 2016 and 2017, phase out the payments over ten years, increase the appropriation to the Local Government Fund; support broadband development; establish the OhioCorps Pilot Project; and make appropriations, including appropriations for the protection and preservation of Lake Erie and the National Guard Scholarship Program.
LEAGUE HOLDS ANNUAL MUNICIPAL INCOME TAX SEMINAR
This week, the League hosted its annual Municipal Income Tax Seminar in downtown Columbus. Over 250 local tax officials and staff from across the state gathered to network and listen to presentation on the ins and outs of municipal taxation. Attendees heard speakers on a range of topics, from recent tax legislation to team leadership to information on Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPS). Ohio Tax Commissioner Joe Testa presented an update on the state
'
s centralized collection of municipal net profit business filings. Gene Hollins and Thad Boggs from Frost Brown Todd, LLC, provided an update to the centralized collection legal challenge.
We want to thank all the attendees who took time out of their busy schedules to participate in our conference. Thank you also to each speaker and presenter who helped make this conference an informative and valuable experience for our attendees. We hope to see everyone again at next year
'
s conference!
MESSAGE FROM OEPA: EPA DIVISION OF SURFACE
W
ATER INTERESTED PARTY REVIEW OF RULES
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water is notifying interested parties of the five year rule review of the following General NPDES Permit Program and Storm Water Program rules in Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Chapters 3745-38 and 3745-39:
- 3745-38-02: Requirements for general national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permits.
- 3745-39-01: Applicability of rules of procedure and definitions.
- 3745-39-02: Objectives of the Ohio EPA storm water management program for small MS4s.
- 3745-39-03: Ohio EPA NPDES requirements for small MS4s.
- 3745-39-04: Ohio EPA NPDES requirements for industries, including construction activities, and large and medium MS4s.
These rules are being reviewed in order to comply with the five-year rule review requirement in ORC 106.03. Minor revisions to the rules include updates to mirror the recently updated federal regulations, and updates to style, grammar, and references. The Division is seeking an exemption from the five-year rule review requirements for rules 3745-39-02, 3745-39-03, and 3745-39-04 as these rules are equivalent to the federal regulations. Please see the related fact sheet for specific rule revisions. Comments on the rules are due to the EPA by
5:00 p.m. on August 13, 2018
.
If you submit comments regarding this rulemaking to the email address below, you should receive a reply email within 2 business days indicating the receipt of your comments. If you do not receive a reply, please call the contact number below or submit your comments by fax.
Comments should be sent to:
Rule Coordinator, Ohio EPA
Division of Surface Water
Phone: 614-644-2001
Fax: 614-644-2745
