OCSEA is extremely concerned that the Sunset Review Commission bill, Senate Bill 329, is seeing new life during the lame duck session. The bill has the potential for eliminating entire state agencies, disrupting the lives of millions of Ohioans who depend on public services.
The bill was voted out of committee this morning along party lines. It's now headed to the House for a floor vote and is expected to reach Gov. Kasich's desk soon. OCSEA members are urged to call the Governor's office at 614-466-3555 or 614-644-4357 and ask him to veto Senate Bill 329.
Legislators seemed to have little appetite for the bill when it was introduced in May of this year and during a handful of hearings this fall. In fact, the bill was widely expected to be scuttled in favor of another bill that would make permanent sunset reviews for Ohio’s boards and commissions. SB 329 expands the sunset review process to include most executive level state agencies.
Not only could the language potentially eliminate state agencies, it also requires that legislators pass a bill just to keep in existence state agencies under review. Besides being cumbersome and unnecessary, the bill would give small committees of legislators the power to “expire” entire state agencies.
Read entire release in OCSEA's Media Center