From the Desk of Rep.

Dovilla

From the Desk of Rep. Dovilla Around the 7th At the Statehouse Upcoming Events

Dear NAME: On February 5, Governor Kasich sent his proposed budget to the legislature, beginning the process for appropriating funds to run state government for the biennium that will begin on July 1. The governors proposal has been referred to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriations, to which I have been appointed for this session. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be reviewing and revising the budget as it moves through the legislative process. You can find additional information and resources in the At the Statehouse section below. In our Around the 7th segment, weve included information this month on our 3rd Annual Legislator for a Day reading contest, district office hours, and recent events in which Ive participated in our communities. If you have an event youd like to add to our Upcoming Events calendar, please contact our Statehouse office. It is a privilege to serve you and your family in the Ohio House of Representatives. If I may ever be of assistance, please contact my office at 614-466-4895 or Rep07@ohiohouse.gov. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, State Representative Mike Dovilla Around the 7th We have begun our first 2013 round of district office hours in branches of the Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) throughout the 7th District. On the snowy morning of Saturday, February 2, I was at the North Royalton branch to visit with constituents. I invite you to join me between 10:00 a.m. and noon on any of these remaining days for a oneon-one, no appointment necessary meeting in your community:

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Blossom Hill Community Opening in North Royalton Kyle Payne 1000th Career Point for the Baldwin Wallace Mens Basketball Team

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March 2: Berea April 6: Strongsville April 13: Olmsted Falls

Earlier this month, I personally dropped off bookmarks and letters at all 7th District elementary schools and CCPL branches for our 3rd Annual Representative for a Day reading contest. It was good to visit with the some of the principals, teachers, librarians, and staff, who along with parents and guardians are our local partners for this program that encourages elementary school students (grades 1-6) to read and learn about the great State of Ohio. If your child has not received materials for the contest, please drop by your local CCPL branch or contact our office. This years deadline to return completed bookmarks is March 8th. Good luck to all of our young readers! On January 22, I attended a special meeting of the Ohio Turnpike Commission (OTC) in my capacity as the ex officio member for the House of Representatives. Of note, in response to my ongoing requests for action, the OTC has formed a new committee to address the noise issue for 7th District residents who live near the toll road. The committee, composed of the OTCs vice-chairman, secretary-treasurer, and Ohio Department of Transportation representative, will report back to the full Commission on potential action steps to be taken regarding noise mitigation. On January 22, I also met with Strongsville schools superintendent John Krupinski and members of his senior staff regarding implementation issues arising from recent education reform legislation enacted by the legislature and signed by Governor Kasich. I committed to continue working with our local educational partners to ensure healthy schools for every child to achieve excellence. Our kids deserve the very best we can provide now! On January 26, I attended the annual Soup-R-Bowl fundraiser for Berea Animal Rescue Friends at Berea High School. A full house of volunteers and supporters was on hand on a cold Saturday evening to support this worthy cause. On behalf of the Ohio General Assembly, I presented a commendation to Berea ARF in recognition of the organizations 25th anniversary. On January 28, I participated in a meeting of the Berea City School Districts teacher evaluation program committee. Teachers from schools throughout the district are working diligently on the development a new teacher evaluation process resulting from the enactment of various education reforms in House Bill 555 last year. I respect the people who devote their lives to our children and pledged to continue listening and working to equip teachers and students with the tools to succeed.

On February 4, I visited with representatives of the Cleveland Teachers Union for a meet-and-greet and discussion of the reforms now being implemented since enactment of The Cleveland Plan and subsequent passage of the first Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) levy in 16 years. Many CMSD teachers live in the 7th District and are recognize the significance of this new plan for accountability and results. Failure is not an option. The simple truth is it doesnt matter whether a child lives in the heart of the city, the wealthiest neighborhood, or the smallest town; every child, everywhere deserves educational opportunities that prepare them for success in college, careers, and life. At the Statehouse Two weeks ago, Governor Kasich presented his budget proposal for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015 to the General Assembly. I have been reviewing this 759-page document, another ambitious, transformational blueprint for our state, which is available for your own review, along with associated fact sheets, at http://jobsbudget.ohio.gov/. Since the release of the budget proposal the House Committee on Finance and Appropriations held its initial hearings on February 5 and 6, several hours on Tuesday with Office of Budget and Management Director Tim Keen, and several more hours on Wednesday with multiple administration officials regarding the transportation elements of the budget. Finance Committee proceedings are now streamed live and archived like House floor debates and are available any time at www.ohiochannel.org. You can view my questions during Wednesdays hearing for Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Tom Charles and Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jerry Wray and Ohio Turnpike Commission Executive Director Rick Hodges at minutes 96:37 and 144:37, respectively. Last week, the Committee reconvened to examine the education, tax, and Medicaid portions of the budget. In addition, the actual proposed budget language was released a document of well over four thousand pages of legislative language that, when enacted, will include appropriations for the period July 1, 2013-June 30, 2015, and public policy changes reflected in amendments to permanent law in the Ohio Revised Code. While I am reserving judgment on the budget until I have had the opportunity to read the entire document and hear from various witnesses over the coming weeks, I do have some serious initial concerns with its provisions to expand the sales tax base to include services, expand the unfunded mandate the Medicaid program represents to our state budget, and divert funds from our Ohio Turnpike

to other infrastructure projects around the state. I encourage all constituents to contact my office with their views on any portion of this complex proposal as it moves through the legislative process. On January 29, I convened the first hearing of the House Committee on Policy and Legislative Oversight. At this organizational meeting, we adopted committee rules, appointed my ranking member, Rep. Ron Gerberry (D-Austintown), as committee secretary, and reviewed our committees mission statement: Ohioans deserve an efficient, effective government that respects hardworking taxpayers. We exist to ensure our state government works for Ohioans. It is our responsibility to apply fact-based, common sense solutions to the challenges which face our state and to hold our government accountable to taxpayers. We are committed to working together to provide the real leadership and the real results which taxpayers expect. This is mission of the Policy and Legislative Oversight Committee. In the coming weeks, the Oversight Committee will receive a variety of legislation referred by the House Rules Committee. We also plan to conduct a series of oversight hearings on public policy issues. Upcoming Events Upcoming community events and meetings in our district include the following: February 23: Grand Opening, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Olmsted Falls February 24: Cub Scout Pack 526 Blue & Gold Banquet, St. Albert the Great, North Royalton February 25: Luncheon with Culinary Program Students, Polaris Career Center March 1: Meeting with Superintendent Ed Vittardi, North Royalton School District March 1: Meeting with District Leadership Team, Olmsted Falls School District March 2: District Office Hours, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Berea

For more information on any event or to submit an event for inclusion in a future issue of the 7th District Newsletter, please email me at rep07@ohiohouse.gov. Thank you!