Legislative Updates

Aid Elimination Penalty

Still no news on the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee action on amendments to the Higher Education Act. If you haven't yet taken action on this, here's the action alert from the Students for Sensible Drug Policy. The SSDP also provides more information about the aid elimination penalty.

Senate Bill 16

• The Ohio House Judiciary Committee held hearings on Senate Bill 16 today. The Associated Press, via The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Chairman Louis Blessing (R-Colerain Twp.) has doubts about the constitutionality of the bill, and has called the 6-foot distance requirement "ridiculous."
• At the Progress Ohio blog, Dave Harding catches the Citizens for Community Values in a lie. I guess the CCV doesn't consider the truth to be a community value.
• Aaron Marshall of The Plain Dealer reports that Dennis Roche, president of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland has weighed in against S.B. 16, saying that Cleveland would be at a competitive disadvantage with convention locations that have a "progressive attitude toward adults and their ability to make their own decisions."
• Thanks to Writes Like She Talks, Brewed Fresh Daily, Really Bad Cleveland Accent, Unsought Input, Framed, guidedbynoises.net, and any other blogs that might have linked to my initial post on S.B. 16.
  
• Finally, if you haven't yet taken action, please contact your state representative, or sign the on-line petition at StopTheHouse.com. Also, please contact Governor Strickland and ask him to veto S.B. 16 if it reaches his desk.