The State of Ohio is a weekly news program spotlighting the latest happenings at the Statehouse, in the Governor’s office, at the Ohio Supreme Court and throughout the Buckeye State. Award-winning host Karen Kasler presents viewers with unique analysis and thoughtful perspective on important issues of statewide interest through interviews with political leaders, newsmakers, experts and Ohio citizens. The State of Ohio is the only TV show to bring to Ohioans the latest news about taxes, voting, education and other critical matters from where it all happens -- Capitol Square.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Topics: Politics, Other
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The state’s Republican auditor has sided against her party’s 2006 nominee for governor in a battle over $80,000 in bonuses he paid upon leaving office. But former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell says if Auditor Mary Taylor and the attorney general think the bonuses were wrong, they can take him to court. Nearly one in ten Ohioans are now receiving food stamps – that number has almost doubled since 2001. Unemployment was at double-digit levels last month in three southern Ohio counties last month. Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner says she doubts voters who switched parties in the state's presidential primary would face prosecution. And House Speaker Jon Husted put the electronic voting machines issue back in Brunner’s hands, saying if she doesn’t decertify those machines, then there’s no reason to spend millions to replace them.

The governor’s energy adviser has said because of the implications in the energy bill, in many ways it’s more important than the budget. And yet the measure hasn’t moved for more than three months, after sailing through the Senate unanimously last year. We pick up our second half of a conversation on the energy bill with Kevin Schmidt with the Ohio Manufacturers Association, which backs a move toward re-regulation…Howard Petricoff with the Alliance for Real Energy Options, which says the free market is the way to go…and Jack Shaner with the Ohio Environmental Council, which says the energy bill promises consumer savings, but has also said if there are no early year alternative energy benchmarks, there will be no new green-collar jobs.

Ohio households make up 40% of the utilities’ revenue. The state’s chief consumer watchdog, Ohio Consumers’ Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander, outlines her concerns about the bill.

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