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, September 4, 2009

Topics: Politics
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A major ratings agency has given Ohio's credit rating a negative outlook, partially because of decisions made in the latest state budget. The latest change in outlooks from Moody’s Investors Services suggests Ohio's rating is in danger of being dropped again, but a spokesperson for the governor’s office says the state’s rating is still high. Ohio will be getting millions of dollars from a historic settlement with drug maker Pfizer. A federal appeals court has rejected an appeal filed by 53-year-old Romell Broom, saying he filed a challenge of the lethal injection system too late – he’s set to die September 15. After seven years, former Ohio congressman Jim Traficant is out of prison.

It was a big week at the Ohio Supreme Court, which heard two cases that are seen as critical for Ohio’s budget situation. On Tuesday, the justices listened to both sides in a dispute over whether grocers should have to pay the commercial activities tax on receipts from food sales, hearing from grocers’ lawyer Gage Gosnell and Attorney General Richard Cordray. And the other case is a lawsuit over whether voters should decide on a proposal that allows for licensing and taxing 2,500 slot machines at each of the state’s seven racetracks. Attorney Michael Carvin argued for LetOhioVote.org that this goes beyond how the state is spending money, and therefore voters should weigh in. But the state’s Benjamin Mizer says the slots plan is inextricably linked to appropriations, which aren’t up for public vote, and even if voters can’t ballots on this specific proposal, it doesn’t mean they have no voice.

This week the governor filled one of the many vacancies within his administration. Cathy Collins-Taylor was appointed to head the department of public safety after director Henry Guzman resigned last week. One high profile office that’s been open for months is the director of the Department of Development. But some of the state’s leading economists have mixed ideas on what the department should be doing – or whether it should exist at all. Bill Lafayette is the Vice President of Economic Analysis at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and produces and delivers the very accurate Blue Chip Forecast for the Central Ohio economy each year. Richard Vedder is emeritus distinguished professor of economics at Ohio University and a visiting scholar with the American Enterprise Institute. And Ned Hill is the dean of Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs and vice president of economic development at CSU, and is a fellow with the Brookings Institution.

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