Week in Review > Week in Review – 06/22/2018

Posted by on June 22nd, 2018

EDUCATION

The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) recently launched the Comprehensive Center Network (CC Network) website which brings together more than 700 resources developed by the 23 Comprehensive Centers and information on over 200 projects currently underway in states across the country. Information is also available by state.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine Monday released the Drug Use Prevention Education Resource Guide aimed at helping schools implement effective drug use prevention programming. The guide builds on the 2017 report that said Ohio schools should provide consistent, age-appropriate, evidence-based substance-use prevention education for all students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Members of the State Board of Education’s Achievement and Graduation Committee discussed Monday how to stay on the same page with a graduation requirements workgroup and the Legislature as they try to design a new system for awarding diplomas. The committee is discussing long-term changes to the graduation system for the classes of 2021 and beyond, and its efforts are being complemented by a workgroup convened by Superintendent Paolo DeMaria to discuss the same topic. His workgroup is to submit recommendations to the committee by October, in anticipation of a December vote by the full board.

Reps. Keith Faber (R-Celina) and Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin) picked up Auditor Dave Yost’s recommended changes to e-school oversight in a new bill Tuesday, presenting it to the House Education and Career Readiness Committee. House Speaker Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell) told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s committee hearing that the bill could see quick action.

Attorney General Mike DeWine said Wednesday his office is expanding its offerings to help schools plan for emergencies, including armed attacks. One initiative announced Wednesday will offer use of six drones from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) for schools to supplement the building schematics in their emergency plans with high-quality aerial photographs of building exteriors. The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, another arm of the attorney general’s office, had previously developed a training course to help educators prepare for active shooter responses. DeWine said Wednesday his office is developing short, supplemental videos for use by educators as well as parents, law enforcement and others in the community on what do in response to an attack.

EMPLOYMENT/UNEMPLOYMENT

The state unemployment rate for May remained at April’s 4.3 percent, according to data released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Friday, but nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased by 22,600. The number of unemployed workers also increased from April to May, going from 249,000 to 250,000, but there has been a decrease of 42,000 in the past 12 months. The May 2017 unemployment rate was 5.1 percent.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

Nearly two weeks after winning the House speaker’s gavel, Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell) told reporters he’s focused on policy and was looking to get the chamber through its business before its summer recess rather than launching any new initiatives. Smith sat down with reporters Tuesday, taking questions for about 45 minutes on issues ranging from healing the divide in his party to gun bills to charter schools.

Wednesday’s House session saw the passage of HB58 (Brenner-Slaby), requiring development of model curriculum for cursive writing; HB342 (Merrin), which changes in ballot language on local tax issues; and HB477 (Koehler), which repeals outdated laws relevant to education.

TAXATION

The U.S. Supreme Court narrowly ruled Thursday to overturn a 26-year-old precedent preventing states from requiring that out-of-state online sellers collect and remit sales taxes. In the 5-4 ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, justices overruled the court’s prior holdings in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota and National Bellas Hess v. Department of Revenue of Illinois. The precedent in those previous cases had prevented states from requiring out-of-state sellers without a physical presence to collect sales tax. The Trump administration and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, as well as the National Governors Association (NGA), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and other representatives of government jurisdictions had filed briefs urging justices to overturn Quill.

Posted by on June 22nd, 2018

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