Legislation
By Admin
Rep. Pryor recently applauded Gov. Ted Strickland’s decision to create a Prescription Drug Task Force. The group will help unite the ongoing efforts at the federal, state and local levels, and build on their work to address this rising problem.
Rep. Pryor is currently working on legislation to stop prescription drugs from being obtained illegally.
“I am pleased that the Governor has taken the initiative to bring this task force together,” said Rep. Pryor. “I believe this is the best way to create a good, comprehensive piece of legislation to help solve this problem.”
The Ohio Department of Health reports that an average of four Ohioans per day die because of drug related poisoning. They say drug related deaths in the state increased more than 300-percent between 1999 and 2008, and prescription pain medications are primarily to blame.
“My colleagues and I in the House have been working very hard over the past few months to find the best way to solve the narcotics abuse problem in Ohio. We have been meeting with a wide variety of groups seeking input and suggestions,” said Rep. Pryor. “I am confident this task force will help us move the process along more quickly toward solutions that will benefit all the people of this state.”
Rep. Pryor’s legislation will empower law enforcement and prosecutors to identify and prosecute offenders, put a stop to illegal Pain Clinics, and ultimately save the lives of Ohioans.
In an announcement today, Gov. Strickland expressed support for a number of ideas that are being considered as part of Rep. Pryor’s legislation, including the licensure of pain clinics, and he called on all doctors and pharmacists to check the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System – a prescription tracking database – every time they prescribe or dispense pain medication. The Governor also announced that the state has set aside $250,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that local law enforcement can apply for to expand or improve their efforts.
Filed in: Legislation
By Admin
Rep. Pryor (D-Chillicothe) joined forces with Rep. Bubp (R- West Union) to ensure that Junior ROCT would be permitted as an elective class in the Ohio CORE curriculem. This legislation will be effective for Ohio students starting next school year. This bipartisan legislation was signed into law by Governor Strickland a few weeks ago at Westland High School in Galloway, Ohio. Below is a summary of the bill, if you have additional questions please feel free to contact Representative Pryor’s Columbus office at 614.644.7928 or district85@ohr.state.oh.us
· Adds Junior ROTC as a permitted elective within the Ohio Core curriculum.
· Permits school districts, STEM schools, and chartered nonpublic schools to excuse students participating in Junior ROTC for at least two school years from high school physical education.
· Directs the Department of Education to reevaluate each community school that was ordered to close at the end of the 2009-2010 school year for poor academic performance to determine whether the school still meets the closure criteria when the report card ratings for its first two years of operation are excluded, and permits each community school that no longer meets the criteria to remain open after that school year.
· Permits a community school that is not sponsored by the school district in which the school is located to operate as a conversion school and, under certain conditions, to obtain a new sponsor, if the school (1) has been in its current facility for at least three years prior to the 2009-2010 school year, (2) is sponsored by a school district adjacent to the district in which the school is located, (3) emphasizes serving gifted students, and (4) has been rated continuous improvement or higher for the three years prior to the 2009-2010 school year.
· Extends by six months the deadline for certain school districts that have been allocated a share of federally “qualified” (interest-free) school construction bonds for their state-assisted classroom facilities projects to secure voter approval for their projects.
· Makes the performance of the Harmon Commission’s duties to designate certain classrooms as “creative learning environments” and to award grants for school districts and community schools with such classrooms contingent on available funds.
Filed in: Legislation, Veterans Issues
By Admin
Representative Ray Pryor introduced a bill that reform the sentencing terms for those convicted of murder. This legislation will amend section 2929.02 of the Ohio Revised Code to change the prison term for murder from an indefinite term of fifteen years to life to an indefinite term consisting of a minimum term of fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, or twenty years and a maximum term of life imprisonment. This legislation will toughen criminal sentencing and will provide judges more discretion when declaring sentencing for a convicted murder.
Filed in: Legislation
By Ray
Representative Pryor introduced his Work Share legislation (H.B. 432) last week. This legislation will work to keep jobs at Ohio companies, and in turn will also save the State of Ohio money in unemployment compensation. Below is a summary of the details of the legislation.
· Creates the Shared Work Unemployment Compensation Program.
· Allows an employer who wishes to participate in the Program to submit a shared work plan to the Director of Job and Family Services for approval.
· Lists requirements that an employer must satisfy to have an approved shared work plan, including that the plan must reduce the normal weekly hours of work for an employee in the affected unit identified in the plan by at least 10% but not more than 40%.
· Specifies that a shared work plan takes effect on the date the Director approves the plan and expires on the last day of the 12th calendar month beginning after the effective date of the plan.
· Prohibits an employer that traditionally has used part-time employees or a seasonal employer from implementing a shared work plan to subsidize the employer’s employees.
· Lists eligibility requirements for employees to receive shared work benefits.
· Limits the amount of shared work benefits an employee may receive to 26 weeks, regardless of whether the employee has exhausted the employee’s total benefit amount for the employee’s benefit year.
Please check back later this week for more information on this legislation, or contact Rep. Pryor’s office at 614.644.7928.
Filed in: Economic Development, Legislation
