OHIO STATE LEGISLATIVE RATINGS GUIDE. ACU Presents 2012 State Legislative Ratings. Table of Contents

Transcription

1 OHIO 2012 STATE LEGISLATIVE RATINGS GUIDE ACU Presents 2012 State Legislative Ratings The American Conservative Union is taking our hightly touted Congressional Ratings program to State Legislatures for the second year in a row, grading members on their votes on key conservative issues. Last year, we graded State Legislators in the critical battleground states of Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. This year, we are expanding our ratings to fifteen states. ACU first began rating members of Congress in Since then, our ratings system has become the most important conservative measuring stick in American politics- the gold standard for voters seeking more information on their representatives records. Table of Contents ACU Board Members A Letter From The Chairman How We Selected the Votes Conservative All-Stars OH House Vote Description House Scores OH Senate Vote Descriptions Senate Scores This expansion of our Conservative Ratings program is part of Chairman Al Cardenas vision for building on successful ACU initiatives and taking the fight for conservative principles to the state and local levels. This is part of the ACU five-year plan to bring our ratings to all fifty states- scoring every legislature in every state, every year. Ohio State Capitol Building,Columbus, OH American Conservative Union 1331 H St. NW, Suite 500, Washington DC (202) conservative.org

2 ACU Board Members Al Cardenas (Chairman) Thomas S. Winter (First Vice Chairman) Donald Devine (Second Vice Chairman) Becky Norton Dunlop (Treasurer) Jameson G. Campaigne, Jr. (Secretary) Joe Bast Jeffrey Bell Morton C. Blackwell Ambassador John Bolton Floyd Brown Muriel Coleman Dr. Larry Eastland Paul Erickson Carly Fiorina Charlie Gerow Alan M. Gottlieb Van D. Hipp, Jr. Asa Hutchinson David A. Keene Suhail A. Khan James V. Lacy Michael R. Long Honorable Serphin Maltese Carolyn D. Meadows Cleta Mitchell Joseph A. Morris Grover G. Norquist Ron Robinson Allen Roth Matt Schlapp Fred L. Smith, Jr. Lewis K. Uhler Kirby Wilbur ACU Foundation Board Members Cleta Mitchell (Chairman) Van D. Hipp, Jr. (Treasurer) Carolyn D. Meadows (Secretary) Al Cardenas Amy Noone Frederick Tim Goeglein Millie Hallow Colin A. Hanna David Keene Robert Luddy Ambassador Roger F. Noriega Thomas S. Winter 2

3 November 11, 2012 Dear Fellow Conservative, On behalf of our Board of Directors, I am pleased to present the American Conservative Union s 2012 State Legislative Ratings for members of the Ohio General Assembly. Al Cardenas, ACU Chairman Since 1971, our Congressional ratings have become the gold standard in holding every member of Congress accountable for their voting record on the most important issues facing our nation. Last year we brought that same commitment to conservative ideals to the states, by rating members in five legislatures. I am pleased to report that this year we will score 15 states. This is part of the ACU five-year plan to bring our ratings to all fifty states- scoring every legislature in every state, every year is a critical election year in the life of our nation and it is important, now more than ever, that Americans have the information to elect true conservatives into office. Now approaching four years under the failed leadership of President Barack Obama, America needs decisive change to rein in reckless spending, restore our standing in the international community and return to the traditional values that made our nation so great. The liberal policies of the Obama administration have energized a national grassroots conservative movement, bringing change to state and local governments nationwide. Because of this, our 2012 State Legislative Ratings are vital for voters to make informed choices on the future of our nation, especially in battleground states. We are dedicated to supporting the efforts of courageous conservative leaders fighting for limited government, promoting prosperity and individual freedom, and defending traditional values. Standing by voters around the nation, ACU is leading the way to encourage and help the next generation of conservative leaders, beginning at the state level. Thank you for your continued support. I know that together we can ensure America s best days are still ahead. Sincerely, Al Cardenas Chairman, American Conservative Union 1331 H Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC Tel: (202) Fax: (202)

4 How We Selected the Votes 2012 STATE LEGISLATIVE RATINGS GUIDE OHIO The American Conservative Union is taking our hightly touted Congressional Ratings program to State Legislatures for the second year in a row, grading members on their votes on key conservative issues. Last year, we graded State Legislators in the critical battleground states of Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. This year, we are expanding our ratings to fifteen states. ACU first began rating members of Congress in Since then, our ratings system has become the most important conservative measuring stick in American politics- the gold standard for voters seeking more information on their representatives records. This expansion of our Conservative Ratings program is part of Chairman Al Cardenas vision for building on successful ACU initiatives and taking the fight for conservative principles to the state and local levels. This is part of the ACU five-year plan to bring our ratings to all fifty states- scoring every legislature in every state, every year. Conservative All-Stars of the Ohio General Assembly Defenders of Liberty ACU Defenders of Liberty are those members of the Ohio General Assembly who scored 100 percent on the ACU 2012 State Legislative Ratings. Ohio Senate: Kevin Bacon Dave Burke Bill Coley Keith Faber Cliff Hite Jim Hughes Shannon Jones ACU Conservatives Kris Jordan Thomas E. Niehaus Larry Obhof Tim Schaffer Bill Seitz Mark Wagoner Chris Widener Ohio House of Representatives: Nan A. Baker Peter Beck Danny R. Bubp Jim Buchy Brian Hill Ron Maag Cliff Rosenberger Kirk Schuring Louis Terhar Lynn R. Wachtmann ACU Conservatives are those members of the Ohio General Assembly who scored 80 percent or higher on the ACU 2012 State Legislative Ratings. Ohio Senate: Ohio Senate: Troy Balderson Bill Beagle John Eklund Shannon Jones Gayle Manning Scott Oelslager Tom Patton Bob Peterson 4

5 ACU Conservatives Continued Ohio House of Representatives: John Adams Richard N. Adams Ron Amstutz William G. Batchelder Terry Blair Louis W. Blessing Jr. Terry Boose Andrew Brenner Jim Butler Courtney Combs Margaret Conditt Rex Damschroder Timothy Derickson Anthony DeVitis Mike Dovilla Randy Gardner Anne Gonzales Cheryl L. Grossman Christina Hagan David Hall Bill Hayes Jay Hottinger Matt Huffman Casey Kozlowski Al Landis Matt Lynch Jarrod B. Martin Jeffrey A. McClain Craig Newbold Dorothy Pelanda Kristina Roegner Margaret Ann Ruhl Gary Scherer Barbara R. Sears Marilyn Slaby Ryan Smith Robert Sprague Peter Stautberg Gerald L. Stebelton Andy Thompson Joseph W. Ueker Ron Young True Liberals of the Buckeye State True Liberals of the Buckeye State are those members of the Ohio General Assembly who scored 0 percent on the ACU 2012 State Legislative Ratings. Ohio Senate: Joe Schiavoni Michael J. Skindell Shirley A. Smith Charleta B. Tavares Ohio House of Representatives: Mike Ashford 5

6 Ohio House Vote Descriptions 2012 STATE LEGISLATIVE RATINGS GUIDE OHIO 1. H.B Trial by Jury. This bill allows prosecuting attorneys the same rights as defendants to demand a jury trial if the defendant has waived that right. ACU supports this legal reform and supports this bill. The bill passed the House on March 28, 2012 by a vote of H.R Banking Reform. This bill allows Ohio banks and savings and loans to charge the same or lower amounts of interest and fees as out-of-state institutions with Ohio customers. ACU supports free market pricing and supports this bill. The House defeated an effort to kill the bill by sending it to committee on March 28, 2012 by a vote of ACU opposed the motion. 3. H.B Government Reform. This omnibus bill includes many provisions designed to reduce the size of state government and reduce wasteful spending. ACU supports these efforts and supports this bill. The House tabled (defeated) an amendment to make substantial increases in spending on April 25, 2012 by a vote of ACU supported this motion. 4. Substitute for S.B Trespass Law. This bill clarifies Ohio law to state that property owners are not responsible for injuries or deaths by those who trespass on private property. ACU supports these efforts to avoid unnecessary litigation and supports this bill. The House passed the bill on May 16, 2012 by a vote of Substitute for H.B Banking Reform. This bill allows Ohio banks and savings and loans to charge the same or lower amounts of interest and fees as out of state institutions with Ohio customers. ACU supports free market pricing and supports this bill. The House passed the bill on May 25, 2012 by a vote of Substitute for H.B Labor Law Reform. This bill allows employers to offer reduced hours to their employees in lieu of layoffs. ACU supports these labor law reforms and supports this bill. The Antonio amendment, which ACU opposes, would have nullified the effect of the bill by requiring union approval of any change. The House voted to table (defeat) the amendment on May 24, 2012 by a vote of ACU supported this motion. 7. H.B Health Care Licensing. This bill permits a complimentary or alternative health care practitioner to provide certain services without being in violation of licensing laws. The bill specifies practices not allowed and establishes disclosure requirements. ACU supports this reduction in government restrictions and supports this bill. The House passed the bill on May 24, 2012 by a vote of S.B Domestic Energy Production. This bill creates a framework to facilitate shale oil and gas extraction. An amendment would have required monitoring of hiring practices based on race, ethnicity and gender. ACU opposes hiring based on race and gender and opposes this amendment. The House tabled (defeated) this amendment on May 24, 2012 by a vote of ACU supported this motion. 6

7 9. S.B Mandatory Training. This bill requires mandatory training for used motor vehicle dealers. ACU opposes this heavy-handed government mandate and opposes this bill. The House passed the bill on May 24, 2012 by a vote of S.B Education Reform. This bill included many reforms to the Ohio educational system, including the hiring of third parties for teacher evaluation, allows the creation of science/technology focused schools for gifted students and helps let parents of disabled students learn about school voucher programs. The ACU supported this bill. The House passed the bill on June 13, 2012 by a vote of H.B Second Amendment Rights. This bill allows reciprocity for concealed handgun licenses from other states that recognize Ohio licenses and makes other reforms. ACU supports the strengthening of Second Amendment rights and supports this bill. The House passed the bill on June 13, 2012 by a vote of Substitute for HB 375. This bill allows local boards of education to sell real property to a private nonprofit institution before selling the property at auction. The bill still gives the right of first refusal to start-up community schools in the district. ACU supports these limited efforts at a freer market and supports this bill. The House passed the bill on April 24, 2012 by a vote of

8 OHIO 2012 HOUSE VOTES HB 265 HB 322 HB 487 Sub. SB 202 Sub. HB 322 Sub. HB 484. HB 259 SB 315 SB 245 SB 316 HB 495 Sub. HB 375 ACU Votes Votes Cast ACU % Representative Name Party ADAMS, J. R X X % ADAMS, R. R % AMSTUTZ R % ANIELSKI R X X X % Antonio D % Ashford D X X X X % BAKER R % Barnes D % BATCHELDER R + + X % BECK R % BLAIR R % BLESSING R + X X - X X % BOOSE R X X X X % Boyce D X X X X % Boyd D - X X X % BRENNER R X % BUBP R % BUCHY R % Budish D X X X - X % BUTLER R % Carney D % Celebrezze D % Celeste D % Cera D % Clyde D % COMBS R % CONDITT R % DAMSCHRODER R % DERICKSON R % DEVITIS R + X % DOVILLA R % + in favor of the ACU position; - in opposition to the ACU position; (+) announcement in favor of the ACU position; (-) announcement in opposition to the ACU position; X did not vote; I Ineligible to vote; E Excused absence 8 8

9 OHIO 2012 HOUSE VOTES HB 265 HB 322 HB 487 Sub. SB 202 Sub. HB 322 Sub. HB 484. HB 259 SB 315 SB 245 SB 316 HB 495 Sub. HB 375 ACU Votes Votes Cast ACU % Representative Name Party Driehaus D % DUFFEY R X % Fedor D % Fende D % Foley D % GARDNER R % Garland D % Gerberry D % GONZALES R % GOODWIN R - X X X X X - X % Goyal D - - X X % GROSSMAN R % HACKETT R % Hagan, R. D X X % HAGAN, C. R % HALL R % HAYES R % Heard D X X % HENNE R % HILL R % HOTTINGER R X X % HUFFMAN R X % JOHNSON R % KOZLOWSKI R % LANDIS R % Letson D % Luckie D X X X % Lundy D % LYNCH R X X % MAAG R % MARTIN R X X % + in favor of the ACU position; - in opposition to the ACU position; (+) announcement in favor of the ACU position; (-) announcement in opposition to the ACU position; X did not vote; I Ineligible to vote; E Excused absence 9

10 OHIO 2012 HOUSE VOTES HB 265 HB 322 HB 487 Sub. SB 202 Sub. HB 322 Sub. HB 484. HB 259 SB 315 SB 245 SB 316 HB 495 Sub. HB 375 ACU Votes Votes Cast ACU % Representative Name Party MCCLAIN R % MCGREGOR R % Milkovich D % Murray D % NEWBOLD R % O'Brien D % Okey D X X % Patmon D % PELANDA R % Phillips D % Pillich D % Ramos D % Reece D X % ROEGNER R % ROSENBERGER R % RUHL R % SCHERER R X X X % SCHURING R % SEARS R % SLABY, M R + + X X % Slesnick D - X X % SMITH R X X % SPRAGUE R % STAUTBERG R % STEBELTON R % Stinziano D % Sykes D X X % Szollosi D % TERHAR R % THOMPSON R % + in favor of the ACU position; - in opposition to the ACU position; (+) announcement in favor of the ACU position; (-) announcement in opposition to the ACU position; X did not vote; I Ineligible to vote; E Excused absence 10

11 OHIO 2012 HOUSE VOTES HB 265 HB 322 HB 487 Sub. SB 202 Sub. HB 322 Sub. HB 484. HB 259 SB 315 SB 245 SB 316 HB 495 Sub. HB 375 ACU Votes Votes Cast ACU % Representative Name Party UEKER R % WACHTMANN R % Williams D % Winburn D X X % YOUNG R % Yuko D X X % + in favor of the ACU position; - in opposition to the ACU position; (+) announcement in favor of the ACU position; (-) announcement in opposition to the ACU position; X did not vote; I Ineligible to vote; E Excused absence 11

12 Ohio Senate Vote Descriptions 2012 STATE LEGISLATIVE RATINGS GUIDE OHIO 1. H.B. 79. Taxpayer Funded Abortion. This bill would prohibit health plans offered under the national health care law from covering abortions. ACU opposes taxpayer funded abortion and supports this bill. The Senate voted to take up the bill for a final reading and passage on December 14, 2011 by a vote of H.B Tort Reform. This bill allows companies sued under the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act to provide a cure offer that would include attorneys fees. ACU supports tort reform that reduces unneeded litigation that drives up costs and supports this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 21, 2012 by a vote of S.B Education Reform. This bill included many reforms to the Ohio educational system, including the hiring of third parties for teacher evaluation, allows the creation of science/technology focused schools for gifted students and helps let parents of disabled students learn about school voucher programs. A key vote came on an amendment to create a new bureaucracy to monitor children s body mass and control their eating habits. ACU opposes this intrusion into parental responsibility and opposes this amendment. The motion was tabled (defeated) on May 9, 2012 by a vote of The ACU supported this motion. 4. S.B Domestic Energy Production. This bill creates a framework to facilitate shale oil and gas extraction. A series of amendments were designed to bog down the process in bureaucratic delay. ACU supports this bill and opposes the amendments. The Senate tabled (defeated) one of these, the Schiavone Amendment On May 15, 2012 by a vote of The ACU supported this motion. 5. Substitute for H.B Banking Reform. This bill allows Ohio banks and savings and loans to charge the same or lower amounts of interest and fees as out of state institutions with Ohio customers. ACU supports free market pricing and supports this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 16, 2012 by a vote of Substitute for S.B Trespass Law. This bill clarifies Ohio law to state that property owners are not responsible for injuries or deaths by those who trespass on private property. ACU supports these efforts to avoid unnecessary litigation and supports this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 22, 2012 by a vote of Substitute for H.B Sale of Government Property. This bill allows local boards of education to sell real property to a private nonprofit institution before selling the property at auction. The bill still gives the right of first refusal to start-up community schools in the district. ACU supports these limited efforts at a freer market and supports this bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 24, 2012 by a vote of

13 OHIO 2012 SENATE VOTES HB 79 HB 275 SB 316 SB 315 HB 322 SB 202 HB 375 ACU Votes Votes Cast ACU % Senator Name Party BACON R % BALDERSON R % BEAGLE R % Brown D % BURKE R % Cafaro D % COLEY R % EKLUND R X % FABER R % Gentile D % HITE R % HUGHES R % JONES R % JORDAN R % Kearney D % LAROSE R % LEHNER R % MANNING R % NIEHAUS R % OBHOF R % OELSLAGER R % PATTON R X X % PETERSON R X % Sawyer D % SCHAFFER R % Schiavoni D % SEITZ R % Skindell D - - X % Smith D % Tavares D % Turner D % WAGONER R % WIDENER R % + in favor of the ACU position; - in opposition to the ACU position; (+) announcement in favor of the ACU position; (-) announcement in opposition to the ACU position; X did not vote; I Ineligible to vote; E Excused absence 13

14

15 Save the Date CPAC is a project of conservative.org

16 The American Conservative Union The American Conservative Union (ACU) is America s oldest and largest grassroots conservative organization. Founded in 1964, ACU represents the views of Americans who are concerned with economic growth through lower taxes and reduced government spending and the issues of liberty, personal responsibility, traditional values, and national security. As America s conservative voice, ACU is the leading entity in providing conservative positions on issues to Congress, White House Administration Officials, State Governments, the media, political candidates and the public. The ACU s marquee initiatives include the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and the annual Ratings of Congress guide. Under the leadership of ACU Chairman Al Cardenas, the organization remains the standard bearer of conservatism in America. Chairman Cardenas is dedicated to growing the national conservative movement through the expansion of ACU programs, unprecedented outreach and advocacy especially to young, emerging activists and an extended reach into local and state issues. Among these inaugural efforts are the expansion of conservative rating to State Legislatures and a first-ever series of regional CPAC s in states across the country, building on the legacy of the annual national CPAC event in our Nation s Capital. For more information on the American Conservative Union, please visit our website at Contact Us 1331 H Street, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC Phone: (202) conservative.org