The General Assembly has now recessed, and lawmakers have returned to their districts to begin focusing on their fall re-election campaigns. The Senate is scheduled to be back in Columbus for two weeks beginning in late September, while the House won’t return until after the November 8 General Election.

Our Legislative Wrap-Up blog series will recap the accomplishments and also highlight a few things that the Ohio Chamber will continue to push for when the legislature returns later this year. There will be seven blog posts, each focusing on specific policy areas. First up is Education and Workforce Development:

—

In this arena of state policy, two bills garnered the lion’s share of attention: House Bill 474 and House Bill 383. Both are supported by the Ohio Chamber but address different aspects of the state’s education and workforce development systems.

Included in HB 474 is a provision that would offer an alternative pathway for Ohio students to obtain a more affordable college education. Specifically, it would allow community colleges to offer bachelor degrees in up to ten disciplines or subject areas. The bill is currently in the Higher Education subcommittee of the House Finance Committee.

HB 383 would achieve another long-standing objective of the Ohio Chamber – that is, making a one semester course in financial literacy a requirement for high school graduation in Ohio. The legislation makes minimal changes to the state’s graduation requirements, as well as what licensed teachers can teach the course. HB 383 has passed the House and is in the Senate Education Committee.

 

Part Two will highlight Energy and Environment.