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From the Desk of Rep. Dovilla

From the
Desk of
Rep. Dovilla
At the
Statehouse
Around the
7th
Upcoming
Events

Dear 7th District Resident:

As we get ready to spend this Labor Day weekend
with family and friends, its hard to believe another
summer has passed and its time to get back into our
school year routines. Summer has been anything but a
break; however, with plenty of district meetings,
community festivals, and legislative research to prepare for
our next series of session days and committee hearings in
Columbus.

In this months At the Statehouse section, well

offer an a progress report on various legislative initiatives,
Forward this including House Bill 2, my charter school reform bill, and
newsletter
ongoing efforts to address school funding for the 7th House
to a friend!
Districts excellent public schools.

180
Responses
to
Constituents
164 - Proud
New
Homeowners

Joseph
Maskovyak
100th Birthday
The City of
Olmsted
Falls

Closer to home, well review activities Around the

7th and provide an updated Upcoming Events calendar.
To add a community event to the latter, please contact our
office. This schedule of upcoming activities around Berea,
North Royalton, Olmsted Falls, Olmsted Township, and
Strongsville is a collaborative effort and well happy to
inform fellow residents about civic functions youd like to
share with our community.
Im humbled by this opportunity to continue serving
you and your family in the Ohio House of Representatives.
Please feel free to reach out to our office to share your
views on a public policy issue or to request assistance with
a state government matter. Bill White, my senior
legislative aide, or Andrew Bow, my constituent aide, will
be pleased to receive your call at (614) 466-4895 or
respond to your e-mail at Rep07@ohiohouse.gov. We hope
to hear from you soon!

Third place on
SafeWise 50
Sincerely,
Safest Cities in
Ohio
State Representative Mike Dovilla
North
Royalton
Animal
Hospital
AAHA Practice of
the Year

House Majority Whip

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At the Statehouse
The summer district work period has been anything
but a recess for our office. We have utilized this time
without voting sessions or formal legislative hearings to
continue working on our legislative initiatives in my five
key areas of public policy focus: economic development;
education; senior citizens; military veterans; and
government transparency and accountability. For this
months newsletter, I will focus on two education priorities
that remain front and center:
House Bill 2
Im gratified that my charter school reform
legislation has received so much attention this summer,

although much of what has been written in the newspapers

and opined on by others tells only part of the story. Its
important for you my constituents and all residents of
the State of Ohio to have as much information as possible
on this landmark legislation. And as I believe is the case
with all lawmaking, process is as important as substance.
My observations this month will focus primarily on the
former, as I have outlined the latter on this measure in my
April newsletter.
House Bill 2 represents the first major reforms to
Ohios community (charter) schools since their
establishment in the late 1990s. I was pleased to be asked
by Speaker Rosenberger to carry this priority bill, which
will increase accountability, transparency, and
responsibility with respect to the approximately 400
community schools that educate more than 120,000 Ohio
children (about seven percent of our states public school
population).
As with any major bill, H.B. 2 underwent a rigorous
vetting process. The House Education Committee
conducted nine hearings, considered nearly 100
amendments, and received testimony from scores of
witnesses. Working in conjunction with Auditor of State
Dave Yost and a wide range of interested parties, I believe
the House passed a strong bill that will improve Ohios
charter schools. I invite you to take a few minutes to
watch my remarks on the House floor on March 26th, when
H.B. 2 passed by a bipartisan vote of 70-25:
http://www.ohiochannel.org/MediaLibrary/Media.aspx?
fileId=146179&startTime=2458&autoStart=True
One of the criticisms leveled at House leadership this
summer has been that we left town without taking final
action on this important bill. With respect to the timeline, I
would point out that at the same time the House sent H.B.
2 to the Senate less than two months after I introduced it
the upper chamber was just beginning its legislative
process on the state operating budget, a monumental
undertaking. The fact that Senate was able to advance
H.B. 2 to passage albeit only days before both chambers
recessed for the summer while also working on a $72
billion appropriations bill to fund state government and our
local partners for the next two years is a testament to the

excellent work of Senate leadership, including our senator,

Majority Floor Leader Tom Patton.
That said, the Senate made 75 changes to H.B. 2
before returning it to the House on one of our last
scheduled session days. That week our chamber was also
in the process of reviewing the 3,000+ page conference
committee report on the budget. With several matters of
legitimate policy disagreement on H.B. 2s provisions, my
preference was to refer the bill to its own conference
committee (the only available remedy at that point to
resolve matters of difference between the two houses) and
bring it back to the floor on our last day before the
summer, sending it to the governor for signature. A few of
my colleagues sought instead to vote immediately on the
bill with all of the Senate changes, which nobody could
possibly have had an adequate opportunity to review
between 6 p.m. (when the Senate passed the bill) and 9
a.m. the next morning (when our caucus met before
session) at the same time members were reviewing
thousands of pages of final budget language. We did not
believe this was the best way to make public policy and as
a result chose to hold the bill over the summer to work out
the differences.
The charges that the delay in passage was somehow
related to the undue influence of charter schools or their
lobbyists is just plain incorrect. In my opinion, it is this
sort of yellow journalism that gives a bad name to todays
media, who are more eager to advance a preconceived
narrative on ostensible government corruption than they
are to get the facts right. For my part, I will always give
you the unvarnished truth, however uncomfortable or,
more likely, pedantic it may be. And as in most cases, the
truth about this bills timeline is the latter and very much
in alignment with how most serious legislating in done
(although that doesnt generate sensational headlines!).
Its not always fast, but my view on legislating is that its
more important to do it right rather than do it right now.
The bottom line on House Bill 2 is this: at no point in
the legislative process was any other consideration in my
mind than authoring and enacting the best possible charter
school reform bill we could produce. That remains my
goal. Throughout the summer months, I have been
working with the Speaker, our policy staff, and

stakeholders to iron out the matters of difference between

the versions of the bill each chamber passed to have a
measure we can be proud to enact into law. When the
House reconvenes for its next voting session on September
30th, it is my hope we take action to send the bill to
conference committee as was my objective on June 26th
and bring it back to the House and Senate floors in
October for votes on final passage.
Public School Funding
As many of you know from following the budget
process this past spring, my top priority in House Bill 64,
the biennial operating budget, was to ensure no school
district experienced a net reduction in funding from the
state, whether in terms of the formula or reimbursements
related to the phase-out of the tangible personal property
(TPP) or kilowatt hour taxes. The Legislature enacted a
budget conference report that achieved that goal.
Unfortunately, among 44 line-item vetoes issued by the
governor was one which removed the second year of hold
harmless payments for 93 districts negatively impacted by
the TPP phase-out. Berea and Strongsville are among
those that would be hit significantly in Fiscal Year 2017
(which begins next July 1st).
Throughout my three terms in the House, I have
fought to achieve a school funding formula that is equitable
to suburban districts like ours, which produce excellent
graduates, young men and women who continue on to
college or the workforce to become productive taxpaying
residents of our State. Ohio is an economically diverse
state, and I acknowledge the challenge inherent in creating
a school funding formula for areas as different as rural
Appalachia, inner city Cleveland, and middle class suburbs
like ours. If this were an easy task, it would have been
done long ago. Ever so deliberately and certainly more
slowly than I would prefer we are moving toward a
funding formula that can work for more of our 610 school
districts. It is my hope that the Houses provision in this
budget to establish a Joint Education Oversight Committee
will help tackle pervasive issues, like schools funding. A
number of my colleagues and I are committed to
continuing to work on this challenge during our remaining
time in the Legislature.

More immediately with respect to the funding

shortfall for this biennium, I am working with my
colleague, Rep. Bob Cupp (R-Lima), chairman of the
Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary
Education (and a former Ohio Supreme Court justice who
truly understands the law in this area), who is drafting a
bill to soften the phase-out period for TPP reimbursements.
Last month, as part of an ongoing series of meetings with
colleagues in their districts, I drove to Lima to meet with
Chairman Cupp on this very issue. I hope to have more
information on his bill in the near future. For now I simply
wanted to provide an update that we are working on a
viable solution to address our school districts budget
challenges before the second year of the biennium begins.
I am particularly grateful for the engagement of
Strongsville School Board members Carl Naso and Richard
Micko, Berea superintendent Mike Sheppard, and Berea
Federation of Teachers president Brian Kessler. These
gentlemen are doing yeomans work in representing the
interests of our students, teachers, and taxpayers and
their partnership with me is invaluable.

Around the 7th

Im often asked about how I divide my time between our

district and the Statehouse. During session weeks, Im
usually in Columbus for two, three or sometimes even four
days. When we are not in session, I generally still make
the drive down one day each week to meet with executive
branch agencies, stakeholders and constituents, research
and prepare legislation, and attend to my House leadership
responsibilities. Back in the district, my workweek
typically runs seven days, as there are always interesting
local events to attend on weekends and most evenings
civic organization meetings, Eagle Scout courts of honor,
school functions, community festivals, local government
meetings, etc. Thats why constituents sometimes find me
buying groceries, squeezing in a visit to the barber, or
walking the dog at rather unorthodox times!
In terms of our recent district meetings, it was
brought to our attention that we inadvertently included an
old set of activities in this section of our last newsletter. To

bring you up-to-date on my work in and around the 7th

House District, I am including a past few months worth of
key events and meetings I have attended:

On April 28, I attended the annual meeting of the

Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging and was
honored to receive the 2015 Independent Living
Award for Excellence in Advocacy.
On April 30, I toured the Athenian Assisted Living
Center in North Royalton.
On May 12, I was honored to receive the Small
Business Advocate of the Year Award from the
Council of Small Enterprises (COSE).
On May 21, I attended the Strongsville Board of
Education meeting and presented retiring
Superintendent John Krupinski with a House
commendation in recognition of his 47 years of public
service as an education.
On May 25, I offered the address at the 148th
Memorial Day Service in Parma Heights.
On May 30, I offered the address at the
commencement ceremony for Bryant & Stratton
College in Lakewood.
On June 1, I met with representatives of The Foundry,
a nonprofit boathouse being developed to encourage
youth rowing on the Cuyahoga River.
On June 8, I met with the Center for Community
Solutions in Berea to discuss House Bill 24, the Ohio
Elder Justice Act, legislation I have authored which is
pending in the Ohio Senate.
On June 8, I met with North Royalton Mayor Bob
Stefanik and Council President Larry Antoskiewicz to
discuss a variety of issues related to the city.
On June 13, I attended the memorial service for Don
Williams, former president Kiwanis International and
member of the Kiwanis Club of Berea.
On June 15, I attended a groundbreaking ceremony
for an expansion at the Cleveland Museum of Natural
History.
On June 15, I participated in a roundtable discussion
with social service, healthcare, and arts and culture
association representatives at the Centers for
Families and Children.
On June 22, in my capacity as a member of the House

Finance Subcommittee on Transportation, which has

oversight of the Department of Rehabilitations and
Corrections, I toured the Grafton Correctional
Institution.
On June 27, I participated in the dedication of Jason
Malone Park and the Groza Field House in Berea.
On June 28, I appeared with North Royalton resident
Nick Phillips on his radio program, The Advocate,
on WHK 1420AM.
On June 29, I toured the PolyOne (Color Matrix)
facility in Berea.
On July 6, I participated in a special meeting of the
Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission at its
headquarters in Berea.
On July 7, I presented a House commendation to the
Berea Kiwanis Club at our weekly meeting at
Heritage Congregational Church in recognition of the
centenary of Kiwanis International.
On July 10, I attended a luncheon at The City Club of
Cleveland featuring Federal Reserve Chairman Janet
Yellen.
On July 10, I hosted a local government officials
roundtable with Speaker Cliff Rosenberger
(Clarksville) and Speaker Pro Tempore Ron Amstutz
(Wooster) at Dons Pomeroy House in that was
attended by representatives of each community in
the 7th House District.

On July 13, I attended meetings of the Berea and

North Royalton school boards to present House

commendations on recent accomplishments in the
areas of environmental protection (Berea) and human
resources (North Royalton).
On July 15, I attended a bipartisan luncheon with
Rep. John Rogers (D-Mentor-on-the-Lake) and local
elected officials in Mentor.
On July 22, I participated in a key stakeholder
meeting of the Lake View Cemetery Foundation in
Cleveland relative to state funding I helped secure to
repair the Garfield Monument, which is the final
resting place of Cuyahoga County native, President
James A. Garfield and his wife, Lucretia.
On July 27, I met with North Royalton School Board
member Jackie Arndt to discuss public education
issues.
On July 29, I made my annual visit to the Ohio State
Fair to meet with members of the Ohio Farm Bureau
Federation representing our States wide variety of
agricultural and livestock industries.
On August 2, I dropped by the 10th annual North
Royalton pet carnival with my yellow Labrador
retriever, Halsey.
On August 3, I toured the Strongsville location of Rad
Air Total Car Care and met with the companys
president and CEO Andy Fiffick.
On August 4, I attended a reception with
representatives of the Ohio Hotel and Lodging
Association in Cleveland for a meeting leading to
next summers RNC convention, which will be a
benefit to Ohio travel and tourism, our states fourth
largest industry.
On August 10, I met with Jo Ann Boggs of Hanson
House in Berea to discuss the organizations ongoing
efforts to assist the survivors of traumatic brain
injury (TBI).
On August 11, I attended a luncheon at The City Club
of Cleveland featuring Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel,
who spoke about his implementation of
ohiocheckbook.com, an preliminary outcome of my
Open Ohio legislation (House Bill 46), which I first
introduced during the last session as House Bill 175.
On August 13, I met with members of The Plain
Dealer editorial board to set the record straight and
provide an update on House Bill 2.

On August 18, I attended a City Club of Cleveland

luncheon at Merwins Wharf in the Cleveland
Metroparks featuring a panel discussion on the
future of Clevelands waterfront. Lake Erie is one of
our most precious natural resources, and I am
engaged on its environmental protection and related
economic development opportunities as Co-Chairman
of the Lake Erie Legislative Caucus, a bipartisan,
bicameral panel.
On August 21, I met with Brian Kessler, president of
the Berea Federation of Teachers for a periodic visit
on public education issues.
On August 31, I toured Cleveland Neighborhood
Progress, a nonprofit that has repurposed the former
St. Lukes hospital with low-income senior housing,
an intergenerational charter school, and the Boys
and Girls Club of Cleveland.
On September 4, I toured Bellfaire JCB, a child
service agency in Shaker Heights that provides a
variety of behavioral health, substance abuse,
education, and prevention services.
Upcoming Events

Upcoming events of note on our official calendar and

in the communities of the 7th House District include the
following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

September 6: Rep. Dovilla presents a House

commendation to Eagle Scout Joseph Krzywicki
(private ceremony), North Royalton
September 7: Labor Day
September 9-11: Ohio Chamber of Commerce
biennial policy conference, Salt Fork State Park,
Cambridge
September 11: Ohio Friends of the Israel Defense
Forces annual dinner, Cleveland
September 13: VFW Post 3345 3rd annual
Community Day, Strongsville; more information:
http://vfwpost3345.homestead.com/
September 14: Rep. Dovilla speaks at a legislative
update event for the Ohio Restaurant Association,
Lola, Cleveland
September 15: 16th Congressional District elected
officials breakfast with U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, MAPS

8.
9.
10.

11.
12.

13.
14.
15.

16.

17.
18.

Air Museum, North Canton

September 18: Rep. Dovilla speaks at a meeting of
the Outdoor Advertising Association of Ohio,
Metropolitan at The 9, Cleveland
September 18: Paul Newman First-Day-of-Issue
postage stamp ceremony, U.S. Bank Plaza, Cleveland
September 19: Cleveland Rowing Foundation Head
of the Cuyahoga regatta, Cleveland; more
information: http://www.clevelandrows.org/head-ofthe-cuyahoga-regatta/
September 19: Cleveland Institute of Art Chromos
gala, Cleveland
September 20: Strongsville City Club 30th Breakfast
on the Covered Bridge; more information:
http://www.strongsvillecityclub.org/calendar/30thBreakfast-Covered-Bridge
September 20: Arts in Strongsville Day at the Chalet;
more info: http://strongsvillearts.org/
September 21: Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure
Commission monthly meeting, Berea
September 24: Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation
District annual meeting, Brecksville; more
information:
http://www.cuyahogaswcd.org/events/2015/09/24/cuy
ahoga-swcd-66th-annual-meeting-and-supervisorelection
September 26: Baldwin Wallace University
Community & Family Day, Berea; more information:
https://www.bw.edu/events/2015/09-26-communityand-family-day
September 27: Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing
Arts Center grand opening, Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland
September 28: Rep. Dovilla hosts District Office
Hours, Arabica Caf, 8143 Columbia Road, Olmsted
Falls. All are welcome to drop by for a one-on-one,
no-appointment-needed meeting with their state
legislator, 9:00-11:00 a.m.

For more information on any event or to submit an

event for inclusion in a future issue of the 7th District
Newsletter, please email our office at
Rep07@ohiohouse.gov. Thank you!