From OEA ACE's Action Center Deal Reached on Single Primary, Congressional Redistricting On the final day of the legislative session for the year, the House and Senate adopted House Bill 369 to set Congressional districts and provide for a single primary election in 2012 to be held on Tuesday, March 6. After months of deadlock on redistricting, the bill passed the House 77-17 and the Senate 27-6 and secured the two-thirds majority to pass it as an emergency measure. Passage of HB 369 replaces the Congressional map passed earlier this year (HB 319) that was being challenged by an effort to repeal the law through referendum. Additionally, the bill will eliminate the expense of a second primary in June for Congressional and Presidential candidates. The newly adopted map can be viewed by clicking here. Additionally, HB 369 calls for the creation of a bipartisan legislative task force on redistricting. The eight-member panel will have an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, hold public hearings, and issue redistricting reform proposal for the General Assembly to consider. The task force is to issue their report by the end of June 2012. Huffman Announces Changes to Voucher Proposal Representative Matt Huffman (R-Lima) held a press conference on Monday, December 12, 2011 to outline changes to a proposed statewide voucher program. The “PACT” scholarship program was proposed in House Bill 136 which had narrowly passed the House Education Committee and has yet to reach the House Floor. OEA strongly opposes HB 136, a bill which has also drawn loud criticism from school boards and superintendents around Ohio. Huffman outlined the following changes to the bill: limit the scholarship amount to the state per-pupil spending by district; local districts retain excess funds; limit participants to one percent of district enrollment; set eligibility for household income at 300% of poverty (approximately $67,000 for a family of four); and eliminate the education savings account provision of the bill. Huffman indicated he does not anticipate HB 136 to move forward, but that the revised proposal may be introduced as separate legislation or added to another bill. To be clear, OEA strongly opposes this revised proposal. The expansion of vouchers statewide is a fundamentally flawed idea. Vouchers drain scarce resources from public schools where the vast majority of Ohio’s students are served. Public schools are already dealing with harmful budget cuts that have led to lost academic programs, layoffs and reduced opportunities for students. Taking taxpayer money to fund private school tuition for some students, including those already enrolled in private school, is the wrong choice for Ohio. WOEA Announces Board of Director Elections to be held at the WOEA Spring R.A. Nominations for following WOEA Board of Director positions are being excepted for the offices listed below. For all WOEA positions, download the WOEA Declaration of Candidacy Form which is due by March 1, 2012 to the WOEA Office. *For the OEA Unit 1 position, download the OEA Declaration of Candidacy Form, which is due to OEA by January 28, 2012. For more detail, visit the WOEA Election page. Recording Secretary - 2 year term Treasurer - 2 year term *OEA Unit 1 - 3 year term WOEA At-Large - 3 year term WOEA ESP At-Large - 3 year term WOEA Area 2 - 3 year term WOEA Area 3 - 3 year term WOEA Area 4 - 3 year term Members interested in the OEA Unit I position must be a member of the following local associations: Anna, Ansonia, Arcanum-Butler, Auglaize, Bethel, Bradford, Celina, Coldwater, Covington, Edison State, Ft. Loramie, Ft. Recovery, Franklin Monroe, Greenville, Hardin Houston, Marion Local, Miami East, Milton Union, Minster, New Bremen, Mississinawa Valley, Newton, Parkway, Piqua, Russia, St. Marys, Sidney, Tri- Village, Troy, Versailles, Wapakoneta, or Waynesfield-Goshen. Members interested in the WOEA Area 2 position must be a member of the following local associations: Ansonia, Arcanum Butler, Bethel, Bradford, Covington, Edison State, Franklin Monroe, Greenville, Miami East, Milton Union, Mississinawa Valley, Newton, Piqua, Tri-Village, Troy, or Versailles. Members interested in the WOEA Area 3 position must be a member of the following local associations: Brookville, Eaton, Educators of Montgomery County, Jefferson Twp., National Trail, Preble Shawnee, Tri County North, Trotwood Madison Twin Valley or Valley View. Members interested in the WOEA Area 4 position must be a member of the following local associations: Huber Heights, Mad River, Northmont, Northridge, or Vandalia Butler. Declaration of Candidacy Form for OEA Unit 1 (Due to OEA by January 28, 2012) Declaration of Candidacy Form for WOEA Recording Secretary, Treasurer, WOEA At-Large, WOEA E.S.P. At-Large and WOEA Area Representatives (Due to WOEA by March 1, 2012)