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Buehrer finds co-sponsors; Civil Service Reform language reintroduced as HB 94

Feb. 28, 2003 (updated Mar. 1, 2003) - Rep. Stephen Buehrer (R-Delta) found the co-sponsors he needed to move forward his agenda to dismantle the civil service law that protects public employees in Ohio.

Buehrer yesterday reintroduced the Civil Service Review Commission bill in the House. OCSEA Government Affairs Director Kim Fellinger said last week that the reform language would surface again soon.

Co-sponsors of HB 94 include: Representatives Chuck Calvert, Bill Seitz, Keith Faber, and Michael Gilb. Incidentally, Calvert is the chair of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee. View the contact list at the bottom or click on the names above for contact and background information. Give them your opinion.

As anticipated, the bill again includes provisions for furloughs, see page 70 of the Adobe Acrobat PDF file on the General Assembly site. Here's just a sample:

(F)(1) An appointing authority may furlough employees for up to seventy days during a fiscal year due to conditions that require the appointing authority to curtail its operations. The seventy days of furlough may be nonconsecutive.

In late November 2002, Buehrer had introduced a far-reaching civil service reform legislation (HB 673) that would, among other things, allow state agencies to create their own evaluation systems to assess employee performance and furlough employees when fiscal problems dictate a workforce reduction.

Although HB 673 went no where before the end of session, the attacks on the civil service law are growing ever more aggressive. State negotiators' attempts to furlough employees during bargaining is just more evidence that fair and sensible civil service protections are in serious jeopardy.

And, the same language is back again in HB 94. Speak up now. Tell bill sponsors that you are outraged by this latest attack, and urge your legislators to pursue meaningful changes in government that are fair and just.

Want to know more? Read the Civil Service Review Commission Minority Report authored by OCSEA and AFSCME staff.

Got ideas? Check out the MyOCSEA Forum on Civil Service Law.

Rep. Stephen Buehrer
District 74
Assistant Majority Floor Leader
77 South High Street
14th Floor
Columbus,OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 644-5091
Fax: (614) 644-9494
Email Address: district74@ohr.state.oh.us

Chuck Calvert (R)
District 69
Address:
77 South High Street
13th Floor
Columbus,OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 466-8140
Fax: (614) 644-9494
Email Address: district69@ohr.state.oh.us

Bill Seitz (R)
District 30
Address:
77 South High Street
11th Floor
Columbus,OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 466-8258
Fax: (614) 644-9494
Email Address: district30@ohr.state.oh.us

Keith Faber (R)
District 77
Address:
77 South High Street
13th Floor
Columbus,OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 466-6344
Fax: (614) 644-9494
Email Address: district77@ohr.state.oh.us

Michael Gilb (R)
District 76
77 South High Street
13th Floor
Columbus,OH 43215-6111
Telephone: (614) 466-3819
Fax: (614) 644-9494
Email Address: district76@ohr.state.oh.us