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A SERVICE OF OHIO'S PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATIONS
A SERVICE OF OHIO'S PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATIONS
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Mayor Jackson and the Cleveland Teachers Union have agreed to cooperate on school reforms that allow the Mayor to shut down failing schools, increase the number of charter schools and base any necessary teacher layoffs on merit instead of seniority as the primary determinant. Next steps require lawmakers to pass changes in state law to make way for the reforms.
Roundtable: Karen Kasler, Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau; Jay Miller, Crain's Cleveland Business; Ned Whelan, Whelan Communications.
A Gusher of Gas Lobbyists:
Oil and gas drillers hoping to drill the state's shale deposits are also sinking big bucks into making friends at the Ohio Statehouse. Drillers are sending an army of lobbyists and freely spreading cash to the campaigns of key lawmakers. The legislature is considering measures that would allow drilling on state parkland and set tax levels on the gas and other products extracted by the wells.
Staying on the Road to Repairs:
A slumping economy and flat gas tax revenue are making it harder for local and state officials to keep up with needed road repairs. Some municipalities are being forced to re-order their priorities, delaying some projects while moving up more urgent business. Others are looking to creative ways to raise revenue.
Firefighter Burned in Policy Crackdown:
An ex-Cleveland firefighter will serve 60 days in jail and pay a fine for paying others to do his work. Timothy Debarr is the first firefighter to be hit with criminal charges in the wake of a city investigation into compliance with the department's overtime and sick leave policy. In a deal with prosecutors, Debarr resigned. Firefighters have a limited right to trade days off with their colleagues and the investigation has shown that some abused the policy.
Dangerous Fish as Hitchhikers:
Authorities at the US-Canada border have confiscated thousands of pounds of live Asian carp being trucked to Ontario where the fish are popular with diners. The fish were raised legally in the US, but it's illegal to transport them across state or national borders. Wildlife officials are concerned that the rolling fish farms provide another chance for the invasive and prolific fish to enter the Great Lakes where they could muscle out native game fish.
April 13, 2012