Canton Repository: Buzz is negligible for Sen. Schuring's school amendment

From John Curry, January 30, 2008
Subject: Sen. Harris and Rep. Husted don't seem to be in a hurry and education still gets hung out to dry!

If they can't make the appointment in over a year to the STRS Board why should we expect them to look out for school funding? Public education takes a back seat for these folks, doesn't it? It's beyond time for new leadership in both of Ohio's Houses! John

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Buzz is negligible for Sen. Schuring's school amendment

Canton Repository, January 29, 2008
PAUL E. KOSTYU
REPOSITORY COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF

COLUMBUS State Sen. Kirk Schuring was first on the agenda at last week's meeting of the Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee. He was there to give sponsor testimony about his constitutional amendment to change how primary, secondary and higher education are funded in Ohio.

But in what may be indicative of the difficulty his proposal faces, the Jackson Township Republican was bumped on the committee's schedule to the second slot in favor of a hearing on a constitutional amendment to compensate veterans of the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

The chair of the committee, Sen. John Carey, R-Wellston, apologized for making Schuring wait. "I understand the importance of that legislation and don't mind one bit," Schuring replied graciously.

Schuring may have to wait even longer for his funding proposal to get through the Legislature. It faces an Aug. 4 deadline to get on the Nov. 8 ballot. That may seem a long time away, but neither chamber will be in session after Feb. 6 through the March 4 primary. Then after mid-May, lawmakers aren't likely to return to Columbus much, if at all, until after the November election.

Schuring doesn't have much time, but Carey, Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, and House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, don't seem to be in a big hurry to move the proposal forward. And there's not much buzz around the Statehouse about the proposal. Press releases are nonexistent. Journalists aren't getting calls. Press conferences aren't being held.

Committee members complimented Schuring for taking on such a challenging and controversial issue. They occasionally nodded their heads, indicating their understanding of some aspects of the plan. But there was no commitment of support.

No one should claim ignorance of the plan. Schuring worked the proposal for more than two years, and its details have long been public. He had wanted to get it on the ballot in November 2007, then in March. Each time, he delayed to get more information or talk to stakeholders, which tellingly have offered support for his concept but not necessarily the amendment.

Schuring has to convince lawmakers that the state's current economic and budget crises justify the amendment because it would protect education funds from being raided by lawmakers who are looking to fix as much as a $1.9 billion hole in the budget.

Despite Schuring's explanation, it's tough for lawmakers to understand that school funds will not go down from one year to the next because tax revenue collections historically have increased even when the economy slowed. His proposal is tied to those collections. And a rainy-day fund just for education would help hold schools harmless in case revenues do drop.

Lawmakers probably don't want to mess with school funding in a big election year, with voter turnout expected to be high — though an argument could be made that this is exactly the year lawmakers should allow voters to decide on a proposal that Schuring says will lessen schools' reliance on property tax levies.

Reach Repository Columbus Bureau Chief Paul E. Kostyu at (614) 222-8901 or e-mail: paul.kostyu@cantonrep.com