Ohio House Democrats Push Package Of Government Reforms

Democrats in the Ohio House are advocating a package of proposals they say would make state government more accessible and accountable. At a news conference Tuesday, lawmakers called Ohio's government dysfunctional. They cited its position well below the national average on an "integrity index" developed by the Better Government Association and its near-failing grade in a review of spending transparency by the Georgia Public Interest Research Group. State Rep. John Carney, a 2014 state auditor candidate, says stable government is the key to economic growth. The group's priority proposals would expand disclosure and reporting requirements for the private nonprofit job-creation office JobsOhio and the state tax-credit authority. They'd also revise Ohio's redistricting process, require legislative committees to be broadcast, and remove the governor's ability to appoint the state government watchdog.