Callender: ‘These are extraordinary times. This is an extraordinary bill’

Ohio Rep. Jamie Callender, R-Concord Township, was among the state officials who helped craft the legislative package in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

That bill was passed by both the Ohio Senate and House March 25.

Prior to the House vote, Callender described the working of putting together the bill as a series of 18-hour days.

“It’s nice to see Ohioans step up and work together,” said Callender, who serves as chairman of the House Finance Committee among other titles.

Callender commented on the bill during the House session March 25, urging its passage prior to the vote.

“Ohio is in the midst of an historic pandemic,” Callender said. “One that has impacted the lives of all Ohioans. Schools are closed. Many businesses have shut their doors. It’s impacted how we are holding session here today. The bill before you today represents the legislature’s first step in helping Ohio manage the impact of COVID-19.”

Callender highlighted a few different parts of the bill during his remarks, including the several education-related provisions in the bill.

The bill suspends all state-mandated K-12 student assessment for the 2019-20 school year. The bill also directs the Ohio Department of Education to seek a waiver from federal testing requirements. Callender said he believes that waiver will be granted.

The bill also waives school report cards for the 2019-2020 school years.

“We are creating a ‘safe harbor’ for schools to ensure data from the 2019-20 school year will have no effect in determining sanctions or penalties,” Callender said.

The bill also allows for public and private schools to grant a diploma to any student on track to graduate who has successfully completed the curriculum or individualized education program at the time schools were ordered closed.

Any changes to the EdChoice voucher program are being delayed and the program will continue as is, Callender said.

Callender said it’s “important that the state be prepared in case the administration needs to access the Rainy Day fund in order for the state to end the fiscal year balanced.”

“The bill before you allows the administration, prior to the end of the fiscal year, to seek State Controlling Board approval to transfer funds from the Rainy Day fund, if necessary, to the state’s General Revenue Fund in order to balance the budget,” he said. “Approval would be needed from at least two Controlling Board members from the House and two from the Senate in order for the request to be approved.”

Ohio Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko, DRichmond Heights, said the bill was absolutely necessary following the Senate’s vote earlier in the day.

“The lives and safety of Ohioans are at risk and we had to do something,” Yuko said in a statement. “Ohioans who cannot pay their utility bills during the pandemic will not be disconnected. We extended voting by mail for the primary to April 28 and we made sure our schools will continue to educate and feed our children. Not everything that we wanted to see in this bill was included but I hope we will have the opportunity to do more soon. Right now the priority is stopping the spread of the virus and making sure Ohioans are safe.”