Dear Constituents,

Feburary certainly was an interesting month! From going

down in the record books as one of the snowiest months in
our history to movement on the legislative front, February
kept myself, and my office, very busy.

At the beginning of the month, the House and Senate agreed

to advance HJR 12, an expansion of the Ohio Third Frontier
(website) program, to the May ballot. The Third Frontier
Program has created thousands of Ohio jobs and jump started
high-growth industries such as the biomedical, advanced materials and
alternative energy sectors. The Third Frontier has helped to grow companies
in the 92nd district, including DHI and Global Cooling. Third Frontier has been
a successful program and it is important that we continue, and expand, its
work. I hope you will join me in supporting the program by voting to renew
and expand it in May.

I also introduced my most recent bill, House Bill 439. The bill provides a
credit for commercial building owners who invest in clean and efficient
energy improvements by forgiving a portion of their tax bill increase after
the investment. The bill will remove a current disincentive which holds our
commercial buildings back from many energy-smart investments. The bill
will encourage energy efficiency, promote advanced energy and create jobs.
Other bills promoting energy efficiency and helping honest small businesses
are on the way soon.

Aside from our typical legislative update, I want to be sure to invite you to
several upcoming events this month. First, please join the Ohio Department
of Natural Resources at the Burr Oak Lodge, tonight (March 1st) at
7:00pm for an open house meeting regarding House Bill 382. Many of you
contacted my office with your concerns about the bill and I hope you take
the chance to visit with representatives from ODNR, the House and other
organizations to talk about the issue.

I am also pleased to invite you to join me during my 2010 Listening Tour. I

will be travelling throughout the district in March and April, holding 26 open-
topic meetings and 4 county roundtables. I want to hear your thoughts,
opinions and concerns about our priorities in Columbus – so I am coming
directly to you! You can find the schedule for the tour, as well as follow
along with updates, at www.listeningtour92.wordpress.com. I hope you are
able to make it to a meeting near you and I encourage you to bring friends,
family and neighbors.

Finally, I hope you will visit me during my March In-District Office Hours, on
Thursday March 18th from 10am to 12p at the Village Bakery in
Athens. This is an excellent opportunity for us to be able to talk one on one
about what you think I should be focusing on while in Columbus.

As always, if you have questions, thoughts or concerns on matters before the

Ohio legislature; or if you need assistance with a state government agency,
please contact my office.

PS. This month I have another new online survey. Thank you to everyone
who has been participating – please feel free to pass the link along to your
friends and family! Also, you can always visit my Facebook page for updates
throughout the week about happenings at the Statehouse and in the district.

Useful News:

Ohio Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate program to begin in March:

Ohio Department of Development Director Lisa Patt-McDaniel, today
announced that the $10.4 million Ohio Energy Efficiency Appliance Rebate
Program will launch on March 26, 2010, supplying rebates and spurring
energy savings to residential customers for select ENERGY STAR® qualified
appliances. (more)

PASSPORT program ends waiting list – more elderly to receive In-

Home care: The expansion of Ohio’s Passport services geared to providing
long-term care to Medicare eligible residents over 60, means that some
Meigs Countians currently on a waiting list can now relax. They can know
they will be provided the necessary services they need to make it possible
for them to remain in their own homes instead of going into a nursing home.
Governor Ted Srickland has called for an end to Ohio’s waiting list for
Passport services (more)

Governor Visits Thermo Fisher: During a brief address to employees,

Strickland recognized the company's recent $1.7 million expansion
announcement that included the hiring of 116 additional workers into the
workforce of 400 that already exists … “(more)

March Events with Representative Phillips

Please contact my office if you would like more information on any of these events

Burr Oak State Park Issue (HB 382) Open House – March 1st, 7:00pm, Burr
Oak Lodge
Rep Phillips as a panelist at Governor Strickland’s STEM Schools Conference –
March 2nd, COSI, Columbus
Rep Phillips speaks at Ohio Disabilities Awareness Kick-off Event – March 4th,
10:00a, Statehouse
Visit with Morgan Local Schools Archery Club – March 4th, 4:00pm, Morgan
Local High
In-District Office Hours – March 18th, 10:00am – 12:00pm, Village Bakery,
Athens
Rep Phillips throws out first pitch at OU Baseball – March 28th, 1:00pm, OU
Baseball, Athens
Morgan County Roundtable – March 29th, 10:00a, Kate Love Simpson Library,
McConnelsville
Washington County Roundtable – March 29th, 1:00pm, Belpre City Hall
Chambers, Belpre
Athens County Roundtable – March 30th, Athens Public Library, Athens
Meigs County Roundtable – March 30th, Pomeroy Public Library, Pomeroy
Community Meetings: McConnelsville, Stewart, Lottridge, Coolville,
Rutland, Middleport, Belpre, Little Hocking, Cutler, Albany, Glouster, New
Marshfield, Nelsonville, Racine, Pomeroy, Shade, Chauncey and Athens (see
schedule here)

Other events we’ve heard about

2010 Disability Awareness Festival – March 2nd, 6:30 to 8:30pm, Athens
Community Center
Souper Bowl (fundraiser for Athens Mediation Service and Passion Works
Studios) – March 7th, 4:30 to 6:30pm, Athens Community Center
Hometown Heroes Breakfast – March 9th, 7:30am to 8:30am, Ohio University
Nelson Commons
Ohio Attorney General Rich Cordray Consumer Protection Forum – March
11th, 6:00pm to 7:30pm, Athens Community Center

Spotlight: Small Business and Entrepreneurial Resources

As the recession eases its grip on Ohio, we are presented with
unprecedented opportunities for growth – both economically and personally.
Ohio has several programs to help individuals and small businesses start
their adventure or expand their capacity. Check out the programs below
and, as always, please contact my office if I can ever be of assistance in
dealing with a state agency.

First Stop Business Connection: The Ohio Department of Development

and US Small Business Administration collaborate to offer the “First Stop
Business Connection” which aims to make it easier for entrepreneurs to
navigate the process of starting a business or expanding a current one.
Check it out here.

Department of Development – Entrepreneurship and Small Business:

This is the main gateway for small businesses to find out about all the
programs and partnerships available through the Ohio Department of
Development. You will find state resources and programs, along with
resources from the federal and private sectors as well. Check it out here.

Back to Work – Back to Business: This website, by the Department of

Development, provides information on starting a business and how to find
financing, training and other resources. It also provides research and
information to help you make better informed business decisions.

The Ohio Business Gateway: The Ohio Business Gateway is about

making government accessible to you and your business by helping you find
the information and services you need to keep your business thriving in
Ohio.

ACENet: The Appalachian Center for Economic Network (ACENet) is a truly

unique organization based in the 92nd district. ACENet administers
microenterprise programs, provides local loans to businesses, runs business
incubators, and provides many services to promote local business growth.
Check out their website or call them for more information at 740-592-3852.

Ohio University Voinovich School - AREG: The OU Voinovich School

helps to prepare tomorrow economic development public affairs leaders by
engaging in hands-on economic development activities. The Appalachian
Regional Entrepreneurship Group (AREG) is an excellent resource for
individuals looking for assistance with business plans and other economic
development needs.

Local Economic Development Associations: Each community strives to

provide its own resources for local entrepreneurs. You can always find your
local economic development association by checking out your phone book,
or doing a quick search. Websites for Meigs, Athens, Morgan or Washington
are all available.

To view the print edition of the March 2010 newsletter, please click
here (works best with high-speed internet, may take a minute to load)

Previous editions of ‘Spotlight’:

Ohio Utility Assistance 2009/2010 - here
Tax Information and Assistance - here
Advanced Energy and Energy Efficiency in Ohio - here

To view any of our recent communications releases, click on the

links below:
February 2010 E-News (State of the State/Third Frontier/Advanced Energy) -
here
Rep Phillips Releases 2010 Listening Tour Schedule – here
State Rep. Debbie Phillips Announces Over $1.2 million For Local Projects -
here

To share your thoughts and opinions in my March 2010 legislative

survey, please click here

Contact Information:
Representative Debbie Phillips
Riffe Center, 11th Floor
77 S High St, Columbus OH 43215
Phone: (614) 466-2158
Fax: (614) 719-6992
District92@ohr.state.oh.us