From the Desk of Rep.

Dovilla

From the Desk of Rep. Dovilla Around the 18th At the Statehouse Upcoming Events

Dear 18th District Resident: Summer has remained a busy time in the legislature. During this time of year when our session days in Columbus have not been as frequent, I have scheduled a full calendar of activities with constituents in our district. It has been good to receive input from many of you on issues ranging from public education funding to actions we have taken this year to place Ohio on a stronger economic footing. I greatly appreciate each opportunity I have to visit with you and encourage all residents of our communities to reach out and share their views with me on issues that are important to you. In late July, we marked a milestone as Governor Kasich signed my first bill into law. House Bill 224, bipartisan legislation I sponsored with Rep. Michael Stinziano (D-Columbus), unanimously passed the House and Senate in July. The bill reforms the process for military and overseas voting, helping to ensure that those who serve our nation have their right to vote protected. More information appears below in the At the Statehouse section of this newsletter. I also wish to draw your attention to our next round of District 18 Office Hours, which are scheduled in the coming weeks at public libraries in each city of our district. Please see the Upcoming Events section below and join me if you would like to discuss anything. As always, if I may be of assistance, please feel free to contact me by calling 614-466-4895 or sending an e-mail to district18@ohr.state.oh.us. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, State Representative Mike Dovilla Around the 18th The recent storm of July 19, 2011, which deluged our

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communities with over five inches of rain in two hours, resulted in severe flooding throughout southwestern Cuyahoga County. My home in Berea was among those with standing water in the basement. I have been in communication with local officials and have been briefed on actions our cities are taking to assist residents with this situation and to help mitigate potential future occurrences. Unfortunately, after onsite inspections of our communities, county officials determined the region did not meet the minimum threshold of damage to qualify for relevant assistance programs. While this particular storm yielded an amount of rainwater that even the best sewer system likely would not have been able to handle, those of us who have lived in this area throughout our lives know our cities experience the challenges of aging infrastructure that is increasingly in need of repair. This is a proposition that will cost a substantial amount of money, something not readily available in this time of fiscal austerity for government as well as our individual households. I encourage local officials to continue making wise use of state resources available through the Ohio Public Works Commission and other funding mechanisms in order to help modernize our regions infrastructure. As your voice in Columbus, I will continue to work with my colleagues in state government, as well as our mayors and city councils, to advocate for the support needed to improve our communities roads, bridges and sewers. As one of only seven members of the 99-member House of Representatives assigned to the Redistricting Subcommittee, I have been traveling well beyond the 18th District over the last couple of weeks to participate in field hearings where we have received public input on drawing Ohios congressional districts for the next decade. After each decennial census, the 50 states draw new districts in order to maintain population equality among congressional representatives. Unfortunately, Ohio is again losing two districts due to a population growth rate among the slowest in the country, shrinking our delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives from 18 to 16 members. I have been impressed with the amount and quality of public input our subcommittee has received at hearings in Columbus, Zanesville, Cleveland, Lima and Cincinnati and look forward to continuing to play a role in the redistricting process in the weeks ahead. For more information on redistricting, as well as the procedures for reapportionment, a separate process that will draw the new district lines for the Ohio House and Senate, please visit www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/ReshapeOhio.aspx. At the Statehouse

It was an honor recently to join Governor John Kasich, my colleague Rep. Michael Stinziano (D-Columbus), staff members, representatives of veterans organizations and several 18th District residents at the Statehouse for the signing of my first piece of legislation to be enacted this session. House Bill 224 implements changes to Ohios Uniform Military and Overseas Voting law. The legislation will make state law more accurately reflect recommendations by the Federal Voting Assistance Program. Specifically, House Bill 224 will permit military or other overseas voters to apply for absentee ballots by e-mail or Internet delivery and otherwise simplify the methods for registered voters who are out of the United States to exercise their right to vote. As a veteran who was disenfranchised through no fault of my own during my 2007-2008 deployment to Iraq, I know from personal experience what it is like to miss out on the opportunity to participate in the important civic responsibility of voting. With the unanimous, bipartisan passage of House Bill 224, it is my hope that our service members and other citizens overseas will have full access to the ballot box.

As you know, my primary focus during the budget process for Fiscal Years 2012 and 2013 was funding for the excellent schools in our four public school districts. Now that the budget has been signed into law, I am taking two specific follow-up actions to continue supporting our schools. The first is the formation of a bipartisan, bicameral Suburban Caucus in the legislature to advocate for the interests of suburbs. Too often, representatives from rural areas of Ohio (usually Republicans) and representatives from urban centers (usually Democrats) scramble for the scarce dollars allocated for public education and other policy initiatives, while suburban districts end up on the losing end of this fight. It is my hope that by providing a forum for suburban legislators, we can begin to flex our collective muscle to advocate proactively for our often overlooked communities. Secondly, I

am working independently as well as with a task force the governor has formed finally to address the public school foundation funding formula, which is overly reliant on property tax revenues. This is a matter requiring fundamental reform that nobody else has wanted to touch for fear of the political consequences. I seek your input as we work together to resolve this long-standing public policy challenge. On July 11, I had the opportunity to welcome two winners of our spring 2011 Legislator for a Day reading contest. John Thompson of North Royalton and Nathan Washburn of Berea participated in a mock legislative session, received a tour of the Ohio Statehouse and joined me for lunch in the 15th floor conference room of the Riffe Center overlooking Capitol Square. We also arranged for a special meeting with Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor, who took time to visit with our young citizens. Please stay tuned for the next iteration of my reading contest for 1st through 5th graders, which will take place this fall. More information will be available from my office as well as local branches of the Cuyahoga County Library in all 18th District communities. On July 13, I was pleased to welcome Strongsville resident and St. Edward High School junior Dean Heil and his parents, Kim and Mike, to the Statehouse. Dean received a Resolution from the Ohio House of Representatives, recognizing his achievement in earning his second consecutive OHSAA Division I State Wrestling Championship, this year at the 119-pound weight class. Deans individual accomplishment also reflects on St. Eds tradition as a powerhouse wrestling school, which over the years has won 26 team state championships and produced 96 individual state champions. Congratulations, Dean! Upcoming Events I am pleased to announce our next round of District Office Hours, which will take place at each branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library within the 18th District. Office Hours are an opportunity for constituents to meet with me to share their views on public policy issues, pending or potential legislation and any other matters on which they wish to express their thoughts. No appointment is necessary, and residents will be seen on a first come, first served basis. Please visit with me between 10:00 a.m. and noon on any of the following occasions at these locations: August 27: Strongsville Library, 18700 Westwood Drive (directly behind police station) October 8: Berea Library, 7 Berea Commons (in Berea Commons next to police station) October 22: North Royalton Library, 14600 State Road (south of SR 82 in Memorial Park) October 29: Olmsted Falls Library, 7850 Main Street (north of Columbia

Road intersection) In addition, please note that I regularly hold one-on-one meetings with constituents who wish to visit with me at my residence in Berea or other convenient locations around the 18th District. I believe strongly in transparent, accessible government and encourage you to contact my office for an appointment to discuss your ideas, questions or concerns about Ohio state government. Other upcoming events include the following: August 18: Olmsted Falls Heritage Days Parade August 19: Summer Quarter 18th District Mayors Roundtable with Rep. Dovilla August 21: North Royalton Homedays Parade August 30: Small Business Meeting with Strongsville & North Royalton Chambers of Commerce September 17: Baldwin-Wallace College Community & Family Day For more information on any event or to submit an event for inclusion in a future issue of the 18th District Newsletter, please email me at district18@ohr.state.oh.us. Thank you!