Latest news with #SeanBrennan
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bipartisan bill would require greater oversight for utility resellers
State Rep. Sean Brennan, D-Parma, describing legislation to regulate submetering companies. (Photo by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal.) Many Ohioans living in multi-unit developments get their utility services through their landlord rather than a power or gas company. A bipartisan pair of state lawmakers argue that arrangement leaves consumers unprotected and opens the door to higher rates or unnecessary fees. They want to see those submetering companies regulated like utilities. 'If you act like a utility, and you look like a utility, and you smell like a utility, and you sound like a utility — you're a utility,' said state Rep. Sean Brennan, D-Parma. 'And you should therefore, have the same PUCO oversight as any other utility in the state of Ohio.' For large developments like apartment buildings, condominiums and manufactured home parks, setting up a different meter for every unit can be cumbersome. Instead, third party companies offer to set up a single meter for the entire complex and then purchase utilities wholesale. The company then resells the services to residents and bills them directly. The problem, argued state Rep. Tex Fischer, R-Boardman, is submetered residents don't get the benefit of shopping around for their utility provider and the company they're forced to purchase from isn't regulated. 'At my core, I'm a free market conservative,' Fischer said. 'What I do not believe in is businesses who are selling the same product to customers while playing by a completely different set of rules.' He argued if the Ohio has built its energy market to provide lower rates through competition, it doesn't make sense to allow companies to carve out little monopolies for themselves. 'Submetering may appear to be a simple pass-through of utility costs,' Brennan added, 'but in practice, these companies operate in a legal gray area.' Most glaring — there's no entity determining whether utility rates passed on to consumers are fair. But the sponsors said residents miss out on benefits like low-income energy assistance programs or dispute resolution before state regulators. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Brennan noted lawmakers just approved House Bill 15, which included several provisions strengthening consumer protections — like requiring utilities to justify their rates before state regulators on a regular basis. He argued those utilities are 'subject to consumer protection laws, disconnection procedures, billing transparency requirements and complaint resolution mechanisms.' 'But submetering companies are not bound by any of these same obligations, even though the service they provide is identical from the customer's point of view,' Brennan said. Ohio utility regulators' decision disenfranchised apartment renters, consumer advocate says Brennan and Fischer's proposal has the backing of Ohio Consumers' Counsel Maureen Willis. Her office represents consumers in proceedings before the PUCO. She pointed to residents' lack of choice and lack of protections, saying it's 'not fair and it's not transparent.' 'This bill closes that loophole,' Willis said. 'It restores the basic principle that no one should profit off reselling essential services without public accountability.' In addition to Brennan and Fischer's proposal, a different measure would explicitly exempt submetering companies from utility regulation, while prohibiting them from jacking up rates. Under that proposal, sponsored by state Rep. David Thomas, R-Jefferson, and state Sen. Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, submetering companies could charge no more than the standard consumer rate charged by the local utility. Nationwide Energy Partners, which provides submetered services in Central Ohio, favors that approach. In a dispute between the company and AEP Ohio, the PUCO sided with NEP. Their decision required AEP to add provisions to its term sheet (known as a tariff) to allow NEP to continue providing service and put residents on similar footing with people who are not submetered. 'NEP has been supportive of consumer protections and specifically supports the consumer protections the PUCO put into tariffs,' an NEP spokesperson said. 'We believe that's the correct approach for legislation. Putting those tariff requirements into statute would give the PUCO clear authority over submetering and embed the current PUCO requirements for bill cap and disconnect into law.' But while submetering companies argue they're operating fairly, Fischer said he has 'no way of proving their claims one way or another.' That's the whole point of a public regulatory process, he said. 'If, in fact, these submeter companies are doing as they say,' Fischer argued, 'then they should have no problems continuing under Public Utilities Commission oversight.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bipartisan bill would require Ohio schools to recite Pledge of Allegiance daily
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio public school districts would be required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day under a new bipartisan bill. State Reps. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville) and Sean Brennan (D-Parma) introduced House Bill 117 to require public schools to establish a specific time and manner for the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Schools would also be 'highly encouraged' to develop and implement lessons related to the American flag and the pledge, although participation would not be necessary. 'As a veteran American Government and History teacher, I have always firmly held to the fact that our public schools were, in part, created to instill our young learners with a sense of loyalty to our country,' Brennan said. 'I encourage every adult in Ohio to set the expectation and model for our young people the importance of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, respect for the American flag, standing when veterans march by in a parade and other actions that further this goal.' Could same-sex marriage be on the ballot in Ohio? Under H.B. 117, school districts would have to make these policies publicly available online. School districts would not be allowed to require anyone to participate or infringe on their Constitutional rights. In the U.S., states are permitted to require public school participation, but laws cannot infringe on the First Amendment right to choose whether or not to participate, regardless of age. Four U.S. states — Florida, Utah, Pennsylvania and Texas — currently require parent permission to opt out of the pledge, but Ohio's law would not require parental consent. This would repeal and replace a current Ohio law, which requires districts to clarify if reciting the pledge is a part of the schools program and protects teachers' right to lead their classroom in the pledge if they wish to. Ohio higher education bill one step closer to law In central Ohio, many school districts already recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily. Canal Winchester and South-Western City School representatives confirmed all students recite the pledge daily, and Hilliard schools have a district policy requiring daily recitation. Other districts recite the pledge less frequently. Grandview Heights said its students recite the pledge daily in grades K-3, and then weekly for all other grades. Pickerington representatives said they say it daily in grades K-8, and weekly in high school. A Reynoldsburg representative said the district does not have a specific policy or consistent cadence for reciting the pledge, and a Bexley spokesperson said the district encourages, but does not require it. In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words 'under God' to the pledge. This updated, 31-word pledge would be the pledge required under H.B. 117. 'Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance builds nationalism and unity by promising to be faithful to our American values,' Richardson said. 'We live in the greatest country in the world and the Pledge of Allegiance helps to remind us of this.' The bill had its first hearing in the House Education Committee on March 11, but does not yet have a second hearing scheduled. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio bill would mandate daily Pledge of Allegiance in public schools
Mar. 17—A bipartisan bill pending in the Ohio House would require public schools to pick a daily time to recite the pledge of allegiance in a bid to instill patriotism in Ohio youth. The bill, House Bill 117, would retract current law, which allows individual school districts to draw their own policies on when, and how often, to say the pledge. H.B. 117 would then replace the stricken language with a mandate for school boards to set "a time and manner for the daily recitation of the pledge of allegiance to the flag." The bill sets out that participation would not be compulsory for students or staff. It does, however, encourage lesson plans and forbids districts from making any alterations to the pledge's language. Rep. Sean Brennan, D-Parma, a former civics teacher, told the Ohio House committee this week that the state's current law resulted in some districts choosing to do the pledge only on special occasions, others only once a week, and others not at all. Republican joint sponsor Rep. Tracy Richardson, of Marysville, said districts opting not to recite the pledge "has resulted in students who simply never learn our Pledge." "It's too bad that we have to bring this bill, right? I mean, it's too bad that they're not saying the Pledge of Allegiance in every single school every single day in the state of Ohio," Brennan said. While both lawmakers asserted some of the 680 Ohio public school districts would need to change their policies under the bill, neither pointed out specific districts. It's unclear if any Miami Valley districts would be impacted if the bill became law. The Dayton Board of Education, for example, already requires a daily recitation on the basis that it helps students learn of "our democratic heritage, ideals and freedom." The bill sponsors argue a similar point. "I truly believe in my heart that one of my duties as a school teacher was to instill a feeling of patriotic duty, unity and love of country in every one of the students I served," said Brennan. "This bill is one little way we can move that needle in the right direction of instilling a sense of patriotism in our students." H.B. 117 has yet to receive proponent or opponent testimony in its House committee. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State lawmakers introduce Pledge of Allegiance bill
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Lawmakers at the Ohio Statehouse want Ohio school districts to create a policy for students to cite the Pledge of Allegiance. Ohio House Bill 117 would require the board of education for each district to create a policy with a manner and time for students to cite the Pledge of Allegiance each day. No words in the Pledge of Allegiance should be changed by the district's policy, according to the bill. If someone doesn't want to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, the bill would allow the student to not participate. 'The policy shall not require any person to participate in the recitation or otherwise infringe on one's constitutional rights,' said the bill. The introduced bill suggests educators assist in the increase of knowledge on citizenship, American flag and Pledge of Allegiance with lessons. 'In the interests of promoting excellent citizenship skills, schools and teachers are highly encouraged to develop and implement lessons related to the American flag and pledge ofallegiance,' said the bill. The policy must be posted to where the public can view, if possible on the district's website. State Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville) and Sean Brennan (D-Parma) are listed as primary sponsors for the bill. The following area state representatives are listed as cosponsors: Diane Mullins (R-Hamilton) Levi Dean (R-Xenia) Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) Ty D Matthews (R-Findlay) As of date, the bill sits in the Ohio House Education Committee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio bill would mandate daily Pledge of Allegiance in public schools
Mar. 17—A bipartisan bill pending in the Ohio House would require public schools to pick a daily time to recite the pledge of allegiance in a bid to instill patriotism in Ohio youth. The bill, House Bill 117, would retract current law, which allows individual school districts to draw their own policies on when, and how often, to say the pledge. H.B. 117 would then replace the stricken language with a mandate for school boards to set "a time and manner for the daily recitation of the pledge of allegiance to the flag." The bill sets out that participation would not be compulsory for students or staff. It does, however, encourage lesson plans and forbids districts from making any alterations to the pledge's language. Rep. Sean Brennan, D-Parma, a former civics teacher, told the Ohio House committee this week that the state's current law resulted in some districts choosing to do the pledge only on special occasions, others only once a week, and others not at all. Republican joint sponsor Rep. Tracy Richardson, of Marysville, said districts opting not to recite the pledge "has resulted in students who simply never learn our Pledge." "It's too bad that we have to bring this bill, right? I mean, it's too bad that they're not saying the Pledge of Allegiance in every single school every single day in the state of Ohio," Brennan said. While both lawmakers asserted some of the 680 Ohio public school districts would need to change their policies under the bill, neither pointed out specific districts. It's unclear if any Miami Valley districts would be impacted if the bill became law. The Dayton Board of Education, for example, already requires a daily recitation on the basis that it helps students learn of "our democratic heritage, ideals and freedom." The bill sponsors argue a similar point. "I truly believe in my heart that one of my duties as a school teacher was to instill a feeling of patriotic duty, unity and love of country in every one of the students I served," said Brennan. "This bill is one little way we can move that needle in the right direction of instilling a sense of patriotism in our students." H.B. 117 has yet to receive proponent or opponent testimony in its House committee. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
