Leaders want to deal with funding issue now

COLUMBUS — The current Legislature — and not the next one — should take on the task of creating a remedy to the Ohio Supreme Court's ruling that the state's school funding formula remains unconstitutional, Republican leaders agree.

House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson of Reynoldsburg said last week the current legislative lineup has the expertise to fix the funding problem.

And the dozens of new members coming aboard in January because of term limits will have more problems than just finding their parking spots. Hearings will begin at the start of the session on a two-year budget that likely will exceed $40 billion.

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that despite billions spent on school construction plus other legislative activity since 1997, when the court first ruled the system unconstitutional, the funding formula was still flawed. The primary reason is that the state relies too heavily on property taxes to pay for schools, the court's 4-3 majority said.

Both Davidson and Senate President Richard Finan of Cincinnati said after the court's ruling that they're ready to tackle the problem and not leave it to the new lawmakers.

''I certainly feel a sense of responsibility,'' said Davidson, who is among those who must leave at the end of the year. ''Clearly, you can say we don't have to go back to the court until June 15, 2001, so we could say, 'Let the next Legislature deal with it.' I don't believe either one of us are approaching it from that opinion.''

Davidson is in her 20th year in the House and her sixth as speaker. Others leaving are veterans in key positions: House Finance Chairman Robert Corbin, and House Education Chairman Charles Brading.

Also departing are the No. 2 Republicans in both houses of the Legislature, Sen. Robert Cupp and Rep. Randall Gardner, who is running for a Senate seat.

Rep. Bill Harris is an Ashland Republican who is in line to replace Davidson as speaker. He said the current Legislature is well-equipped to do the job, but that some fresh ideas will come in with the next class in January, if more work is needed.