Well, it’s back to the drawing board for state lawmakers as they attempt to come up with a school funding plan that will satisfy the Ohio Supreme Court.

Friday, March 23, 2001

Well, it’s back to the drawing board for state lawmakers as they attempt to come up with a school funding plan that will satisfy the Ohio Supreme Court.

With the June 15 deadline getting closer and closer, a plan is going to have to go before the legislature soon.

On Monday, the three key players in coming up with a solution – Gov. Bob Taft, Senate President Richard H. Finan and House Speaker Larry Householder – met in a private session to address the issue.

Householder and his colleagues had formulated a plan that would include using revenue from video gambling machines that would be installed at seven horse racing tracks around the state. Though the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding embraced the plan and leaders of that group said they would drop the lawsuit against the state if the legislature adopted the plan, Gov. Taft was not as receptive. He said he would veto any plan that would legalize video gambling.

It is apparent everybody has different views as to how the system should be overhauled, but the bottom line is it has to be done…soon. In order to have a plan in place by the deadline, personalities must be put aside and compromises must be made. Otherwise, it will be too late.