Ohio: Jennifer Garrison

The House voted 53-45, along party lines, to provide a new school-funding system with the promise of billions of dollars in new money over the next 10 years while also keeping intact the majority of social safety-net programs.

"The times are too demanding to avoid making tough decisions," said Rep. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, chairman of the House Finance Committee. "Even under the restraint of a very difficult budget, Ohio will preserve vital services for those that are most vulnerable."

The bill now moves to the Ohio Senate, where majority Republicans will get their shot at a plan that they say is a house of cards propped up by $7 billion in one-time state and federal dollars.

If it passes, Ohio would have the most progressive foreclosure-prevention law in the nation, Rep. Mike Foley said. The state has the seventh-highest foreclosure rate in the nation, with an estimated 90,000 last year.

"So we're putting up as many roadblocks as possible to give us time to recalibrate and hopefully let the recovery straighten itself out," the Cleveland Democrat said of the bill, which will face strong opposition from the banking industry.

More than a month after taking control of the House, Democrats and Speaker Armond Budish of Beachwood rolled out a wide range of priority bills yesterday, including a ban on marketing credit cards at college campuses, and giving high schools the equipment needed to offer Advanced Placement courses through teleconferencing.

The newly elected Ohio House Democratic leadership for the 128th General Assembly gathered in the Statehouse Wednesday to discuss some legislative priorities for the next session. Ohio Speaker of the House-elect Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) said that his top priority was economic development and jobs, but also floated some ideas on urban revitalization.

On Election Day, Ohio Democrats picked up a majority in the Ohio House of Representatives, thanks in no small part to the fundraising prowess and campaign efforts of state Rep. Armond Budish (D-Beachwood).

The next morning, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Chris Redfern (D-Catawba Island) was already referring to Budish as speaker, but this title won't be official until state House Democrats convene on Tuesday to pick their new leadership team.