As lawmakers prepare to return from their post-budget summer break, they face the periodic task of a comprehensive appraisal of state governments’ dozens of boards, commissions and other small agencies. This year’s appraisal will include the Architects Board and the Landscape Architects Board.

The Sunset Review Committee is to reconvene this biennium after last meeting in the 128th General Assembly from the fall of 2009 into spring of 2010. General Assembly leaders have already appointed their respective three members from each chamber, but Gov. John Kasich’s office has yet to name his picks.

While the committee has a general mandate to recommend continuation or elimination of entities in its jurisdiction, the new state budget calls out a few for special scrutiny.

During budget deliberations, the Senate passed a version of HB64 requiring the committee to make specific recommendations on the elimination or merger of the, Ohio Landscape Architects Board, Architects Board, Motor Vehicle Repair Board, Board of Optometry and the Optical Dispensers Board. The budget conference committee added the Barber Board, Cosmetology Board and Board of Trustees of the Ohioana Library Association to the list as well.

Committee Members:  Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina) made his appointments Jan. 27, naming Sen. Kris Jordan (R-Powell) and Sen. Chris Widener (R- Springfield) and Sen. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard). House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger made appointments March 10, naming Rep. Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster), Rep. Tim Brown (R-Bowling Green) and Rep. Nick Celebrezze (D-Parma).

Asked about gubernatorial appointments, Kasich spokesman Jim Lynch said, “We look forward to making appointments to the Sunset Review Commission and working to address the overabundance of boards that are often duplicative. We will not simply make an appointment for the sake of checking a box. Instead, we want to ensure that the people appointed can take a clean, unbiased look at the system and have the right strengths to add value to this important task.”

Spokesmen for House and Senate GOP leadership said they’ll wait on gubernatorial appointments before setting a timeline for the committee’s work.

 

The House will hold the chairmanship of the Sunset Review Committee for any work the panel does in 2015; in 2016, it passes to the Senate.