Rep. Robinson and Rep. Sobecki File Bill to Reinstate the Joint Education Oversight Committee

State Reps. Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo) and Phil Robinson (D-Solon) filed a bill today to reinstate the Joint Education Oversight Committee (JEOC), a state legislative committee comprised of members from both parties in the State House and State Senate which provided non-partisan, fact based and in-depth analysis of K-12 education in Ohio at a great value to taxpayers.

“Dissolving JEOC was just plain wrong,” said Rep. Sobecki. “28.1 percent of the operating budget goes to K-12 education in Ohio, totaling roughly $19.3 billion. Our parents, teachers and students deserve to have thorough and unbiased oversight of the extremely important educational system in Ohio. There are many aspects and issues in Ohio’s educational landscape which need to be addressed. JEOC was a valuable tool in the toolbox for legislators to use.”

“JEOC is in the middle of diving into the state report card, an important issue that greatly impacts schools, communities, and our children in multiple ways. With so many in Ohio dissatisfied with the state report cards but uncertain or in disagreement on what to change about them, it’s crucial the legislature work to solve this is issue. The public hearings and research from JEOC on this issue are critical to helping fix the system and getting it right on the first try,” said Rep. Robinson. “JEOC hearings and research are important to developing solutions to the most difficult education issues, such as school funding, early childhood education, graduation requirements and standardized testing, that are both bipartisan and bring the House and Senate together on crafting legislation.”

Both Reps. Sobecki and Robinson are members of JEOC and the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee, on which Rep. Robinson serves as the ranking member. State Rep. Robert Cupp (R-Lima) serves as the chair of JEOC, and State Sen. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) serves as the ranking member of the committee.

JEOC is set to dissolve effective October 1 of this year because of an amendment in the Senate version of the state operating budget, House Bill (HB) 166. Reps. Sobecki and Robinson in a joint letter called on Gov. DeWine to veto the measure.

The bill has not yet been assigned a number and a committee.