Five things to know for Monday, Oct. 27

Senate moving on House-passed tax bills

The state Senate is set to start reviewing property tax measures that the House passed last week.

Gongwer/State Affairs reported that the Senate Local Government Committee is set to hear sponsor testimony on House Bills 186 and 335 at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The Senate Rules & Reference Committee hasn’t yet officially assigned the bills to the committee, according to the report.

Report: FirstEnergy anticipating filing for a new multiyear rate plan

FirstEnergy Corp. expects to file for a new multiyear rate plan soon.

Gongwer/State Affairs reported that FirstEnergy officials outlined that aim during the company’s third-quarter earnings call, during which CEO Brian Tierney cited new conditions set by House Bill 15, which took effect in August. FirstEnergy must finalize its pending rate request before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio; the company’s Ohio utilities asked for $93.6 million more in revenues.

Bill would tax non-profits’ substantial land holdings

Proposed legislation would mandate that non-profits with more than 15,000 acres in a single county make annual payments to local governments for the untaxed property.

Gongwer/State Affairs reported that under House Bill 540, introduced by state Reps. Justin Pizzulli, R-Scioto County, and Rep. David Thomas, R-Jefferson, the non-profit would need to pay 2.5% of the “unimproved taxable value” of such land starting in 2026. The money would be distributed to the jurisdictions where the property is located, and governments could use the money for “any lawful purpose.”

State to launch Brownfield Remediation Program

The Ohio Department of Development has released guidelines for the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program. The application opens on Nov. 12 and closes on Dec. 5.

In House Bill 96, the state’s two-year operating budget, state lawmakers allocated $200 million for the program. Under the measure, $1 million is allocated for applicants in each of Ohio’s 88 counties to be awarded through a merit-based process.

State doling out $6 million for expanded driver training

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced $6 million in funding to provide driver-training scholarships to more than 10,000 Ohio students under age 21 across the state.

The East Central Ohio, Fairfield County, Midwest Regional, and North Central Ohio educational service centers will each receive $1.5 million over the next two years to provide scholarships to local students. The money is part of the Ohio Traffic Safety Office’s Drive to Succeed Program.