House Speaker Husted on...

Ohio House Speaker Jon A. Husted today called on cities and property rights advocates to work together in redefining eminent domain laws in Ohio. During a news briefing with Statehouse reporters, the Dayton-area Republican reacted to last week's state Supreme Court ruling that cities cannot take private property soleley for the purpose of economic development.

Husted said Ohio needs a common standard defining what constitutes "blight" when deciding what structures can be torn down for development projects. "We should not let that standard be done community by community. We should make efforts either statutorily or constitutionally to pursue a workable solution.''

Husted said he recently consulted the co-chair of a legislative task force studying the issue -- state Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Green Township.

"I know that the cities are concerned about any changes to the Constitution that they might deem to be infringing on their rights as it relates to home rule. . . But I would urge them to work (with legislators) on some middle ground,'' Husted said.

Such middle ground should respect concerns of private property rights advocates and the needs of the cities, he said. "This is one of those issues, that in the absence of a reasonable approach, could open itself up to a ballot initiative that goes further than what the cities would be willing to live."

On other topics, Husted said:

-- In this year's campaigns, Democrats are adopting an old strategy to tell voters how awful the world is and blame it on Republicans. "They want to preach doom and gloom and that the sky is falling. That has failed them time after time."

-- The candidates for governor should detail their top five or so ideas for improving Ohio. "I think Ken Blackwell is the kind of guy that can get things done. . . I don't know what Ted Strickland's ideas are."

-- "If you're an incumbent, you should be concerned. . . I know this is an anti-incumbent year."

-- He favors speeding up a five-year, 21 percent income tax cut before offering other new tax breaks such as reducing capital gains taxes.

-- He favors increasing the state's minimum wage, in line with any federal increases, but not by amending the state Constitution.

-- When he meets with Ohioans, they say they want legislators to finish the work they've begun on tax reform, reducing taxes and attracting new jobs to the state.