fedor february newsletter 2013

7/29/2019 Fedor February Newsletter 2013

1/4

Dear Constituents,

As we begin 2013 and the 130th General Assembly, Id like to focus on improving ou

state and our communities through encouraging economic recovery, supporting

education, and reducing crime. My fellow Ohio House Democrats and I are reaffirmin

our dedication to the citizens of Ohio during this General Assembly.

Key issues will be deliberated in the next two years, one of the most important of

which will be our states budget. Perhaps no piece of legislation is more significant to

the operation of state government than the biennial budget bill. The operating budge

provides funding for most state agencies, and it must be passed before June 30th.

The Governor is required to submit a budget proposal to the legislature no later thanfour weeks after the beginning of the new General Assembly. The budget process

begins with debate in the various committees of the House of Representatives and w

likely take several months to move through both chambers of the legislature.

Committees play a dynamic role in the democratic process by allowing various

participants to give testimony on bills that may be of interest to them. Because Ohio

strives for transparent and accountable governance, committee meetings are open to

public comment, and you should feel free to attend these hearings and even testify o

legislation introduced by this General Assembly.

The House of Representatives has numerous standing committees. I look forward to

the opportunity to serve you on the Policy and Legislative Oversight Committee, the

Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, and the Education Committee, serving as

the Ranking Minority Member. I will also continue working with the Trafficking in

Persons Study Commission as chairperson of its Legal and Legislative Subcommittee

Please do not hesitate to contact my office with any questions, comments, or

suggestions you may have. As your representative, I am here to listen to your

concerns and ideas for improving our great state of Ohio.

Sincerely,

Teresa Fedor

State Representative

CONTACT

olumbus Office5th District7 South High Street0th Floorolumbus, Ohio 43215

hone: (614) 644-6017

oll-free: (800) 282-0253ax: (614) 719-6947

Or E-mail At:[email protected]

Scan to check outour blog

ioHouseDems Ohiohouse.gov


2/4

February 2013 State Rep. Teresa Fedor PagContacting Representative Teresa Fedor

Via Electronic Mail (E-Mail)

To contact the office via e-mail,

please use the following address:[email protected]

Via Postal Mail(Columbus Office)

Hon. Teresa FedorState Representative, 45th Distric

Ohio House of Representatives

77 South High Street, 10th FloorColumbus, OH 43215

You have several options if you would like to contact Representative Fedor. We welcome your thoughts andsuggestions and will do everything we can to help you. We also welcome invitations to speak to your group o

organization.

Via Telephone (Columbus Office)Direct Phone: (614) 644-6017Toll-free Messaging System:

(800) 282-0253Direct Fax: (614) 719-6947

Important State Contact InformationOhio House of Representativeswww.house.state.oh.us

Legislative Information 800-282-0253

Insurance, Department ofhttp://ohioinsurance.gov/

Consumer Hotline 800-686-1526

Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program

800-686-1578

Jobs and Family Services, Department ofhttp://jfs.ohio.gov/Veteran Services Division 800-253-4060

Unemployment Compensation Hotline 877-644-6562

Motor Vehicles, Bureau of

http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/

General Information 800-589-TAGS

Public Safety, Department of

http://publicsafety.ohio.gov/Highway Patrol 877-7-PATROLState Highway Patrol DUI Hotline 800-GRAB-DUI

Public Utilities Commission of Ohiohttp://www.puco.ohio.gov/General Information 800-686-PUCO

Taxation, Department of

http://tax.ohio.gov/Form Requests 800-282-1782

Individual Taxpayer Assistance 800-282-1780

Aging, Department ofhttp://aging.ohio.gov/home/

Golden Buckeye Card 866-301-6446Ombudsman/Elder Rights Unit 800-282-1206

Save these numbers for

future reference!


3/4

February 2013 State Rep. Teresa Fedor PagHouse Democrats Lead Effort to Establish Veterans Caucu

Bipartisan, bicameral body to focus on issues important to those with military service

The brave men

and women who

fight for our na-

tion in the Armed

Services deserve

recognition for

their sacrifices.

They need, and

have more than

earned, policiesto address the

unique challenges

they face with

their families. Ensuring our current and former

servicemen and women receive the help and sup-

port they deserve is a top priority of the Ohio

House Democrats.

Recently, the Ohio Veterans Caucus organized to

further causes that are of vital importance to vet-erans. As a veteran, I am proud to say that I

heeded that call to serve other veterans. Im

humbled by the chance to do good for all those

who have given our state and nation so much.

The mission of the bipartisan Veterans Caucus is

to look at the impact of recent and current issues

affecting veterans, active duty, guard, and re-

serve military and their families. The caucus is

open to all members of the Ohio General Assem-

bly veterans and non-veterans alike.

The inaugural meeting took place on January

23rd in Columbus and included formalities such

as the election of officers. Special guests at the

meeting were leaders from Ohios Operation Mili-

tary Kids. OMK helps children of deployed soldiers

by creating community support networks and a

variety of educational, social, and recreational

programs.

The legislation and advocacy that may come from

the Caucus is meant to complement the im-

portant work of the Military and Veterans Affairs

standing committee in the Ohio House. Currently

at twelve members, the group hopes to be better

able to limit competing agendas and differing

views on how best to address laws relevant tothose with military service.

One of the first items on the Veterans Caucus

agenda is the reintroduction of legislation that

would expand unemployment provisions for

spouses of active military personnel who must

leave work due to their spouse being transferred.


4/4

February 2013 State Rep. Teresa Fedor Pag

ax season conjures visions of mounds of paperwork andong nights with a pen and a calculator.

ut it doesnt have to be that way.

ore and more Ohioans are usinghio I-File, a free service that al-

ows almost any taxpayer to file a

eturn online.

n fact, if you still file the old-

ashioned way by mailing a re-

urn to Columbus you are now inhe minority. The Ohio Department

f Taxations Web site shows thatow, more than half of Ohios income tax returns areled electronically.

There are two big advantages to trying Ohio I-File:

It speeds up tax refunds. I

are due a refund and choose t

direct deposit option, the monwill be in your bank account in

seven to ten days.

It saves taxpayer dollars. Icosts about three times as mu

to process a paper return as idoes to process an electronic

turn.

For more information on Ohio

File or any other question about filing your state inctax return, visit The Ohio Department of Taxation

Web site at tax.ohio.gov or call (800) 282-1780.

Ohio I-File Helps Ease Tax Return HasslesDigital filing will speed refund

Its hard to believe, but its true.Each year, more than $100 mil-

lion that rightfully belongs in thepockets of hardworking Ohio

families stays in Washington.

The problem: Too many low-

and moderate-income Ohioansare inadvertently leaving money

on the table by not claiming theEarned Income Tax Credit as part

of their federal tax return.

The federal EITC is a refundableax credit designed to reward low-income wage earnersy creating an incentive to work. It entitles those who

ork for lower wages to receive a larger tax refund.

ligibility is based on income and the size of a family forhe credits, which can boost a tax refund up to $5,891.

he credit is available to individuals who earned less

han $13,980 last year and to couples (with at least twohildren) who earned up to $41,952.

s many as 15 percent of Ohioans fail to claim the cred-

it, which experts consider one of Americas most efftive anti-poverty programs. If more eligible Ohioans

claimed the credit, families could utilize a tool to hestretch their resources further and more money cou

fueling Ohios economy.

To learn more about this valuable credit contact thInternal Revenue Service at (800) 829-1040 o

irs.gov

Are You Missing Out on Money that Belongs to You?You may be eligible for the federal EITC refundable tax credit

fedor february newsletter 2013

Documents