The Associated Press reports on the Ohio Third Frontier ballot debate:

The future of a bipartisan, billion-dollar Ohio program that spurs technology jobs is in limbo because of a dispute between Republicans and Democrats over when lawmakers should go to voters to get more bonds approved.

Democrats who control the Ohio House, Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and the Ohio Business Roundtable — generally a bigger supporter of Republicans — all want another bond issue for the Ohio Third Frontier to go on the May ballot. But Republican Senate President Bill Harris said no one has demonstrated why the proposal should be on the ballot so soon when funding for the program is available through 2011.

The $1.6 billion Ohio Third Frontier program provides startup money for companies in targeted industries such as advanced energy and materials, the biomedical industry, and power and propulsion. A recent independent study found the program, which began under Republican Gov. Bob Taft in 2002, has created about 41,000 jobs. Voters approved $500 million in bonds in 2005.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle sing Ohio Third Frontier’s praises. But now there are growing frustrations between House Democrats and Senate Republicans over an inability to settle the question of when it should be renewed and possibly expanded.

Tags: Gov. Ted Strickland, Ohio Third Frontier

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 6:51 pm and is filed under Economic Development, Government. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.