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Mark Tucker has written an excellent article regarding the decision handed down by the Ohio Supreme Court regarding Ohio’s Prevailing Wage Law.  To read the article, please click here.

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Doug Pinkham, President of the Public Affairs Council, wrote an article recently outlining several tips on how to improve CEO performances before Congressional Committees.  These pieces of advice transfer to testifying before any legislative body, whether it’s Congress, the Ohio General Assembly, or even your local City Council. 

Mr. Pinkham writes, “In recent months, we’ve seen CEOs marched before Congress to explain their roles in the housing crisis, the auto crisis, the Wall Street crisis and – now – the oil spill crisis. Some have performed better than others, but most have made mistakes that tarnished their reputations or created political fallout for their companies. ”

To read the complete article, click here.

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Stuart Rothenberg reports today that the Federal Elections Commission has ruled to allow Members of Congress to accept “soft money” contributions to use on redistricting activities.  For more information on how this ruling will affect the upcoming redistricting efforts, visit The Rothenberg Report.

The Washington Post’s David Broder has an excellent column this morning regarding the political implications of the ongoing United States Census.   Mr. Broder points out that the demographics in this country have changed immensely since the 2000 Census, and the consequences will be felt when redistricting occurs. 

He writes:

At the same time, the metro areas have become more diverse. The study suggests that we have to think about replacing old categories such as the Sun Belt or the Rust Belt with a seven-way categorization of the places where most Americans live — depending on overall growth rates, diversity, and levels of income and education.

As the report notes, “viewing metropolitan America through this lens offers a more nuanced view of the country and its variable challenges than conventional regional generalizations. The South, for instance, counts at least one member in each of the seven metropolitan categories, as very different demographic destinies confront Atlanta versus Augusta, or Miami versus Palm Bay.”

Washington is one of only nine metro areas where the decade’s population growth, diversity and educational attainment all have exceeded the national average. The other eight are all west of the Mississippi, concentrated in Texas and found also in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, California and Washington state.

At the other end of the scales are the 18 low-growth, low-diversity, low-educational areas centered on the old industrial cities along the Great Lakes and spreading into the Northeast and the Southeast.

The report suggests that future political conflicts may well develop along the lines of demarcation between the growth areas and those lagging in population. But it also uncovers political struggles between the aging populations, ill-accommodated in many suburbs, and the young populations expanding into those same suburbs.

For Mr. Broder’s full column, please click here.

Today is Primary Election Day in Ohio.  Voters statewide will go to the polls today to decide several statewide and local issues, in addition to choosing candidates for the November General Election.  Some key races to watch include Issue 1, the Third Frontier Bond Issue, Issue 2, the Casino Relocation Issue, the Republican Primary for Auditor of State, and the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate.

• The state program which allows inmates from state prisons to work at the Governor’s Residence has become too lenient under Gov. Strickland, according to a report by Inspector General Tom Charles. [Columbus Dispatch]
• Meanwhile, the falling out over a “sting” operation at the Governor’s Residence continues, with Gov. Strickland dismissing a recent Inspector General’s report. [Columbus Dispatch]
• U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown is calling for stricter regulation of Wall Street, despite resistance from the Obama Administration. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]
• Desperate to stop the oil leak which is already washing up on the Southern coast of the U.S., BP has proposed a new plan of action. [New York Times]
• At least 28 deaths have been reported in severe flooding in Tennessee and other parts of the South. [Washington Post]

The Ohio Department of Taxation has issued a schedule of tax workshops designed for small businesses that will be held at several locations in Ohio in 2010.

These workshops are free and are sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service and the Ohio Department of Taxation. They provide a general overview of business taxes and taxpayer responsibilities. Most workshops are being offered in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Development’s Small Business Development Centers.

Please click here for additional information, the workshop schedule, and points of contact for registration.

• A new Quinnipiac poll shows the Ohio Governor and U.S. Senate races are very close, heading into the May 4 Primary. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]
• Governor Ted Strickland has released his tax returns for the last 4 years, and has encouraged challenger John Kasich to do the same.  Gov. Strickland has publically questioned Mr. Kasich’s ties to former Wall Street giant Lehman Brothers. [Columbus Dispatch]
• Governor Ted Strickland came out in opposition to the recently-passed immigration law in Arizona. [Columbus Dispatch]
• One of the most intriguing Congressional primaries in Ohio, in the 18th district, has produced questions about whether the local Republican Party has endorsed a candidate. [Columbus Dispatch]
• Senator George Voinovich called for an increase in the federal gas tax, in order to raise money for bridge and road projects, which he believes will provide an immediate spike in jobs and infrastructure improvement. [Columbus Dispatch]
• Initial estimates for the underwater oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, have gone from 1,000 barrels per day to 5,000 barrels per day.  BP is working to fix the leak, but the oil slick is expected to begin washing up on the Louisiana shore as early as tomorrow evening. [New York Times]
• Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate ended their filibuster on the Wall Street Reform bill, and will allow debate on the bill to begin on the floor of the Senate. [Washington Post]

News from around Ohio:

• After a week of running television ads, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher appears to have built a substantial lead over Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.  However, over one-third of voters remain undecided. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]
• Cuyahoga County Treasurer Jim Rokakis has removed his name from consideration for the newly-created position of Cuyahoga County Executive. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]
• Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray sent a letter to members of the U.S. Senate in support of the push for Wall Street reform, and asked the Senate to maintain the power of Attorneys General to police Wall Street. [Columbus Dispatch]

News from around the Country:

• Goldman Sachs exectuives faced 11 hours of questioning by U.S. Senators over their role in the derivative scheme which led to a civil suit being filed by the SEC against the company. [Washington Post]
• Among the options being considered to control the oil leak found Saturday in the Gulf of Mexico is a controlled burn of the surface oil, to prevent it from damaging the Louisiana coastline. [New York Times]
• Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will be in Boston this afternoon to make an official announcement on plans to build a wind farm near Cape Cod, Massachussetts.  Local residents are concerned the project could become an eyesore. [New York Times]

This week the Federal government turns its focus to Wall Street, while the State of Ohio prepares for the final week of campaigning for the May 4 Primary Election.

• Yesterday Senate Democrats were unable to gather the supermajority required for cloture to begin debate on a Financial Regulations Bill. [Washington Post]
• Goldman Sachs executives will testify before a Senate Panel on Investigations regarding the recent suit filed against the company by the Securities and Exchange Commission. [New York Times]
• Republican candidates for State Auditor David Yost and Seth Morgan have both prepared television ads for the final week of the campaign. [Dayton Daily News]
• Census return rates in Ohio surged ahead of national averages in recent weeks. [Toledo Blade]

• The State of Ohio lost nearly half a billion dollars investing in Lehman Brothers, according to state records. [Columbus Dispatch]
• More Ohioans are enrolling and completing college degrees. [Dayton Daily News]
• The Hamilton County Republican Party has decided not to endorse candidates in primary races, even in the case of incumbents. [Cincinnati Enquirer]
• Around the country, school districts are facing the possibility of teacher layoffs. [New York Times]