Seitz Named Chair of Senate Civil Justice Committee
February 5, 2009
COLUMBUS—Ohio Senate President Bill Harris (R-Ashland) today appointed State Senator Bill Seitz (R-Green Township) to serve as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Civil Justice during the 128th General Assembly.
“Bill is a bright legal mind and an accomplished legislator, who will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to his leadership position on the Civil Justice Committee,” said Harris. “The appointment dovetails nicely with Bill’s recent appointment to Chair the Civil Justice Task Force of the American Legislative Exchange Council.”
Last year, as a member of the Civil Justice Committee, Sen. Seitz sponsored legislation designed to bring greater transparency to the asbestos litigation process, as well as a proposal to ensure that bills passed by the Legislature are explicit about whether private rights of action are intended, in an effort to eliminate confusion in the courts, needless litigation and inconsistent application of the law. Both bills passed the Senate, as did his long-overdue bankruptcy relief legislation and the election law reform bill that was ultimately vetoed by the Governor. In addition, during his term in the Ohio House, Sen. Seitz worked extensively on civil justice issues as a member and as Chair of the House Civil & Commercial Law Committee.
“I would like to thank President Harris for the opportunity to lead this very important committee,” said Seitz. “As chair, I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to build a fair and reasonable civil justice system in Ohio, which balances the rights of victims with efforts to curb frivolous and excessive lawsuits that chase jobs and investment out of our local communities.”
Sen. Seitz will also serve on the Insurance, Commerce & Labor Committee, the Judiciary Committee on Criminal Justice, the State and Local Government & Veterans Affairs Committee and the Senate Finance & Financial Institutions Committee—a position that will be particularly important in the months ahead as the General Assembly works to pass the state budget bill. Only one member of the Senate majority received more standing committee assignments than has Senator Seitz, and only two other Senate majority members have received the same number (6) as Seitz. He thus continues to earn his reputation as Hamilton County’s “workhorse at the Statehouse.”
In addition, Sen. Seitz will serve on a newly-created Senate Committee on Government Oversight, which is meant to provide an appropriate forum for the Legislature to meet its responsibility to serve as a check on the other branches of government. In the aftermath of scandals at the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Attorney General’s Office, this Committee will have the ability to take a closer look at what went wrong and what law changes can be made to prevent abuses of power and misuse of taxpayer dollars in the future.
“Accountability and transparency in state government operations are essential to restoring and maintaining Ohioans’ confidence in the system,” said Seitz. “This new oversight committee will allow the Legislature to provide an important check on other branches of government, while working to strengthen Ohio law to help prevent the future abuse of power and state resources.”
“Bill is a bright legal mind and an accomplished legislator, who will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to his leadership position on the Civil Justice Committee,” said Harris. “The appointment dovetails nicely with Bill’s recent appointment to Chair the Civil Justice Task Force of the American Legislative Exchange Council.”
Last year, as a member of the Civil Justice Committee, Sen. Seitz sponsored legislation designed to bring greater transparency to the asbestos litigation process, as well as a proposal to ensure that bills passed by the Legislature are explicit about whether private rights of action are intended, in an effort to eliminate confusion in the courts, needless litigation and inconsistent application of the law. Both bills passed the Senate, as did his long-overdue bankruptcy relief legislation and the election law reform bill that was ultimately vetoed by the Governor. In addition, during his term in the Ohio House, Sen. Seitz worked extensively on civil justice issues as a member and as Chair of the House Civil & Commercial Law Committee.
“I would like to thank President Harris for the opportunity to lead this very important committee,” said Seitz. “As chair, I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to build a fair and reasonable civil justice system in Ohio, which balances the rights of victims with efforts to curb frivolous and excessive lawsuits that chase jobs and investment out of our local communities.”
Sen. Seitz will also serve on the Insurance, Commerce & Labor Committee, the Judiciary Committee on Criminal Justice, the State and Local Government & Veterans Affairs Committee and the Senate Finance & Financial Institutions Committee—a position that will be particularly important in the months ahead as the General Assembly works to pass the state budget bill. Only one member of the Senate majority received more standing committee assignments than has Senator Seitz, and only two other Senate majority members have received the same number (6) as Seitz. He thus continues to earn his reputation as Hamilton County’s “workhorse at the Statehouse.”
In addition, Sen. Seitz will serve on a newly-created Senate Committee on Government Oversight, which is meant to provide an appropriate forum for the Legislature to meet its responsibility to serve as a check on the other branches of government. In the aftermath of scandals at the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Attorney General’s Office, this Committee will have the ability to take a closer look at what went wrong and what law changes can be made to prevent abuses of power and misuse of taxpayer dollars in the future.
“Accountability and transparency in state government operations are essential to restoring and maintaining Ohioans’ confidence in the system,” said Seitz. “This new oversight committee will allow the Legislature to provide an important check on other branches of government, while working to strengthen Ohio law to help prevent the future abuse of power and state resources.”
