Dear Allison,

March started off with a rush to catch up from the February

snow days, and that energy carried through the entire
month! We made significant progress on several priorities
at the Statehouse, and I spent lots of time listening
to people in the district about their concerns.

My 2010 Listening Tour is off to a great start. Since

March 4th, I have held 18 community meetings and 4
roundtable discussions, and heard from many of you about local issues and
thought-provoking ideas to improve our communities. I’ve also been able
to help people find resources to solve individual concerns and problems. I
am looking forward to continuing the tour – if I haven’t seen you at an event
yet, I hope to see you soon.

If you haven't completed your Census 2010 form yet--please do. Funding for
local infrastructure and representation in Congress is based on
Census data. It's important that everyone be counted, so that we don't miss
out on opportunities for our region!

I have also been busy working on legislation to create jobs,

promote clean energy and help small businesses. On March 16th, I
introduced House Bill 464 to promote wind and solar energy production in
Ohio. The bill will provide a tax exemption for wind and solar facilities built
in Ohio if they directly employ Ohio workers – to get the credit,
construction must start by the end of this year, to put people back to work as
quickly as possible.

I also introduced House Bill 469 in March. The bill would offer a
nonrefundable credit of up to $250 on Ohio income taxes to help with the
cost of a home energy audit. Home energy audits can identify ways to save
money on your utility bills and promote energy efficiency. The bill is the
result of months of work and enjoys bipartisan support.

There are many exciting events happening across the district in April. Some
days, I wish I could be in three places at once! Be sure to check out the
events section of this edition for events with me and other events which we
have been told about. If you would like us to include your event in the next
E-news (May 1st), please let me, or my aide Christopher, know.

This month, I have been invited to tour the three state nature preserves in
my district. Would you like to join me? The tour will be on April 24th and will
include Boords, Acadia Cliffs and Desonier State Nature Preserves. If you are
interested in coming along, please let me know and I will get the details to
you as they're finalized. This tour has been organized by David Horn, a
retired farmer from New Marshfield, and should be an excellent opportunity
for some fresh air and a chance to learn more about our state nature
preserves.

And finally, I hope you will visit me during my April In-District Office Hours,
on Thursday April 15th from 11am to 1p at the Nelsonville Public
Library. This is a chance for us to talk about your concerns, including any
problems you may be having dealing with a state agency.

As always, if you have questions, thoughts or concerns on matters before the

Ohio legislature; or if you need assistance with a state government agency,
please contact my office.

PS. You can always visit my Facebook page for updates throughout the
week about happenings at the Statehouse and in the district.

Legislative News:

Ohio House OKs texting-while-driving ban: By an overwhelming

bipartisan 86-12 vote, the Ohio House on Wednesday, March 24, approved
legislation banning text messaging while driving. (more)

PASSPORT program ends waiting list – more elderly to receive In-

Home care: The expansion of Ohio’s Passport services geared to providing
long-term care to Medicare eligible residents over 60, means that some
Meigs Countians currently on a waiting list can now relax. They can know
they will be provided the necessary services they need to make it possible
for them to remain in their own homes instead of going into a nursing home.
Governor Ted Strickland has called for an end to Ohio’s waiting list for
Passport services (more)
 Official April Events with Representative Phillips
Please contact my office if you would like more information on any of these events

Office Hours in Nelsonville- April 15th, 10:00am to 12:00pm

Nature Preserve Tour (Public Encouraged to attend) – April 24th 10:00am to
4:00pm
2010 Listening Tour: The Plains, Tuppers Plains, Chester, Portland,
Stockport, Chesterhill, Barlow and Bartlett (see schedule here)

Other events we’ve heard about

Morgan Local Archers Open House/Fundraiser – April 9th, 6:00pm to 8:00pm,
Morgan Junior High School
Chester Shade Benefit Dinner – April 9th, 6:30pm to 8:30pm, Meigs High
School
Meigs Chamber of Commerce Mardi Gras Dinner – April 10th, 6:00pm to
9:00pm, Kountry Resort
Athens Walk MS – April 17th, 9:00am, Athens Community Center
Walk for Echoing Hills Residential Center – April 24th, 10:00am to 12:00pm
Rural Action Adventure Auction Fundraiser – April 24th, 6:00pm to 9:00pm,
Hocking College Student Center
Coalition Of Rural Appalachian Schools (CORAS) Meeting – April 27th, 9:00am
to 12:00pm, OU Inn
Shade Community Center Chinese Auction – May 1st, 11:00am to 2:00pm,
Shade Community Center

Spotlight: Tax Information and Assistance

Ohio Department of Taxation: The Ohio Department of Taxation

administers personal and business taxes. You can find all the necessary
forms and information for filing your taxes on their website. You can also E-
File online at their website. Filing electronically saves you and the
department time and processes your return much faster than paper filing.

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): The credit provides low-income

individuals and families with a refundable tax credit based on their income;
families making up $48,279 are eligible for the credit, based on how various
factors. At least 1 in 5 Ohioans is eligible for this federal credit, but
estimates say that over 25% of Ohioans who qualify, don’t apply for it. You
can find out more information from the Ohio Treasurer’s office here.

Free Tax Filing Services: This list, from Ohio Treasurer Kevin Boyce, is an
excellent source of information for local organizations which provide free tax
filing assistance. Also, the Ohio Benefit Bank (OBB) provides free filing
services for taxes as well as other assistance programs. If you are eligible
for the EITC, you are eligible for free filing as well!

If you have questions regarding your taxes or about filing, I encourage you to
contact the Department of Taxation (here) or any of the above organizations.
If you have difficulty contacting them or your questions/concerns are not
answered, my office can assist you in working further with any state
department.

To view the print edition of the April 2010 newsletter, please click
here (works best with high-speed internet, may take a minute to load)

Previous editions of ‘Spotlight’:

Ohio Utility Assistance 2009/2010 - here
Small Business and Entrepreneurial Resources - here
Advanced Energy and Energy Efficiency in Ohio - here

To view any of our recent communications releases, click on the

links below:
March 2010 E-News (Third Frontier/Listening Tour/Small Business Assistance)
- here
Rep Phillips Introduces bill to promote Energy Efficiency - here
Rep Phillips Releases 2010 Listening Tour Schedule – here
Rep Phillips Applauds Passages of HB 198 - here
State Rep. Debbie Phillips Announces Investments in Local Research and
Development Activities- here

Contact Information:
Representative Debbie Phillips
Riffe Center, 11th Floor
77 S High St, Columbus OH 43215
Phone: (614) 466-2158
Fax: (614) 719-6992
District92@ohr.state.oh.us

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