Armond Budish
Encyclopedia
Armond D. Budish is the Democratic
representative for the 8th district of the Ohio House of Representatives
. First elected into service during the 127th General Assembly
of 2007, he was re-elected in the 128th, where he served as Speaker of the House. He is the first Jewish representative in his state's history to hold that office.
Before his entry into politics in 2006, he was an attorney specializing in consumer and elder law with Budish, Solomon, Steiner & Peck and has written several books and many articles on the subject.
(cum laude) in 1974 from Swarthmore College
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was a political science
major. He then went on to complete a Juris Doctor
degree from New York University School of Law
. In 1993, he founded the law firm Budish, Solomon, Steiner, & Peck, of which he continues to be a partner. During that time Budish became nationally recognized for his work in the field of consumer law, estate planning, and elder law.
from the 8th District, which includes parts of Cleveland, Ohio
, and some of the city's eastern neighbors. He was re-elected in 2008 and was chosen Speaker of the House by his peers in January 2009, becoming the first Jewish Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. His main focus in the 128th General Assembly was job creation in the difficult economic conditions of 2009. To that end, he created several new committees, including Economic Development and Housing & Urban Revitalization.
Budish faced mounting criticism from opponents in February 2010 for not allowing the National Right to Life Oratory Contest winner to receive an honorary resolution on the House floor. However, he soon reversed his decision and allowed for the award to be given. He also was criticized for colluding with progressive political action committees in the 2010 election cycle. Charges on the matter were later dropped.
With the Republicans regaining control of the State House in 2010, Armond Budish lost a second term as House Speaker, and was replaced by William G. Batchelder
. He was chosen to remain as Minority Leader with the approval of his colleagues. On January 3, 2011 Budish was sworn in as minority leader, and pledged cooperation with Republicans. He stated he would be available "to help you and to help your colleagues forge the essential, equitable, bipartisan solutions to the economic and social problems Ohio faces." However, Budish has also acknowledged that he believes that the Republican Party is motivated to annihilate the Democratic
voting base, and is out to make Ohio a one party state. Along with his duties as leader, Budish also serves the ranking member of the Rules and Reference Committee. Budish is also a member of the Ohio Arts Council; a member of the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee; the Ohio Legislative Service Commission; the Program Committee of Ohio Government Telecommunications; and the Legislative Task Force on Redistricting, Reapportionment, and Demographic Research.
's JobsOhio measure. "It would be reckless to rush through the legislature, in a secretive process, a bill that will apparently give private businesses control over millions of taxpayer dollars with little to no oversight", he said. With 100 days into the 129th Ohio General Assembly
, Budish stated that the Republican agenda demonstrated how out of touch they were with middle class
Ohioans.
Fiscal issues
He has called the 2012–2013 Kasich budget proposal "horrific" and said they will have a "terrible" impact on all Ohioans. He has said a proposed $1 billion cut in local government funds will mean local officials will have to slash their budgets and cut police and firefighters. He called a proposed $3 billion reduction in basic funding for schools "horrific" and predicted it would force districts to cut teacher salaries and positions and increase the size of some classes to 50 students or more.
He also pointed to developments in Florida
, where newly elected Gov. Rick Scott fired the president of a similar public-private entity and has proposed to consolidate economic development operations into a reinstated Department of Commerce. Despite Democrats' concerns, the bill ended up passing the House. "We've said basically, 'You have the authority to contract with the Department of Development to do anything under the sun that the department could do, including spending all this money,'" he said after the bill passed. "Mr. Kvamme (JobsOhio director) may be very influential, but to think that he's going to move businesses to Ohio by his golden tongue is not what this bill's about. It's to develop packages where he can spend money, he can offer grants, he can give loans, he can make investments in businesses," he said. "And he's using taxpayer money to do that."
Budish has also remained vocal on an initiative to move a Cuyahoga County mental health facility to Northfield, Ohio
. "I think it's a disservice to the families to build it anywhere else -- 90 percent of the families are Cleveland families," he said. "You can't just go back and forth on a whim."
Collective bargaining
A leader in the fight against a bill that eliminated portions of collective bargaining
for public employees, Budish had promised to "fight like hell" against the passage of the measure. He also has come out against a measure to limit or eliminate overtime pay for any employee of a private company in Ohio. Budish, along with fellow Democrats
delivered over 65,000 signed signatures against the bill to the committee that was hearing the legislation. The bill went on to pass the House, and was concurred upon in the Senate. Budish stated it was an attack on something that helped to raise up the working poor over a period of thirty years.
In August 2011, Kasich and Republican leaders, fearing that the repeal effort could potential overturn the bill, sought to bring organized labor leaders together. However, those against the measures opted to not meet with the Governor unless the entire legislation was repealed. As a result, Budish drafted legislation that would effectively overturn Senate Bill 5. He has urged on a vote from Speaker of the House William G. Batchelder
to repeal the bill.
Social issues
Demonstrating outrage over a measure that looks to require a photo ID to vote, Budish has called it a modern day poll tax
that will unfairly harm impoverished, minority and handicapped voters at the polls. He has called the bill “partisan attack on the right to vote.”
Education
Budish has also opposed an initiative to allow for the return of five calamity
days to schools, mostly due to an unfunded mandate
that requires public schools to provide transportation to non-public schools on said days.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
representative for the 8th district of the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
. First elected into service during the 127th General Assembly
Ohio House of Representatives, 127th General Assembly
The 127th General Assembly comprised the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. The House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly. Every two years, all of the house seats come up for election. The 127th General Assembly was in session in 2007 and 2008...
of 2007, he was re-elected in the 128th, where he served as Speaker of the House. He is the first Jewish representative in his state's history to hold that office.
Before his entry into politics in 2006, he was an attorney specializing in consumer and elder law with Budish, Solomon, Steiner & Peck and has written several books and many articles on the subject.
Career
Budish received his Bachelor's DegreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
(cum laude) in 1974 from Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was a political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
major. He then went on to complete a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from New York University School of Law
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
. In 1993, he founded the law firm Budish, Solomon, Steiner, & Peck, of which he continues to be a partner. During that time Budish became nationally recognized for his work in the field of consumer law, estate planning, and elder law.
Ohio House of Representatives
In 2006, after both of his sons left for college, he made the decision to run for public office, and was elected to the Ohio House of RepresentativesOhio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
from the 8th District, which includes parts of Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, and some of the city's eastern neighbors. He was re-elected in 2008 and was chosen Speaker of the House by his peers in January 2009, becoming the first Jewish Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. His main focus in the 128th General Assembly was job creation in the difficult economic conditions of 2009. To that end, he created several new committees, including Economic Development and Housing & Urban Revitalization.
Budish faced mounting criticism from opponents in February 2010 for not allowing the National Right to Life Oratory Contest winner to receive an honorary resolution on the House floor. However, he soon reversed his decision and allowed for the award to be given. He also was criticized for colluding with progressive political action committees in the 2010 election cycle. Charges on the matter were later dropped.
With the Republicans regaining control of the State House in 2010, Armond Budish lost a second term as House Speaker, and was replaced by William G. Batchelder
William G. Batchelder
William G. Batchelder, III is an American lawyer, judge, and politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. He is a Republican.He is the husband of Judge Alice Batchelder, currently a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.-Early life and education:Batchelder was born...
. He was chosen to remain as Minority Leader with the approval of his colleagues. On January 3, 2011 Budish was sworn in as minority leader, and pledged cooperation with Republicans. He stated he would be available "to help you and to help your colleagues forge the essential, equitable, bipartisan solutions to the economic and social problems Ohio faces." However, Budish has also acknowledged that he believes that the Republican Party is motivated to annihilate the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
voting base, and is out to make Ohio a one party state. Along with his duties as leader, Budish also serves the ranking member of the Rules and Reference Committee. Budish is also a member of the Ohio Arts Council; a member of the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee; the Ohio Legislative Service Commission; the Program Committee of Ohio Government Telecommunications; and the Legislative Task Force on Redistricting, Reapportionment, and Demographic Research.
Policies, positions and initiatives
In his first term as minority leader, Budish has expressed concern about the rapid pace GOP leaders set for action on Ohio Governor John KasichJohn Kasich
John Richard Kasich is the 69th and current Governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1983 to 2001...
's JobsOhio measure. "It would be reckless to rush through the legislature, in a secretive process, a bill that will apparently give private businesses control over millions of taxpayer dollars with little to no oversight", he said. With 100 days into the 129th Ohio General Assembly
129th Ohio General Assembly
The 129th Ohio General Assembly is the current legislative body of the state of Ohio for 2010 and 2011. While Ted Strickland was Ohio Governor for the first week of the biennium, John Kasich was sworn in during the second week...
, Budish stated that the Republican agenda demonstrated how out of touch they were with middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
Ohioans.
Fiscal issues
He has called the 2012–2013 Kasich budget proposal "horrific" and said they will have a "terrible" impact on all Ohioans. He has said a proposed $1 billion cut in local government funds will mean local officials will have to slash their budgets and cut police and firefighters. He called a proposed $3 billion reduction in basic funding for schools "horrific" and predicted it would force districts to cut teacher salaries and positions and increase the size of some classes to 50 students or more.
He also pointed to developments in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where newly elected Gov. Rick Scott fired the president of a similar public-private entity and has proposed to consolidate economic development operations into a reinstated Department of Commerce. Despite Democrats' concerns, the bill ended up passing the House. "We've said basically, 'You have the authority to contract with the Department of Development to do anything under the sun that the department could do, including spending all this money,'" he said after the bill passed. "Mr. Kvamme (JobsOhio director) may be very influential, but to think that he's going to move businesses to Ohio by his golden tongue is not what this bill's about. It's to develop packages where he can spend money, he can offer grants, he can give loans, he can make investments in businesses," he said. "And he's using taxpayer money to do that."
Budish has also remained vocal on an initiative to move a Cuyahoga County mental health facility to Northfield, Ohio
Northfield, Ohio
Northfield is a village in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,827 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Northfield is located at ....
. "I think it's a disservice to the families to build it anywhere else -- 90 percent of the families are Cleveland families," he said. "You can't just go back and forth on a whim."
Collective bargaining
A leader in the fight against a bill that eliminated portions of collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
for public employees, Budish had promised to "fight like hell" against the passage of the measure. He also has come out against a measure to limit or eliminate overtime pay for any employee of a private company in Ohio. Budish, along with fellow Democrats
Ohio Democratic Party
The Ohio Democratic Party is the Ohio affiliate to the United States Democratic Party. Former Ohio House Minority Leader Chris Redfern is the Ohio Democratic Party chairman. Redfern was elected to office in December 2005...
delivered over 65,000 signed signatures against the bill to the committee that was hearing the legislation. The bill went on to pass the House, and was concurred upon in the Senate. Budish stated it was an attack on something that helped to raise up the working poor over a period of thirty years.
In August 2011, Kasich and Republican leaders, fearing that the repeal effort could potential overturn the bill, sought to bring organized labor leaders together. However, those against the measures opted to not meet with the Governor unless the entire legislation was repealed. As a result, Budish drafted legislation that would effectively overturn Senate Bill 5. He has urged on a vote from Speaker of the House William G. Batchelder
William G. Batchelder
William G. Batchelder, III is an American lawyer, judge, and politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. He is a Republican.He is the husband of Judge Alice Batchelder, currently a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.-Early life and education:Batchelder was born...
to repeal the bill.
Social issues
Demonstrating outrage over a measure that looks to require a photo ID to vote, Budish has called it a modern day poll tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
that will unfairly harm impoverished, minority and handicapped voters at the polls. He has called the bill “partisan attack on the right to vote.”
Education
Budish has also opposed an initiative to allow for the return of five calamity
Calamity
Calamity may refer to:* A disaster, a terrible event* Al-Qaria , the 101st sura of the Qur'an* Calamity Jane, a nineteenth century American frontierwoman** Calamity Jane , a 1953 film based on the person...
days to schools, mostly due to an unfunded mandate
Unfunded mandate
In United States law and politics, unfunded mandates are regulations or conditions for receiving grants that impose costs on state or local governments or private entities for which they are not reimbursed by the federal government....
that requires public schools to provide transportation to non-public schools on said days.
See also
- List of Speakers of the Ohio House of Representatives
- Budish, Solomon, Steiner, & Peck, Ltd., Armond Budish biography, 2009. Accessed 16 June 2009.
- Karfeld, Marilyn H., "Budish 1st Jewish speaker as Dems take Ohio House", Cleveland Jewish News, 7 November 2008. Accessed 16 June 2009.
- Naymik, Mark, "Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish's dual role on Medicaid issue: government cost-cutter, advocate for elderly", The Plain Dealer, 4 June 2009. Accessed 16 June 2009.
- Ohio Democratic Party, "Armand Budish Speaker of the House", 2009. Accessed 16 June 2009.
- Ohio Historical Society, Rep. Armond Budish (D-OH 8th District). Accessed 21 May 2009.
- Ohio House Of Representatives, Armond Budish, Speaker of the House, 2009. Accessed 16 June 2009.
- Siegel, Jim "New House speaker has come a long way", Columbus Dispatch, 19 November 2008. Accessed 21 May 2009.
- Swarthmore College Alumni Bulletin, "Planning on aging? Start today", November 1996. Accessed 21 May 2009.