013111 Larry Obhof selected to succeed State Senator Bob Gibbs
By Sharon Haught
January 24, 2011
281
As Bob Gibbs heads to Washington to take his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, there will be a new face in Columbus representing Ohios 22nd Senate District.
Out of the crowded field of 11 candidates who expressed an interest in filling Gibbs unexpired term, Medina County attorney Larry Obhof emerged as the final choice of the panel of Senate Republicans charged with selecting Gibbs successor.
Weve got a lot of challenges in front of us, said Obhof during a visit to Wooster on January 20 and 21 during which he met with local elected officials, educational and business leaders.
Were got our hands full but I think weve got a governor and legislative majorities that are up to the task, said Obhof adding I think weve got the right team for the job.
With the state facing an estimated $8 billion budget shortfall and an economy that has been slow to recover the task will fall to the Ohio General Assembly and newly elected Governor John Kasich to face the budget challenge head on and rebuild Ohios economy.
I think a lot of other states are facing similar challenges right now and those other states dont have the benefit of having a governor who balanced the federal budget, observed Obhof.
I think youre going to see a lot from this particular team, said Obhof noting that the number one priority first and foremost is how are we going to improve the economy in Ohio?
Obhof noted that key legislative priorities will focus on regulatory reform and efforts to cut through red tape to encourage business growth.
Were going to make it easier for people who want to do business here to do it here and were going to make it friendly, more efficient and more effective for people who are already here so they dont feel like they have to go to a different state to get a fair shake, said Obhof.
Obhofs strong academic and professional credentials in public policy matters will bring a unique perspective to some of the most pressing issues facing the state in addition to economic matters such as school funding and health care.
While still in law school Obhof authored a series of professional articles on the DeRolph case in which the Ohio Supreme Court declared the states school funding system unconstitutional.
Obhof has continued his focus on public policy at the Case Western Reserve School of Law where he teaches upper level courses on legislation and as an associate with the Cleveland law firm of Baker and Hostetler, where he is part of a group of public policy specialists representing the National Federation of Independent Business in the Florida litigation that is seeking to overturn the Obama health care legislation.
With the legislature facing so many tough issues Obhof felt the time was right to throw his hat in the ring and be part of the solution.
The reason I decided to seek this seat is because its a pivotal moment for the state, said Obhof adding we have more difficult issues facing us than they probably have had in any session in my lifetime.
I think that I have a lot to add to the legislative process and I wanted to be there when they were making these important decisions to help ensure that we move forward in the right direction, said Obhof.
Sidebar:
Obhof sees economic opportunities for Wayne County
By Sharon Haught
When Larry Obhof takes his seat in the Ohio Senate next month hell be joining a team of state elected officials who are focused on one thing – turning around Ohios economy.
Wayne County could play a major role in those efforts.
After attending the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce annual dinner meeting on January 20 and meeting with local elected officials, educational and business leaders the following day Obhof saw firsthand what Wooster and the surrounding area has to offer.
The county has a great small business community and certainly from last night an amazing chamber of commerce. But I think its also benefitted from people like Jim Carmichael – some good leaders who are focused on doing whats best for the area, said Obhof.
Having grown up on a farm, Obhof says he also appreciates the important role that the agriculture industry plays in the Wayne County and Ohio economy.
A significant new player in the agriculture industry is the emerging biotech market.
During meetings at OARDC Obhof had the opportunity to see for himself the results that can be obtained when the cutting edge research being done at OARDC and the vision of biotech entrepreneurs brings exciting new technologies to market.
The biotech industry is beginning to take hold and Ohio as a whole and Wayne County in particular are on the ground floor of innovation in the biotech industry.
Thats a great opportunity for the area and Ohios economy, said Obhof.
These are the types of things that I think (Governor) John Kasich is going to be looking at, said Obhof adding there is so much opportunity there.
I know a lot of politicians in a lot of different states like to talk about new technology/biotech but the truth is a lot of places just dont have the infrastructure set up for biotech and those kinds of industries. We do, said Obhof.
I think that to the extent that you are looking for those types of investments or startup companies - things like quasar - the opportunity is there. Weve got the brainpower. Weve got the infrastructure. We now have a governor and a lot of leaders in both houses of the legislature who recognize that these are opportunities and we should be taking advantage of them, said Obhof.
For his part, Obhof intends to make sure that projects like the BioHio Research Park and other cutting edge development projects both in Wayne County and throughout the state get the exposure they need to prosper.
(State Representative) Ron Amstutz and I are going to do everything we can to make sure that as the economy rebounds and as people start investing in new technologies that they know that this is out there and if you want to invest in new technologies, do it here, said Obhof.
