The Ohio Architects Board (est. 1929) and the Ohio Landscape Architects Board (est. 1965) are responsible for the regulation of their respective professional practices. While there are two boards, there is one budget. Luther Liggett Jr., (pictured), a partner with Kohrman/Jackson/Krantz, will lobby on behalf of keeping the Landscape Architecture Board in Ohio as a separate board.

While the Ohio ASLA chapter (OCASLA) reports the Ohio state budget proposed amendment to merge the Ohio Architects Board and the Ohio Landscape Architects Board was defeated this past summer, the chapter is concerned the sunset review committee may recommend a merger.

Sunset committees are tasked with reviewing state boards and commissions to see if they should continue to receive funding, be eliminated, or be consolidated with other boards.

The Ohio Sunset Committee has the task of reviewing about 400 boards before it presents final recommendations and meets its own sunset date of Dec. 31, 2016. In the last sunset review (2011), 85 boards and commissions were eliminated, a budget savings of $6.7 million.

Under the Ohio Revised Code, the Ohio Sunset Committee was directed to meet no later than 30 days after the first day of the first regular session of the 131st general assembly, which would have been Feb. 5, 2015. The committee's first meeting, however, was not held until Oct. 22, eight months late. The delay was because the governor had not made three appointments to the 9-member board. The board is required to have three House members, three from the Senate, and three governor appointees.

According to Ohio Watchdog.org, the governor appointed Brian Perera (assistant vice-president for state relations, Ohio State University Office of Government Affairs), and Megan Fitzmartin (director of boards and commissions for Gov. Kasich) on Sept. 16. The governor has yet to name the third member. The standing committee members are Senators Capri Cafaro, Kris Jordan (vice chairman) and Chris Widener; and Reps. Tim Brown (chairman), Nick Celebreeze and Ron Amstutz. Cafaro and Celebreeze are Democrats; the others are Republicans.

The committee's first order of business is to determined the 20 groups most likely to be reauthorized, and a list of agencies to be reviewed 60 days after that.

To protect the Landscape Architecture Board, OCASLA formed a lobbyist search committee. It examined four candidates and unanimously selecting Luther Liggett Jr. of Kohrman/Jackson/Krantz to represent OCASLA for three months (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31, 2016). That representation will cost $6,000, not including any incidental expenses. Note: $105 of a OCASLA member's dues goes to the chapter, $20 of which goes into the lobby account each year.

Liggett, along with Amy Kobe of the licensure board, will act to communicate OCASLA's case to the sunset committee that the architecture and landscape architecture boards should remain separate.