House Agriculture Committee sets hearing rules, appoints Ranking Member Joe Miller as secretary

Chairman Jerry Creech of the Ohio House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday outlined procedures for committee hearings, public testimony and amendment submission, and appointed Ranking Member Joe Miller as the committee secretary without objection.

Creech said public testimony and witness slips must be submitted as PDFs to the chair’s office at least 24 hours before a meeting, testimony will be limited to five minutes per speaker, and each committee member will have one initial question with a single follow-up before other members ask additional questions. He also directed that proposed amendments or substitute bills be submitted to the chair’s office by 4 p.m. the day before a committee meeting so they can be shared with members and caucus policy advisers.

The chair emphasized coordination across the committee, saying members and staff should route amendment requests through a bill sponsor. The committee’s staffing appointment came next: “Without objection, ranking member Miller will be appointed as secretary of the committee,” Creech said, and the committee recorded no objections.

The rules and the secretary appointment were made at the start of the committee’s informal hearings. The chair said he expects members to work together and signaled flexibility in who conducts the opening prayer for future meetings.

No formal vote record beyond the unanimous consent appointment was recorded in the transcript. The committee then proceeded to invited testimony on House Bill 96 and other agency budget presentations.