SCHOOL FUNDING--House Minority Leader Jack Ford, D-Toledo, left, and Senate Minority Leader Leigh Herington, D-Ravenna, exit Gov. Bob Taft's office after meeting with Taft, Senate President Richard Finan, R-Cincinnati, and House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, to discuss a plan to fund public schools, at the Ohio Statehouse, in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, March 27, 2001. (JACK KUSTRON/photoj.com)

GAS BILL--Rep. Lynn Olman, R-Maumee, gestures as he speaks in favor of legislation that would ease the state's natural gas crunch and provide lower income families with financial relief, at the Ohio Statehouse,in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, March 27, 2001. Olman is chairman of the Public Utilities Committee. (JACK KUSTRON/photoj.com)

CRACKING DOWN ON CRANK--Rep. Jeff Manning, R-North Ridgeville, speaks in favor of his sponsored legislation that would increase penalities for the illegal manufacturing of methamphetamines, at the Ohio Statehouse,in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, March 27, 2001. (JACK KUSTRON/photoj.com)

SCHOOL FUNDING--House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, speaks with reporters concerning the progress made in meetings with Gov. Bob Taft and Senate President Richard Finan to solve the school-funding dilemma, at the Ohio Statehouse, in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, March 27, 2001. Democratic leaders Rep. Jack Ford and Sen. Leigh Herington sat-in on today's meeting . (JACK KUSTRON/photoj.com)