Leadership

General Assembly Contemplates Veto Overrides

Members of the Ohio House and Senate have said their farewells and all but formally adjourned sine die. They are awaiting a chance to override vetoes issued by Governor John Kasich this week.

One bill the governor vetoed would expand gun rights. The legislature sent another bill to the governor last week that included a pay raise for legislators and other officials as well as language to create the “Innovate Ohio” office requested by Governor-elect DeWine. The governor has suggested he will veto that bill also.

In anticipation of Kasich’s vetoes, the House and Senate have scheduled unusual session dates for the week after Christmas. December 27 and 28, for the purpose of overriding the Kasich vetoes.

Meanwhile a frosty leadership election in the House continues to languish as the House Dean, Rep. Jim Butler (R-Dayton) refuses to honor House traditions and call a caucus meeting of newly elected House members to elect a Speaker. Happy Holidays from the Statehouse! 12/20/2018

OMA Members Express Concern re. Proposed Food Label Mandate

This week OMA and a number of its food and beverage manufacturing members sent a letter Rep. Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township) outlining concerns with potential legislation that would mandate certain food date labels in Ohio.

The concerned members wrote: “The labeling issues you seek to address are shared nationwide. As you know, food standards and labeling are under the purview of the federal government and significant regulation is on the books of the FDA and USDA. As such, a state-by-state patchwork of label regulations will add complexity, cost, waste and confusion. Many food manufacturers have operations in multiple states. You can appreciate how costly compliance could become with state-specific regulation.”

Please contact OMA’s Rob Brundrett for more information or if you have any questions. OMA will continue to engage with members on this issue in the next General Assembly starting in January. 12/20/2018

Hill Sworn in to 20th Senate District

Last week Brian Hill (R-Zanesville) was sworn in as the Ohio Senate’s 20^th District member after the Senate Republicans unanimously voted to approve the screening committee’s recommendation.

Hill fills the vacancy created by Congressman Troy Balderson who vacated his senate seat after winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

The 20^th Senate District encompasses Fairfield, Guernsey, Hocking, Morgan and Muskingum counties, as well as parts of Athens and Pickaway counties.

Hill is a former state representative and county commissioner. He raises beef cattle and grows crops at a family farm that he co-owns and has managed with his father since 1980. 12/20/2018

New NAM Outlook Survey: 2018 Marks Highest Year of Manufacturer Optimism; Workforce Shortage Looms

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) this week released the results of its Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey for the fourth quarter of 2018, which shows manufacturers’ optimism for the year reached the highest level on record in the 20-year history of the survey. On average this year, 92.4 percent of manufacturers surveyed reported a positive outlook for their companies.

The inability to attract and retain a quality workforce remained manufacturers’ top concern (68.2 percent) in the fourth quarter, followed by increased raw material costs and trade uncertainties.

“This year was one for the record books, with manufacturers’ average optimism for 2018 hitting an all-time high,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “Empowered by tax reform and regulatory certainty, manufacturers are keeping our promise to expand our operations, hire new workers and raise wages and benefits. But as this survey also shows, we face challenges, most seriously the workforce crisis. We have more than half a million jobs to fill right now—and by 2028, as many as 2.4 million could go unfilled if we don’t equip more Americans to take on these high-tech, high-paying careers.”

Subscribe to OMA’s Workforce Community to make sure you’re seeing opportunities to engage. 12/20/2018

Leading Business Groups Urge Speaker Vote

The OMA joined with five other leading Ohio business groups in urging the Ohio House Republican caucus to elect a Speaker and get on with the people’s business.

In a letter to the caucus, the groups wrote: “As leaders of Ohio’s largest statewide business organizations, we are writing to express our collective concern over the lack of a vote scheduled for Speaker of the Ohio House.

“As you well know, the void in office of the Speaker is preventing the House from preparing for the next General Assembly and aligning its policy priorities with the Governor-elect, the other statewide office holders, and the newly-elected members of the House.

“Should this impasse continue, the House will be forced to spend the first month of the DeWine Administration dealing with internal administrative tasks instead of tending to the business of the citizens of Ohio, including policy matters important to economic investment, job creation and retention.”

The groups urged an immediate vote on the speakership. 2/13/2018

Unions Ask Democrats to Vote for Republican Householder

Labor union leaders are reportedly asking Democrats in the Ohio House of Representatives to vote for Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford), a Republican, in the upcoming election for the next Speaker of the House.

Apparently, Householder has promised the unions that he’d support a pro-labor agenda in the Republican-controlled House.

Householder is contesting Speaker Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell) for the speakership for the next session. 12/13/2018

Governor-Elect DeWine Acting Quickly on Cabinet Appointments

Governor-elect DeWine is moving quickly to develop his cabinet. This week he made a number of nominations.

In agencies of interest to Ohio manufacturers, DeWine appointed:

• Sheryl Creed Maxfield as director of the Department of Commerce. Maxfield served eight years as chief counsel to DeWine in the attorney general’s office. She has worked in the attorney general’s office since 1984.
• Kimberly Murnieks as director of the Office of Budget Management. She is DeWine’s chief operating officer in the attorney general’s office. She formerly was executive director of the Department of Education, where she managed the Center for School Options and Finance.
• Matthew Donahue was appointed chief legal counsel to the governor. Donahue is chief of the attorney general’s special prosecutions unit. He formerly was a special prosecutor who worked on opioid and drug cases. 12/13/2018

OMA 2019 Policy Committee Meetings: Ready for You to Register

OMA policy committee meetings provide opportunities for you to work with colleagues, subject matter experts, policymakers and government agency staff to gain information and set policy priorities for Ohio manufacturers. Attend in person or by phone.

OMA has five standing policy committees: energy, environment, government affairs, safety & workers’ compensation, and tax.

See the 2019 dates for all committees. To make sure you receive committee notices and related materials in your inbox, go to My OMA to subscribe to the communities that will enhance your superpowers. 12/13/2018

Last Chance to Get in on Statewide Manufacturers’ Survey

MAGNET, one of Ohio’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership organizations, is conducting a statewide manufacturing survey.

Consider spending 15 minutes to take the survey.

The survey provides an opportunity to benchmark your company against other Ohio manufacturers. Plus, your responses can influence how legislators and key stakeholders make decisions. Responses are confidential.

The survey deadline is December 15. If you participate, you can choose to receive one of 12 different business books, and our sponsors will donate $5 to Harvest for Hunger. 12/11/2018

Scotts Miracle-Gro to Host Forum on Ohio’s New Cybersecurity Legislation

Scotts Miracle-Gro will host a forum of the Association of Corporate Counsel on January 10 in Marysville to discuss Ohio’s new cybersecurity legislation, Senate Bill 220.

This first-of-its-kind legislation could change the cybersecurity landscape for many companies. Companies that adopt and comply with a written cybersecurity program that conforms to one of several available industry information security control frameworks are entitled to an affirmative defense against tort actions brought in and under the laws of the State of Ohio.

An expert panel including Lewis Dolezal from Scotts Miracle-Gro, who played an integral role in ensuring manufacturers’ interests were reflected in the bill, will discuss the legislation and its benefits for Ohio businesses.

For more information and to register click here. 12/13/2018