Leadership

Still No House Republican Leadership Vote

There still is no scheduled vote on the House Republican leadership due to the continuing effort of Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford) to unseat Speaker Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell).

By tradition, the vote is called by the dean of the caucus. That’s Rep. Jim Butler (R-Oakwood), a Householder supporter. He has yet to act and honor the tradition. 11/28/2018

If You’re Interested in Supporting the DeWine-Husted Inauguration Events …

We’ve received this information about the opportunities that will be available. There are going to be several events leading up to the official inauguration on Monday, January 14, 2019.

If you need further information, contact OMA’s Ryan Augsburger. 11/29/2018

Obhof Elected to Re-Take Senate Reins

On Wednesday night both new and returning Senate Republicans met to informally elect the next Senate President.

It was no surprise that the caucus reelected current Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina) to be its leader.

The straw vote will be formalized by all members on opening day of the 133^rd General Assembly.

Senate Republicans also elected the remainder of the caucus leadership team for the 133^rd by bringing back two current leadership members, Bob Peterson (R-Sabina), as President Pro Tempore, and Randy Gardner (R-Bowling Green), as Majority Floor Leader. They will be joined by Matt Huffman (R-Lima), who was chosen Majority Whip.

House Republicans have yet to hold their informal caucus to determine the Speaker for the upcoming General Assembly. By tradition the dean of the caucus calls the meeting for the informal vote. Jim Butler (R-Oakwood), the current House Republican dean, has yet to indicate when a meeting will be called for the informal vote for House Speaker. 11/15/2018

Congratulations, Governor-Elect DeWine!

Attorney General Mike DeWine led a sweep of the statewide executive offices on Tuesday, a result not anticipated by pollsters (as in 2016).

DeWine won the election against Democrat Rich Cordray with 51.7% of the vote to 46.5% for Cordray.

DeWine will serve in the 70^th gubernatorial term since Ohio was admitted to the Union in 1803. He will be sworn in on January 14, 2019.

DeWine was endorsed by the OMA-PAC board of directors.

Also winning in the statewide races: Dave Yost for Attorney General, Frank LaRose for Secretary of State, Robert Sprague for Treasurer, and Keith Faber for Auditor.

Read an OMA special post-election report. 11/8/2018

Democrats Gain Seats on Supreme Court of Ohio

OMA-PAC endorsed Republican jurists Mary DeGenaro and Craig Baldwin lost their bids to serve on the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Eighth District Court of Appeals Judge Melody Stewart and Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Donnelly prevailed. Donnelly received more votes than gubernatorial contender Rich Cordray.

Court races in Ohio are non-partisan and ballots do not display party affiliation. The high court has been entirely made up of Republicans but will now be 5-2. 11/8/2018

Republicans Retain Sizable Majorities in the General Assembly

Statehouse Democrats were able to gain ground on the significant House Republican majority but lost yet another seat in the Senate adding to the Republicans’ already record majority in that chamber.

While Ohio’s election season played out against the Washington D.C. backdrop, Statehouse Republicans were able to avoid the much anticipated “blue wave” that was sweeping through other states.

When the dust settled House Democrats were able to flip five seats, though they lost one for a net four-seat gain. Democrat House gains were clustered in suburban communities of large metropolitan areas. House Republicans were able to steal one more seat in the Mahoning Valley. The party makeup in the House of Representatives for the 133^rd General Assembly looks to be 62 Republicans and 37 Democrats, down from the 66 supermajority Republicans held in the 132^nd.

Senate Republicans were more successful, gaining a seat in the Mahoning Valley which, if confirmed, will add to their already-record majority. The 3^rd Senate District appears set for mandatory recount with the Republicans leading. If all current winners hang on, for the 133^rd General Assembly, Senate Republicans will hold a commanding 25–8 seat lead. 11/7/2018

Ohio Manufacturers: Weigh In!

A consortium of Ohio organizations including JobsOhio, Kent State University, the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and The Manufacturing Institute at The Ohio State University are fielding a statewide manufacturers’ survey to hear about a broad range of matters affecting manufacturing competitiveness.

The (anonymous) results will be shared with decision-makers in Columbus and Washington, who value seeing data from their districts and constituents. In addition, the results help MEP centers determine opportunities to meet manufacturers’ needs through new service offerings.

You can access the survey here. When you submit your responses, you’ll be able to pick any one of 12 different business books – and receive it free! In addition, the sponsors will make a $5 donation to Harvest for Hunger for every submission.

Responses are accepted through December 15. 11/6/2018

SiteOhio Program Facilitates Build-Ready Sites

Companies looking for the right location to build will have an easier time finding one in Ohio because of SiteOhio, a site authentication program offered by JobsOhio.

This program is unique to Ohio. SiteOhio takes the site certification process further than other state site evaluation programs, putting sites through a comprehensive review and analysis, and granting authentication only to sites that meet specific criteria.

If a property receives SiteOhio authentication, it means that all due diligence studies have been completed; authorizing state and federal entities have reviewed and provided concurrence with the studies’ findings; all major utilities (electric, gas, water, sewer and fiber) are on-site with excess capacity (verified by utility partners); and the sites have been evaluated for compatible surrounding uses.

There are currently 15 authenticated SiteOhio sites ready for investment. Contact Phil Smith at JobsOhio. 11/6/2018

Cordray, Brown Up on Polls

Democrats Rich Cordray and Sherrod Brown are up in the polls going into the contests’ final weekend: Cordray slightly (within the margin of error), Brown by a lot.

RealClear Politics aggregates polling results to get composites in races. It has Cordray up by 2.7%, and Brown up 13.5%.

The DeWine-Cordray race has been a dead heat consistently in this fall’s polling, and the Brown-Renacci race consistently has shown a double digit lead for Brown.

Polls don’t mean a thing; what matters is who votes. Make sure you do (if you have not already). 10/31/2018

272 Members of Congress Earn NAM’s Recognition

To thank members of Congress for their individual efforts during the past two years, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) awards the Manufacturing Legislative Excellence Award.

For the 115th Congress, 272 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have earned this accolade for their consistent support of a pro-manufacturing agenda, which has helped the industry experience a level of growth some thought impossible.

The NAM’s Key Vote Advisory Committee—composed of executives from small, mid-sized and large manufacturing companies—designates the key manufacturing votes to be included in the NAM’s Congressional Voting Record. Members of the House and Senate who vote in support of manufacturing at least 70% of the time earn the NAM Award.

Go here to see which of your federal representatives earned this prestigious award, and thank them for their continued support. 11/1/2018