Leadership

Your Vote for Supreme Court Judges Matters

Political columnist Tom Suddes recently wrote:  “In 2012, when Ohioans re-elected Barack Obama president, 70.5 percent of the state’s registered voters turned out to vote. But turnout in 2012’s three Ohio Supreme Court contests ranged from 50 percent to 52 percent. And in 2014, when Ohioans re-elected Republican John Kasich governor, statewide turnout was 40.6 percent. (Agreed, that was abnormally low thanks to the non-campaign of Kasich’s Democratic challenger, Ed FitzGerald.) Meanwhile, in 2014’s Ohio Supreme Court contests, turnout was roughly 33 percent. That is, there was big voter drop-off.”

Supreme Court rulings have far-reaching effects on all Ohioans and deal with things like public education, tax rates, workers’ compensation, product liability, utility rates – and the list goes on and on.

That is why the Ohio Alliance for Civil Justice, of which the OMA is a member, is seeking to educate as many Ohioans as possible about the upcoming Supreme Court of Ohio elections.

Early voting in Ohio begins October 12.  So, it is time for manufacturing leaders to get out the message on how important it is to get to know the Supreme Court candidates, and to vote.

There are two open Ohio Supreme Court seats on the ballot this November and Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor is unopposed in her race.  Three Supreme Court of Ohio races will be on your ballot.

The OMA-PAC board voted to endorse these candidates: Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, Judge Pat Fischer, and Judge Pat DeWine.  9/6/2016

Former Defense Secretary Bob Gates to Speak

Growing global challenges — from Syria to ISIS to Zika — impact America’s economic and security interests every day.  Join former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, one of the most respected national security experts, to discuss why America’s role in the world matters for this election and beyond.

The event is offered by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and co-sponsored by OMA.  It will be held on Wednesday, September 28, 2016, noon – 1:30 p.m. at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High Street, Columbus, OH.  The event includes lunch.  There is no charge but you must register.  9/6/2016

SOS Certifies Cure Petitions for Drug Price Relief Act

Ohio Secretary of State, Jon Husted, certified more than 12,000 valid signatures this week from the cure petitions related to the Ohio Drug Price Relief Act.  The Secretary also filed a notice with the Ohio Supreme Court that the initiative has been submitted to the Ohio General Assembly for a four-month review period, which ends on/about January 6, 2017.  The petitioning committee would then be free to collect supplemental signatures in the 90 days following the end of that review period.  Meanwhile, litigation continues in the Supreme Court which may or may not alter the process.

Jenny Camper, of Lesic & Camper, commented on behalf of the Ohio Chamber, OMA and PhRMA:  “The proposed initiated statute would trigger massive changes to existing drug purchasing processes of the state and designated state-related programs, including Medicaid, that negotiate and purchase prescription medications on behalf of Ohio residents.  Some statewide organizations and healthcare experts are concerned that the proposal, if enacted, is unworkable and will force a lengthy and complex litigation and bureaucratic quagmire.”  9/7/2016

A Labor Day Salute to Ohio Manufacturers

The economic impact of Ohioans working in manufacturing cannot be stated enough!

• Manufacturing is the largest of the 20 sectors of Ohio’s economy.
• Ohio manufacturing contributes 17% to Ohio GDP.
• Half of all new business startups in Ohio are manufacturers.
• There are more than 14,000 manufacturing firms in Ohio employing more than 700,000 people.
• More than one out of every 10 Ohioans works in manufacturing.

From your OMA staff:  Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day holiday weekend!  9/1/2016

Congressman Jim Renacci Addresses OMA Commitee

Congressman Jim Renacci (R-Wadsworth) met with the OMA Government Affairs Committee this week.  Renacci presented his comprehensive tax reform proposal to the committee.  The congressman noted that the U.S. has the highest corporate tax rate in the world, constraining the economy and suppressing job growth.

Renacci would eliminate the corporate income tax, and tax pass-through entities at a rate of 0%.  He would have only three personal income tax brackets, and two deductions and two credits.  He would create a consumption-based business activity tax to make the package revenue neutral.

The committee meeting was hosted by committee chairman Chris Hess, Eaton Corp.’s director, Public Affairs, at the new and incredible Eaton Center campus in Beechwood.  Thank you Chairman Hess and Eaton for the hospitality!  9/1/2016

State Pays Off Unemployment Compensation Debt

This week Ohio officially paid off its unemployment compensation debt to the federal government.  The remaining balance of $217,787,913 was paid on Tuesday.

Since the start of the Great Recession in 2008 Ohio borrowed $3.4 billion from the federal government in order to pay the state’s unemployment obligations.  Had the debt not been retired, employers faced a potential FUTA obligation of $168 per employee this year, an increase from $42 per employee.

The OMA worked with lawmakers to pass House Bill 390 this summer which ensured the state would retire the debt in 2016.  The OMA and its allies continue to work on reforms that will ensure the solvency of the state’s unemployment compensation system and prevent borrowing from the federal government in a future economic downturn.  9/1/2016

Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Reaches Six-Year High

OMA is a state-level partner of Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow, LIFT, a public-private partnership committed to the development and deployment of advanced lightweight metal manufacturing technologies, and implementing education and training initiatives to better prepare the workforce today and in the future.

LIFT has just released a new Ohio report that quantifies employer demand and employment trends for Q2 2016.

• The advanced manufacturing workforce in Ohio reached a six-year high with more than 730,000 workers employed.
• Employers posted more than 19,000 job ads for Ohio advanced manufacturing occupations during Q2 2016.
• Maintenance and repair workers represented the most in-demand occupation in Ohio with more than 2,700 online job ads during Q2 2016.

Manufacturing is Ohio’s largest economic sector, producing 17% of Ohio’s GDP, and that’s why the skills and employment analysis is of broad interest to Ohioans.  Here is the LIFT press release.  8/31/2016

More Legal Action on “Ohio Drug Price Relief Act”

On August 15, 2016, the Supreme Court of Ohio issued a decision in an action brought by the OMA, the Ohio Chamber and PhRMA challenging petition circulation practices in connection with the Ohio Drug Price Relief Act.  The court held, among other things, that that thousands of part-petitions submitted by the committee backing the proposal contained false circulator attestations, did not comply with Ohio law, and contained an overcounting of signatures that constituted “an open invitation to fraud.”  Ultimately, the court determined that “OMA has demonstrated that 10,303 signatures that were counted as valid should not have been counted” and found that the petition was short by 5,044 signatures.

Two days after the court issued its decision, the committee filed a mandamus action in the Supreme Court of Ohio seeking to recover more than 25,000 signatures that had previously been stricken by the Secretary and county boards of elections because signatures had been deleted by persons not authorized to do so.

Because the OMA, the Ohio Chamber, and PhRMA have a substantial interest in defending the judgment they obtained in the Challenge Proceeding, they jointly filed an amicus curiae brief in this lawsuit which concluded:  “This new mandamus action is the wrong proceeding, at the wrong time, and seeks the wrong remedy.”  Here’s a summary of the filed brief by OMA counsel, Bricker & Eckler.  8/30/2016

Beat Michigan!

As of yesterday, Michigan was trouncing Ohio in the number of registered Manufacturing Day events, 90-68.

Plan your event and register it here.

There are so many MFG DAY tips and resources available to help you show your community, and especially the young people in your community, the opportunities in manufacturing.

MFG DAY 2016 is October 7, but you can hold your event any time.  8/23/2016

Get Out the Vote in Your Facility

The Ohio deadline to register to vote in the November 8 general election is October 11.

You can help your employees become “manufacturing voters.”

For your use, there are non-partisan sample messages, talking points, posters, and all sorts of free resources on OMA’s Election Center.  8/23/2016