Leadership

100 Things to Do in Ohio This Fall

Fall is a special time of year in Ohio — and TourismOhio has published its list of 100 things to do in the Buckeye State. Be sure to check out the fall color report published by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. 9/22/2022

2022 Ohio Election Guide Is Here

With roughly seven weeks until Election Day, the 2022 Ohio Election Guide is now available online!

Every major election cycle, the OMA produces this valuable publication. This year’s guide offers details and candidate information on the races for all 99 Ohio House seats, 17 Ohio Senate seats, and 15 congressional seats. It also contains information on Ohio’s statewide contests and major judicial races.

Look for demographic and economic data about each district, as well as the OMA’s political indices that shed light on the relative Republican/Democratic voting strength of each district.

Hard copies of the guide will be available around Sept. 30 for $30 each, which includes shipping and handling. Reserve your copy now by emailing the OMA. 9/15/2022

OMA to Congress: Prevent Shutdown of Rail System

On Sept. 15, the Biden administration announced a tentative agreement had been reached to avert a railway workers strike. The strike would have severely impacted the manufacturing sector and national economy, as noted in this story by the Toledo Blade.

The possible strike was prominently on the OMA’s radar. On Sept. 12, the OMA and seven other business groups representing Midwest manufacturers sent a letter to Capitol Hill, urging congressional action, if necessary, to prevent a shutdown of the nation’s railways. 9/15/2022

It’s Official: Intel Breaks Ground in Ohio

On Sept. 9, President Joe Biden, Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, and other officials joined Intel leaders for the company’s official groundbreaking of its semiconductor facility in central Ohio. OMA President Ryan Augsburger attended the event.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger told CNBC he hopes that Ohio “becomes the largest site on the planet for semiconductor manufacturing.” Intel’s chip manufacturing in Ohio is expected to be underway by 2025 or 2026.

Intel also announced the first phase of funding for its Ohio Semiconductor Education and Research Program. (See separate story.)

Here are the OMA’s comments following the groundbreaking. To learn more about how the Intel project will impact Ohio and Ohio manufacturers, check out the OMA’s “Intel in Ohio” page. 9/12/2022

Joining First Lady Fran DeWine and Gov. Mike DeWine at Intel’s Sept. 9 groundbreaking in Licking County were Jay Timmons, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, and Ryan Augsburger, OMA president.

New Website Allows Businesses to Voice Concerns Over Ohio Regulations

A new website — called Cut Red Tape Ohio — aims to make it easier for Ohio business owners to voice concerns about specific state regulations or ask questions about agency rules.

The site was created by Senate Bill 9, enacted earlier this year. The OMA worked with lawmakers to improve the legislation during the bill’s consideration.

Gongwer News Service reports that inquiries submitted through the site could result in an earlier-than-scheduled review of particular rules. 9/12/2022

Ohio Issues School Report Cards

The Ohio Department of Education has released the 2022 Ohio School Report Cards on using a new stars-based rating system instead of assigning A through F grades. See the report card for your school district. 9/15/2022

Evaluating JobsOhio’s Performance

Is Ohio more competitive a decade after privatizing its lead economic development organization? The OMA’s latest “Retooling Ohio” examines the track record of JobsOhio.

Key findings from the analysis include:

• Under JobsOhio, the Buckeye State was No. 2 in the U.S. for new economic development projects each of the last 10 years. (More than half of the new projects were typically tied to manufacturing).
• For 2021, pledges of new Ohio jobs and payroll set record highs. (Last year’s pledges did not include those from the Intel project, which was announced in January 2022.)
• Among JobsOhio’s targeted sectors, manufacturing projects led the way last year with 178. And manufacturing projects represented the largest amount of capital investment ($1.91 billion).

Allowing JobsOhio to maintain its independence, financial resources, and innovative approach are critical to ensuring future success, the analysis says. 9/6/2022

New Projects Expected to Bring $68M in Payroll

Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted recently announced that the Ohio Tax Credit Authority has approved support for 10 economic development projects that are expected to create more than 700 jobs while retaining another 2,000 jobs.

Among the qualifying proposals were entries from manufacturers Parker Hannifin, Mentor; IMCO Carbide Tool, Perrysburg Township; General Mills, Wellston; and Advanced Drainage Systems, Hilliard. 9/6/2022

Ohio Republicans Hold Campaign Cash Advantage

New campaign reporting shows Republicans are winning the battle for campaign cash in key statewide contests.

According to Gongwer News Service, the latest monthly filings show incumbent Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has a campaign fund about four times the size of his Democratic challenger, former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley — $10.97 million compared to $2.7 million.

All three Republican candidates for Supreme Court of Ohio reported sizeable cash advantages over their Democratic opponents. 9/7/2022

U.S. Senate Candidates Visit OMA

Ohio’s U.S. Senate candidates spoke with more than 100 members of the OMA Government Affairs Committee during its Q3 meeting, held Aug. 31 in Columbus.

Republican JD Vance and Democrat U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (OH-13) addressed the committee separately, but both emphasized the need for more skilled labor to grow the manufacturing workforce.

Vance said he would advocate for regulatory and legal reforms to improve U.S. manufacturers’ competitiveness. Ryan said he would encourage bipartisan discussions to fix a broken immigration system. Both candidates said they welcomed ideas and input from all manufacturers.

Chaired by Scott Corbitt, region vice president for Anheuser-Busch, the meeting also featured briefings on recent legislative developments and an update on the upcoming general election. The committee will meet again Nov. 16. 8/31/2022