Leadership

This week, the OMA Government Affairs Committee held its second meeting of the year, featuring Ohio Governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Committee members heard Mr. Ramaswamy’s plan for the state under his leadership, including cutting back on red tape regulations and enhancing Ohio’s workforce development.

OMA staff and counsel also updated the committee on the state operating budget, recent legislation passed to protect competitive energy markets, and potential ballot initiatives to abolish property tax and raise the threshold for constitutional amendments. 6/5/2025

Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo announced yesterday that she will step down from her leadership post effective June 30, citing allowing new leadership to “…thoughtfully and carefully plan how to navigate our Caucus priorities after this budget cycle.”

The Columbus-area Democrat, who has represented the 7th District since 2019, became minority leader in 2022 and, due to term limits, will be unable to run for reelection in 2027.

Russo did not rule out seeking higher office, stating she plans to remain engaged in shaping Ohio’s political future. Her decision comes as Democrats prepare for the 2026 election cycle, with former Ohio Health Director Amy Acton still the lone Democratic contender for governor. The House Democratic caucus is expected to elect a new leader in the coming weeks. 6/5/2025

This week, Ohio Manufacturers’ Association President Ryan Augsburger delivered testimony before the Ohio Senate Finance Committee on House Bill 96, the state operating budget bill. The OMA’s testimony highlighted four key policy priorities critical to protect and grow Ohio manufacturing:

• Scaling the OMA’s WorkAdvance Program – A proven workforce development initiative connecting underemployed Ohioans to manufacturing careers
• Support for Continued State Workforce Investments – Including TechCred, Industry Sector Partnerships, and expanded career-tech access in middle schools
• Protecting Competitive Energy Markets – Opposing utility ownership of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to avoid burdening ratepayers
• Launching the Manufacturing Technology Assistance Program (MTAP) – A $12 million grant program to help small and midsize manufacturers modernize through equipment and technology upgrades.

The Senate will likely release their version of the budget bill early next week, which will be covered in the June 5 Government Affairs Committee meeting. 5/29/2025

With two state ballot issues pending that would disrupt established public policies governing property tax and first responder immunity, Republican leaders are reconsidering a proposal to alter the process governing amendments to the state Constitution.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose and House Speaker Matt Huffman told the Ohio Capital Journal that they believe a supermajority should be required to alter the Constitution. The pair noted an uptick of issues to amend the Constitution, justifying such a process change. The issue will be discussed at the meeting of the OMA Government Affairs Committee on June 5. 5/27/25

This week, the OMA testified in support of a bill regarding the corporate veil doctrine, which is critically important for maintaining business stability as it establishes and protects the legal separation between a corporation and its owners or shareholders. Senate Bill 146 clarifies which acts are insufficient to pierce the corporate veil to hold individuals liable, allowing the doctrine to be used as intended while also preventing individuals from being exposed to unnecessary liability.

The Ohio Alliance for Civil Justice, chaired by OMA’s Lindsey Short, also testified in support of the legislation. 5/28/2025

The race to succeed Mike DeWine as Ohio Governor is full-on. The November 2026 general election is still a year and a half away, but the angling has been in high gear for several months.

On the Republican side, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has won endorsements from President Trump and the Ohio Republican Party and enjoys a considerable lead in a poll released by Cleveland.com. The poll measures Ramaswamy against potential challenger Lt. Governor Jim Tressel and Attorney General Dave Yost who dropped out of the contest recently.

On the Democrat side, Dr. Amy Acton is the only announced candidate, but rumors are growing that former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown may enter the race. Read this article in Politico that profiles the race.

The race will be discussed at the June 5 meeting of the OMA Government Affairs Committee featuring Vivek Ramaswamy. 5/28/2025

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has suspended his 2026 gubernatorial campaign, citing the Ohio Republican Party’s endorsement of entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and the backing Ramaswamy received from former President Donald Trump. Yost described the path to the nomination as a ” vertical cliff” and expressed a desire to avoid dividing the party over minor policy differences. He will continue serving as attorney general until January 2027 and hinted at a potential return to politics in the future.

Ramaswamy, now the leading Republican candidate, praised Yost’s public service. The GOP primary remains open, with Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel considering a run and businesswoman Heather Hill continuing her campaign. On the Democratic side, former Ohio health director Dr. Amy Acton is the sole declared candidate. 5/16/2025

This week, several key trade officials from Canada visited Columbus to discuss trade and tariffs with some of Ohio’s top officials and manufacturers.

Minister for the Economy for Quebec Chris Skeete visited OMA headquarters to discuss trade relations with Ohio, highlighting the Buckeye State as a top five trading partner of Quebec. Ohio is the number two exporter for the province in trucks, tractors, and diesel engines.

On Wednesday, Canadian Consul General Colin Bird met with OMA staff prior to speaking at the Columbus Metropolitan Club on Canada’s trade relationship with the U.S. and Ohio, and the implications of tariffs on that relationship. 5/21/2025

This week, The OMA testified against House Bill 199, warning that the bill would create regulatory inconsistency and harm Ohio’s manufacturing competitiveness. HB 199 proposes allowing off-road vehicles such as all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility task vehicles (UTVs) to operate on public highways, expanding their permitted use under state law.

While the bill aims to standardize definitions and vehicle registration rules, it would result in a patchwork of local regulations, increasing compliance costs and creating inefficiencies in supply chains and complicating manufacturing operations. 5/20/2025

Ohio Republican Gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy secured the Ohio Republican Party’s endorsement a year before the 2026 primary in a meeting last Friday.

Ramaswamy cleared the two-thirds majority required by the governing body, with only three out of 63 party officials voting against the endorsement. This was despite last minute attempts by Governor Mike DeWine to delay the vote and an 11th-hour announcement from Lt. Governor Jim Tressel saying he hadn’t ruled out running.

Ramaswamy faces Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Appalachian businesswoman Heather Hill in the Republican primary. Yost said in a statement after the endorsement that he planned to “take a few days to consult with key supporters about the path forward — but the people of Ohio deserve a choice, not a premature coronation of an untested candidate.” 5/9/2025

This week, Anheuser-Busch announced its plan to invest $300 million in its facilities across America, including building a new regional facility in Columbus, Ohio.

The company, which makes Budweiser, Bud Light, Busch Light, and Michelob Ultra, has invested more than $2 billion in its 100 facilities in the U.S. over the past five years.

The beermaker said it will partner with national, state, and local partners and trade schools to expand technical training for manufacturing careers and upskill its entire regional technical workforce at the Columbus facility over the next three years. 5/13/2025

The Ohio House Technology & Innovation Committee this week heard testimony on House Bill 159, which would establish the Manufacturing Technologies Assistance Grant Program (MTAP).

Speaking as proponents of the bill, Eric Jenkusky, CEO and co-founder of T.J. Clark International LLC, and Jeff Spain, Senior Training and Performance Consultant at Columbus State Community College, highlighted how grants like MTAP drive long-term sustainability by allowing manufacturers to adopt and integrate smart technologies.

MTAP would provide up to $150,000 in grants, dependent on the size of the manufacturer and other factors, with $24 million in total over the biennium available. 5/13/2025

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is moving behind the scenes to prevent the Ohio GOP from endorsing Vivek Ramaswamy for governor, according to reports from NBC News.

DeWine, long seen as a moderate Republican, is rumored to favor recently appointed Lt. Governor Jim Tressel to succeed him. Tressel has signaled that he is not interested in running but has not entirely ruled it out.

Ramaswamy, who received an endorsement from President Donald Trump on the eve of his announcement, is the frontrunner in the GOP primary, according to a recent poll.

The Ohio GOP is set to meet this Friday to decide its endorsement. 5/5/2025

Democrat ex-Congressman Tim Ryan is reportedly “seriously considering” running for Ohio governor in 2026.

Ryan, who lost a competitive race for U.S. Senate in 2022 against now Vice-President JD Vance, would be the second Democrat to enter the race for governor. Dr. Amy Acton, the former state health director, launched her campaign last January.

Ryan was among the top three contenders for the Democratic primary in a Bowling Green State University poll taken earlier this year, coming in just behind Acton with 17 percent. 5/5/2025

Ohio voters approved continuing to fund the state’s major infrastructure projects through a $2.5 billion bond issue on the primary election ballot Tuesday.

The OMA-supported constitutional amendment will allow Ohio to issue bonds to help local governments pay for infrastructure projects, including roads and bridges, via the State Capital Improvement Program.

The program will fund $2.5 billion over 10 years without raising Ohioans’ taxes, though state taxes would be used to pay down the bonds over a 30-year period.

The bond program was first instituted in 1987, with voters approving it three times since – in 1995, 2005, and 2014. 5/7/2025

This week, the Ohio House passed House Bill 126, legislation protecting against misuse of public nuisance claims. Trial lawyers have pushed to expand public nuisance far beyond its intended scope in an attempt to profit off its misuse by applying it to the production and manufacturing of products. The Ohio Alliance for Civil Justice (OACJ), chaired by OMA’s Lindsey Short, testified in support of the legislation to help prevent lawsuit abuse.

House Bill 126 also expressly codifies the Ohio Supreme Court’s recent decision in In Re National Prescription Opiate Litigation, which held that all common law public nuisance claims arising from the sale of a product are abrogated by the Ohio Product Liability Act. The OACJ co-authored an op-ed with the American Tort Reform Association earlier this year applauding the Supreme Court’s decision. 5/7/2025

A new poll has entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as the GOP favorite in Ohio’s 2026 governor race.

The poll, conducted in February by the Bowling Green State University (BGSU) Democracy and Public Policy Research Network and YouGov, shows Ramaswamy leading the pack of Republican candidates, with 61 percent support from prospective GOP Ohio voters.

Ohio’s Lt. Governor Jim Tressel sits in second at 14 percent, with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost at 13 percent and Heather Hill rounding out the GOP primary with nine percent. BGSU noted that this poll was conducted before Ramaswamy received the endorsement from President Donald Trump.

For the Democrats, former Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown leads the pack with 59 percent. Brown has not entered the race, nor has he signaled his intent to. Former Ohio Health Director Amy Acton follows Brown with 17 percent. 4/30/2025

2026 Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is set to join the OMA Government Affairs Committee on Thursday, June 5, in Columbus, Ohio.

Mr. Ramaswamy will share his policy priorities related to Ohio’s manufacturing sector and discuss his broader economic vision for the state, giving OMA members the opportunity to hear how these proposed strategies and policies could shape the future of manufacturing in Ohio.

OMA staff will also update the committee on Ohio’s state budget progress, major energy reforms, and more.

Secure your seat today. 4/22/2025

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week outlined his plan to phase out certain artificial food dyes from U.S. food production by next year.

At a news conference with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, the pair said the agencies are looking to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings and will work with the food industry to eliminate six synthetic dyes used in products like cereal, ice cream, yogurt, and other snack foods. 4/22/2025

Last week, State Senator Louis Blessing (R-Colerain Township) introduced the “Digital Fair Repair Act”, which would require any manufacturer that produces digital products to publish information publicly on the diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of their electronic or digital products, including both hardware and software.

The bill also prevents manufacturers from preventing or inhibiting the device from being repaired by a third party or using aftermarket tools or parts.

This is a continuation of the “Right to Repair” push in Ohio, with Senate Bill 73, also sponsored by Blessing, opposed by and defeated by the OMA in the previous General Assembly. 4/22/2025