Rick Kleban testified Wednesday in support of Senate Bill 9, urging lawmakers to align Ohio tax law with recent federal changes affecting research and experimentation expenses. Kleban, founder and president of Sycamore Growth Group, delivered testimony on behalf of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) before the House Ways and Means Committee.

Kleban said conformity with federal tax law provides manufacturers with administrative simplicity, business certainty and greater competitiveness. The bill would allow immediate deduction of domestic research and experimentation costs, reversing federal changes that require many companies to capitalize and amortize those expenses, creating cash-flow challenges.

“Conforming Ohio’s tax code to federal research and development policy gives manufacturers clarity and consistency when they are making long-term investment decisions,” said Jacob Sargent, director of public policy services at the OMA. “Senate Bill 9 helps reduce unnecessary complexity, improves cash flow for innovation and keeps Ohio competitive for high-value manufacturing and R&D jobs.” 2/11/2026