Legislative Update - February

The Ohio General Assembly picked up their pace after a slow start to the new year partially due to the Ohio Supreme Court’s rulings regarding legislative and congressional redistricting. As that issue nears resolution, the legislature’s priorities will focus on but not limited to; the capital reappropriations, capi-tal budget and appropriating more federal COVID-19 relief funding.  The goal is to complete the capital re-appropriations budget, funding for already authorized projects, by March 31, 2022. The capital bill (new construction projects) is anticipated to be passed sometime in May. With regard to local gov-ernment, the County Council is back in session. CEA continues to communicate with county leaders on important construction issues. Cleveland City Council has hit the ground running.  Council and newly elected Mayor Bibb look to find common ground on several issues, most importantly, the city’s next budget. 

City of Cleveland Mayor Bibb – Administrative priorities for the first 100 days

Mayor Bibb recently released his transition report, which establishes the administrations’ top priorities over his first 100 days in office. The report was created by the work of 10 subcommittees focusing on the issues that are considered most critical for the city of Cleveland. 

The categories are: 

• Economic Development
• Education
• Environment
• Equity in action
• Health
• Modernizing city hall
• Neighborhoods
• Open government
• Public safety
• Talent 

View the Transition Report

CEA Continues Efforts to Secure Prompt Pay Changes

HB 68 (Prompt Pay) sponsored by Representatives Cross and Sweeney received a second hearing in the Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee. CEA’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Linville, delivered testimony to the committee in support of this important bill.  (See testimony attached.)  CEA and our lobbyists continue to work with the Senate committee urging them to pass this much needed bill. 

Bill Simplifying the Local Process For MBE, WBE, and Veteran Business Heads To The Governor

CEA supported SB 105 (Minority Businesses) recently passed the Ohio House and Senate now awaits the Governor’s signature for it to become law. The bill, sponsored by Senator Sykes and Senator Schuring, requires political subdivisions to recognize state certifications of minority business enterpris-es, women-owned business enterprises, and veteran friendly business enterprises as criteria for com-parable local programs and initiatives. The bill does not prevent local governments from imposing their own requirements, but the legislation aims to reduce burdens for businesses.

BWC Rate Cut Coming

After encouragement from Governor DeWine to reduce the rate for private employers by 10%, the BWC will most likely take this action at their Feb. 25th Board meeting. The rate cut will become effec-tive on July 1, 2022 and is estimated to produce savings of nearly $106 million for businesses over the next fiscal year. 

Prevailing Wage Protected 

CEA identified a provision in a piece of legislation that would have altered entities from being consid-ered a public authority thus exempting them from the prevailing wage law. Working quickly with our industry partners we are happy to report that we were successful in getting the language deleted from the bill. 

Recreational Marijuana Proposal at The Statehouse 

The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol has submitted enough valid petition signatures to file an initiated statute called "An Act to Control and Regulate Adult Use Cannabis.”

The Ohio House and Senate now have four months to act or not act on the proposal. The plan calls for legalization of marijuana use for those age 21 and older. If the legislature refuses to act, the group is allowed to attempt to collect another 132,877 valid petition signatures and present the issue to the voters in the November general election.

Parts of the proposal include:

• A 10% adult use tax, on top of existing sales taxes with portions of the revenue going to:
• Local governments with dispensaries 
• A Social equity and cannabis jobs fund
• Substance abuse programming 
• A Division of Cannabis Control located inside the Department of Commerce

The Leader of the Ohio Senate, Senator Matt Huffman came out against the measure.  He stated, “As it relates to recreational marijuana, I’m not in favor of it,” “I’m not going to vote for it. I’m not going to support it.”