Paid Sick Leave Legislation

On April 15th, the Ohio House of Representative’s Commerce and Labor Committee held a hearing on the voter initiated statute named the “Healthy Families Act” by the labor groups pushing the measure.  This hearing comes a week after the coalition backing the proposal blasted the legislature for not hearing the matter yet. 

 

The Chairman allowed one proponent and one opponent the opportunity to speak about the legislation.  Ohioans for Healthy Families Campaign Manager Brian Dunn spoke on behalf of the language, saying Ohio will be “the high road and a family friendly innovator”.  Mr. Dunn gave many statistics about individuals who don’t have sick time, but was unable to answer committee member’s questions about how many people this law would affect. 

 

Fred Mills spoke on behalf of Ohioans to Protect Jobs, a coalition of business, farm, and trade groups organized to prevent this government mandate from stifling economic growth and job creation in the free market.  Mr. Mills discussed how the poorly drafted legislation would have severe consequences if enacted as is.  The costs businesses will incur in trying to keep up with and administer the requirements of the measure, over and above the costs of the paid time off, will likely prevent many companies from expanding and hiring more employees.  All this to mandate a benefit that most businesses already provide voluntarily.  Mr. Mills argued that Ohio is better served if the legislature continues to focus on issues which will grow our economy – not putting more mandates on businesses.

 

Several committee members requested another hearing on HB 536; however it remains unclear if that will happen.  If the legislature does not pass this bill before May 9th, the proponents will have to gather 120,683 more signatures to put it on the November ballot. 

 

AFP – Ohio applauds and supports Ohioans to Protect Jobs in their opposition to this bill.   Ohio has more than its share of impediments to business activity and job creation already. 

We firmly believe that Ohio will be the “high road and family friendly innovator” by enabling and encouraging the creative energy of the enterprising Ohioans to operate businesses and expand jobs in an environment of economic relative freedom, rather than being encumbered by the drag of additional government mandated bureaucracy and expense. 

 

We will continue to watch this issue with great interest.