This initiated legislation, dubbed the “Healthy Families Act”, would mandate almost all companies in Ohio, even small businesses, to provide seven paid days off to employees.  Even worse the measure would apply to part time employees with time off given on a pro-rata basis for time worked.  Requiring businesses to give their employees money for not coming to work lowers the chance that employers will have money to expand their business.  We’ve already seen the effects of the minimum wage increase last year, as businesses are choosing not to hire additional workers.  Increasing the cost of doing business in Ohio will not help our economy out of a recession or lower our jobless rate; two things which should be priorities for all Ohioans.

The Tax Foundation, a non-partisan research group in Washington, D.C., analyzes the business climate in each of the 50 states.  Its 2008 State Business Tax Climate Index ranks Ohio overall as 46^th in the nation.  This measure will provide one more reason for businesses to avoid, or leave, the state.  It is difficult to understand where “healthy families” will find employment in a state this unfriendly to the creators of jobs.

A coalition of the Unions and their sympathizers, gathered enough signatures to begin the process of initiated legislation.  The Union group provided the required amount of signatures to the Secretary of State, who along with local Boards of Elections, certified enough valid signatures to send the legislation to the Ohio General Assembly.  Under the Ohio Revised Code, the Legislature has four months to act from the time it received the initiated statute from the Secretary of State.  If the Legislature determines it does not want to act on the provision within the four months, the Union group may collect another round of signatures to place the language on the ballot.

AFP – Ohio urges the General Assembly NOT to address this issue.   If it reaches the ballot in November, AFP – Ohio will work to defeat this anti-free market idea.