CEA Legislative Update Week in Review - June 2, 2017

The Ohio General Assembly is entering its home stretch with the state budget having to be completed by July 1st. Legislators attention continues to remain tightly focused on the State Operating Budget, Workers’ Compensation Budget, and the Industrial Commission Budget.  CEA continues to work with elected officials on these and other significant issues. 
 
Ohio’s Budget Bills Can Impact Your Budget
The Ohio Senate is finishing up initial public hearings on the State Budget (HB 49). The schedule is likely to produce a sub bill and omnibus bill within the next week or so.  CEA will monitor these changes closely.  The plan calls for the Senate to attempt to pass their version of the budget out of the Senate in mid June. This would leave about two weeks for the House and Senate to settle any differences before the July 1st deadline. 
 
We are pleased to report that NO anti prevailing wage provisions currently appear in the bill.  CEA has advocated for streamlined tax collection, thwarting sales tax increases, limiting increases in port authority bidding thresholds, and maintaining fair and competitive bid protections within state contracting to mention a few areas of interest. 
 
The Industrial Commission Budget, which has remained clear of policy changes, had its second hearing this week. The bill will possibly be voted out of the Senate Transportation, Commerce and Workforce Committee the week of June 5th.
 
The BWC Budget, a $566.5 million measure, had a first hearing before the Senate Insurance & Financial Institutions Committee.  The sponsor of the bill, Representative Tom Brinkman, outlined 10 major policy changes made in the House.  Click here to view.  
 
As changes occur on these bills this month, CEA will continue to review and let legislators know what these bills mean to our industry. 
  
Capitalizing on Visiting the State Capital
Tim Linville, Glen Shumate, and CEA’s lobbying team recently met with Senators while the state budget continues to be heard in the Senate. CEA’s meetings included discussions with Senate Minority Leader, Kenny Yuko, Senate Majority Whip, Gayle Manning, and Senator Matt Dolan who sits on the powerful Senate Finance Committee. 
 
The important issues of protecting prevailing wage, unemployment compensation, tax collection, thwarting sales tax increases, limiting increases to port authority bidding thresholds, and maintaining fair and competitive bid protections within state contracting were some of the issues touched upon. 
 
The group interacted with Representatives Kent Smith, Emilia Sykes, Marlene Anielski, Nathan Manning, Janine Boyd, Stephanie Howse, Bill Seitz, Tavia Galonski, Senators - Randy Gardner, Bill Beagle, Mike Skindell, Kevin Bacon, John Eklund, Sandra Williams, Vernon Sykes, Frank Hoagland, Jay Hottinger, Gayle Manning, Kenny Yuko, and Matt Dolan.  CEA also was able to speak with Patrick Harris, Vice President of the Ohio Credit Union League.
 
Please consider attending CEA’s next Columbus Drive In Day.  If you have interest, please contact Glen Shumate [email protected].
 
Other Legislation of Possible Interest 
HB 164 (Rep. Tom Patton) To require commercial roofing contractors to have a license.
The bill had its first hearing in the House Economic Development, Commerce and Labor Committee. This is a reintroduction of a measure that passed the Senate Transportation, Commerce and Workforce Committee unanimously last year. The bill allows for grandfathering of those that can show they have done work in the state for three years and met certain very basic criteria. The bill looks to simply use the existing Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) system that currently licenses Plumbing, HVAC, Hydronics, Refrigeration, and Electrical work.
 
HB 127 (Rep. Perales) To establish in the Ohio Building Code requirements pertaining to structural steel welding and bridge welding.  The bill has had a first hearing in the House Economic Development and Commerce and Labor Committee. 

The bill would:
Require the Board of Building Standards to adopt, as part of the building codes, rules that certain standards related to welding and welding inspections be met in all construction projects involving structural steel welding.

• Exempts from the Board's standards welding that is required by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers to have its own certification. 
• Requires general contractors, project managers, contractors, and subcontractors to mandate the Board's standards in all projects involving structural steel welding.

 If you have any questions on these articles or legislation, please contact Glen Shumate at CEA at [email protected].