July 2015

Many Ohio communities use local hiring quotas for publicly financed projects as a way to strengthen local

workforce participation and, in turn, strengthen local economies. Residency requirements give qualified workers the opportunity to find rewarding employment in their own communities. These opportu-

nities change the future of not only a family but an entire community. However, legislation currently being de-

bated in the Ohio House of Representa-tives would restrict this practice, poten-tially giving an edge to out of state con-

tractors. House Bill 180, which recently passed out of the House Commerce and Labor Committee along partisan lines, prohibits cities and other municipalities

from setting local hiring requirements for public works projects.

Current and upcoming public works projects such as the $331 million Opportunity Corridor in Cleveland and the $1.4 billion sewer system upgrade in Akron repre-sent significant opportunities for municipalities to open

the door to employment for their residents.

HB 180 may preclude many municipalities efforts to use local hiring quotas to combat poverty and unem-ployment, especially in urban areas, which typically

have higher unemployment rates than the

national average. Ohioans deserve a fair shot at good-paying local jobs because they have a

stake in rebuilding the communities where they live and raise their family. When workers live in the same municipal-

ity as a construction project then the local community benefits from the worker spending their paycheck at the local gro-cery store, restaurant, or day care.

I believe Ohio lawmakers should be empowering cities to expand economic opportunities for their residents,

not putting up roadblocks. The bill now goes to the Senate for further considera-tion.

Local hiring restriction could stifle job opportunities for Ohioans

House marks first Prescription Drug Abuse & Awareness Education Day

On May 1, Ohio legislators recognized the inau-gural Prescription Drug Abuse and Awareness Ed-ucation Day. In 2014, state legislators passed a law designating the awareness day as the first Friday in May. Recently, the Ohio Department of Health reported that there have been more than 10,000 deaths caused by drug overdoses in Ohio since 2002mainly attributed to the states prescription pill and heroin epidemic. According to the report, from 1999 to 2013, Ohio experienced a 413 percent increase in deaths caused by overdoses.

As part of the effort combat the growing rate of drug abuse, the awareness day helps educate Ohioans about the dangers of misusing prescrip-

tion medicationespecially pain killers, which are extremely addictive. By encouraging open discussion about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs, we can help those who already find themselves addicted to identify and connect with resources and treatment.