House Dems: Local hiring ban axes local control, sends Ohio jobs out of state
Legislation will give out-of-state contractors edge on public works projects
COLUMBUS— Democratic lawmakers expressed disappointment in the passage of House Bill 180, legislation that prohibits cities and other municipalities from setting minimum standards for hiring local residents for public works projects. The minimum residency standards, currently in place in cities and municipalities around the state, let qualified workers earn the opportunity to find rewarding employment in their own communities.
Some Ohio communities use local hiring quotas on publicly financed projects as a way to strengthen local workforce participation and, in turn, strengthen local economies. For example, the City of Akron – in the early stages of a $1.4 billion sewer system upgrade project – currently has a local hiring target of 30 percent, with that goal increasing to 50 percent by 2018.
Urban areas typically have higher unemployment rates than the national average, making the decision to hire local even more impactful for improving the job market in Ohio’s urban areas. Local hiring on public works projects offers a pathway to toward full workforce inclusion for all members of a community, including minority and at-risk populations.
The cities of Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown, Lima, Dayton, and Columbus, among others, all testified in opposition to the bill.
Here is what Democratic lawmakers are saying about House Bill 180:
“This bill is taxation without participation. Removing local hiring standards allows for more out-of-state contractors to come over from Kentucky and Indiana and take away jobs from workers in Ohio,” said Rep. Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati). “I admit, I’m representing a special interest when it comes to this issue: the people of Ohio. We need to respect local control and empower local workers.”
“Facing a $1.4 billion unfunded mandate by the federal government to fix the sewer system, the City of Akron found a creative way to put its people back to work. The City of Akron instituted local hiring requirements so that people who are footing the bill for this project can reap the economic benefits,” said Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron). “People want an opportunity to access the economic benefits from construction and other projects that are happening in their neighborhoods. There is no reason why local people should be excluded from job opportunities right in their own backyards.”
“We should be focusing on improving Ohio’s economy, not limiting the opportunities for our talented workforce,” said Rep. Greta Johnson (D-Akron). “This is a direct attack on Ohio’s workers and local communities’ ability to make their own hiring decisions.”
“At a time when our state economy is still sluggish, it is wrong to give out-of-state workers employment opportunities over similarly qualified Ohio residents,” said Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson). “It’s simple: local workers employed in local jobs stimulate the local economy.”
“It continuously amazes me that those very individuals that decry federal involvement and oversight with respect to the State of Ohio’s operations and activities, continue to wrap their hands around the necks of local governments,” said Rep. John Rogers (D-Mentor-on-the-Lake).
“HB 180 is a misguided measure that bans our communities from making decisions that put local Ohioans to work on public projects,” said Rep. Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown). “Local hiring quotas represent a commitment by cities to combat unemployment and poverty by investing in their residents. Not only do these projects benefit the individual worker and their families, but also community as a whole as the workers reinvest their wages in the local economy. Ohioans deserve a fair shot at good-paying local jobs, not policies that benefit out-of-state contractors at the expense of Ohio families.
