State Rep. Alicia Reece delivers compelling floor speech against local hiring restrictions
Cincinnati lawmaker says Senate Bill 152 handcuffs local communities, attacks working people, taxation without participation
COLUMBUS- President of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) and State Rep. Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) this week voted against the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 152, saying legislation to ban local hiring standards and restrict project labor agreements (PLAs) for public works projects will handcuff decision-making authority of local communities and send Ohio jobs out of state.
“We want people to have opportunity in Ohio, not be locked out of projects,” said Rep. Reece. “I will not vote for taxation without participation.” Rep. Reece went on to reference the State’s recently released disparity study. “The facts are in and Ohio is found guilty of passive discrimination.”
In 2002, the Ohio Supreme Court struck down state laws prohibiting a public entity from requiring project labor agreements for local projects. Republicans are doubling-down on the attempt to restrict PLAs with an amendment added at the last minute to SB 152 Tuesday morning that will prohibit project labor agreements from being required on any public works projects receiving state funds.
Rep. Reece also objected to provisions of SB 152 that prohibit communities from setting local hiring standards on public construction projects. Some Ohio communities use local hiring standards on publicly financed projects as a way to strengthen local workforce participation and, in turn, strengthen local economies. 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 urban areas.
