On Monday,?Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted announced the approval of assistance for nine projects set to create 1,456 new jobs and retain 1,168 jobs statewide. During its monthly meeting, the Ohio Tax Credit Authority (TCA) reviewed economic development proposals brought to the board by JobsOhio and its regional partners. Collectively, the projects are expected to result in more than $107 million in new payroll and spur more than $322 million in investments across Ohio.
Projects approved by the TCA include:
CENTRAL
Amgen Inc., city of New Albany (Licking Co.), expects to create 400 full-time positions, generating $40.9 million in new annual payroll as a result of the company?s new project in New Albany. Amgen is a biotechnology medicines company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets medicines for illnesses. The TCA approved a 2.427 percent, 15-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.
Bold Penguin Inc., city of Columbus (Franklin Co.), expects to create 162 full-time positions, generating $13.7 million in new annual payroll and retaining $11 million in existing payroll as a result of the company?s expansion project in Columbus. Bold Penguin is an insurtech company providing solutions to insurers and independent agents in the commercial insurance industry. The TCA approved a 2.063 percent, nine-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.
Midwest Molding Inc., Jerome Township (Union Co.), expects to create 55 full-time positions, generating $2 million in new annual payroll and retaining $4.2 million in existing payroll as a result of the company?s expansion project in Jerome Township. Midwest Molding is a plastic injection molding company. The TCA approved a 1.048 percent, six-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.
Path Robotics Inc., city of Columbus (Franklin Co.), expects to create 140 full-time positions, generating $10 million in new annual payroll and retaining $6 million in existing payroll as a result of the company?s expansion project in Columbus. Path Robotics produces autonomous welding robots based on proprietary artificial intelligence and computer vision algorithms. The TCA approved a 1.877 percent, nine-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.
NORTHEAST
Nexus Engineering Group LLC, city of Cleveland (Cuyahoga Co.) and city of Maumee (Lucas Co.), expects to create 65 full-time positions, generating $7.8 million in new annual payroll and retaining $14.9 million in existing payroll as a result of the company?s expansion project in Cleveland and Maumee. Nexus Engineering is an engineering firm that services the refining, midstream, chemical processing, utility, and manufacturing industries. The TCA approved a 2.076 percent, eight-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.
NORTHWEST
Findlay Machine & Tool Inc. (FMT Plastics), city of Findlay (Hancock Co.), expects to create 52 full-time positions, generating $2.5 million in new annual payroll and retaining $1.4 million in existing payroll as a result of the company?s expansion project in Findlay. FMT Plastics is a plastic injection molding company. The TCA approved a 1.276, six-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.
SOUTHEAST
Candle-Lite Company LLC, village of Leesburg (Highland Co.), expects to create 82 full-time positions, generating $2.8 million in new annual payroll and retaining $25.3 million in existing payroll as a result of the company?s expansion project in Leesburg. Candle-Lite is a maker of candles. The TCA approved a 0.885 percent, six-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.
Winesburg Chair Company LTD, Paint Township (Holmes Co.), expects to create 50 full-time positions, generating $2 million in new annual payroll and retaining $9 million in existing payroll as a result of the company?s expansion project in Paint Township. Winesburg Chair produces furniture from forest to fabrication. The TCA approved a 0.970 percent, six-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.
TBD
Protiviti and Robert Half International Inc. (Protiviti), TBD, expects to create 450 full-time positions, generating $25.6 million in new annual payroll as a result of the company?s new project in a to-be-determined location. Protiviti is a global consulting firm offering an array of risk, financial, technology, and business performance solutions to consumer product, financial, manufacturing, technology, and other industries. The TCA approved a 1.986 percent, 10-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.
Governor DeWine displays a newly signed Executive Order, 2021-10D.
Also on Monday,?Governor DeWine signed Executive Order 2021-10D to allow any student athlete enrolled in Ohio colleges and universities to earn compensation from their name, image, and likeness.
?Ohio?s colleges and athletes need this directive. The federal government has yet to provide updated instructions on how to modernize collegiate programs and allow athletes to make money while making sure they remain amateurs,? said Governor DeWine. ?Naturally, athletes will want to go to college in states where they can earn money and remain eligible to play. Without setting these rules Ohio college athletic programs would be at a disadvantage.?
?Without this Executive Order, Ohio?s colleges and universities would be at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to attracting the athletes they need to win championships,? said Lt. Governor Husted. ?We should want college athletes in Ohio to have the same opportunities to benefit from their talents as student athletes in other states.?
Based on S.B. 187, sponsored by State Senator Niraj Antani (Miamisburg), this order allows student athletes to obtain professional representations and enter contracts for endorsements. They will be required to inform their college or university of any contracts they enter. The order also prohibits those colleges or universities from preventing a student from participating in athletics or otherwise punishing them as a result of earning such compensation.
Governor DeWine holds up HB 168, sponsored by State Representative Mark Fraizer (R-Newark) and Mike Loychik (R-Bazetta).
On Tuesday, Governor DeWine signed a bill that will invest $2.2 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into Ohio's future.
"House Bill 168 addresses some of the most fundamental responsibilities that we share as public servants -- the health of our children and the economic strength of our state," said Governor DeWine. ?The actions that we took over the past year, including cutting state spending, freezing state?hiring, and leaving the Rainy Day Fund untouched allow us to direct these recovery funds into forward-looking investments that position Ohio for a?stronger post-COVID future. By paying off the state?s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund loan to the federal government, our businesses won't experience large increases in their federal unemployment?payroll taxes, and instead can focus on investing this money in their businesses and employees.?
The bill, sponsored by State Representative Mark Fraizer (R-Newark) and Mike Loychik (R-Bazetta), does the following:?
Invests $84 million in a pediatric behavioral health initiative administered by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Funds will increase Ohio's capacity for youth behavioral health services and increase access and quality of care across all regions of the state.?
Invests $250 million to establish a water and sewer quality program administered by the Ohio Department of Development. The program will provide grants to identify and invest in Ohio's most critical infrastructure needs.
Invests $422 million in more than 2,000 local governments in Ohio that have yet to receive direct funding from the federal government to support recovery from the pandemic.?
Repays a loan of approximately $1.5 billion to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund that was needed during the pandemic to pay unemployment benefits. Prompt repayment of this loan will prevent Ohio businesses from experiencing large increases in their federal unemployment payroll taxes.?
?When COVID-19 came to our state, unemployment hit a record high, which in turn drained our unemployment insurance fund,? said Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. ?Governor DeWine?s signature on this bill removes the heavy burden on businesses to repay that loan so they can spend their hard-earned dollars on other priorities, such as hiring more employees and making updates to their facilities.?
Governor DeWine also privately signed House Bill 75, sponsored by State Representative Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton). The bill appropriates budget funding for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation over the 2022-2023 biennium.
Lt. Governor Husted speaks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Columbus Crew's new field.
Also on Tuesday,?Lt. Governor Husted attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Columbus Crew's new Lower.com Field.
On Wednesday, Governor DeWine made several appointments, including to the Children?s Trust Fund Board, State Board of Education, Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission, JobsOhio Board of Directors, and more.
Governor DeWine displays Ohio's Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget bill after signing it into law.
Governor DeWine signed Ohio's Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget bill into law.
Am. Sub. House Bill 110, which includes an income tax cut for all Ohioans, supports the priorities of the DeWine-Husted Administration by launching?a strategic effort to invest more than $1 billion toward accelerating economic growth and ensuring economic vitality.
The new operating budget invests in growing a skilled workforce, expanding access to affordable childcare, addressing substance use disorders, supporting citizen mental health and wellbeing, expanding access to broadband, enhancing K-12 learning, expanding priority health programs, supporting local government, and aiding in public safety.?
Fact sheets highlighting the details of Governor DeWine?s priority budget investments can be found in the following links:
Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted discuss new priority initiatives that will invest in Ohio's future.
On?Thursday,?Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted discussed new priority initiatives that will invest in Ohio's future with support from Ohio's 2022-2023 operating budget.?
Ohio's operating budget bill, Am. Sub. House Bill 110, includes $2 billion in tax cuts for all Ohioans over the next two years and supports the priorities of the DeWine-Husted Administration by launching?a strategic effort to invest more than $1 billion toward accelerating economic growth and ensuring economic vitality in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"At the start of the pandemic, we made tough choices. We cut spending and froze hiring. We did what we had to do. Ohioans are resilient, tough, and strong. The fact that we now have this budget that invests in the future is thanks to what we all did as Ohioans early on," said Governor DeWine.?"The goal we all share is that every child who grows up in Ohio will have the opportunity to realize their own American dream, and this budget reaffirms that goal.?Our new operating budget?builds on the budget we launched two years ago and takes it to a higher level. This is a strong budget that invests in our people and is focused on our future."
Ohio's new operating budget bill passed in the Ohio General Assembly with bipartisan support.
?This is a balanced budget, it invests in kids, education, job training, infrastructure, our police and public safety, and we still have enough of a surplus to provide a tax cut for the people of Ohio," said Lt. Governor Husted. "With the passage of this budget, it provides new momentum as?Ohio emerges as the go-to state in the Midwest for people to live, work, invest, and play.?
The new operating budget invests in growing a skilled workforce, expanding access to affordable childcare, addressing substance use disorders, supporting citizen mental health and wellbeing, expanding access to broadband, enhancing K-12 learning, expanding priority health programs, supporting local government, and aiding in public safety.?
The Ohio Office of Budget Management (OBM) closed Fiscal Year 2021 with tax revenues $1.5 billion over the yearly estimate led by both categories of the state sales tax.?
"This strong rebound from one year ago is the direct result of Governor DeWine's conservative decisions," said OBM Director Kim Murnieks. "It is clear that Ohio?s strong measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic head-on from a health and a budget standpoint worked."
Additionally, on Thursday, Governor DeWine signed the following bills into law during private ceremonies:
H.B. 9, introduced by Representative Kyle Koehler (Springfield), prohibits retailers from selling a drug containing dextromethorphan to anyone younger than 18 without a prescription. While safe if used appropriately, misuse of it has increased in recent years among adolescents and young adults.
H.B. 5, introduced by Representative Gayle Manning (North Ridgeville), creates two pathways to become a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor II. This type of counselor works with those who have substance use disorders and will help fill the shortage of these counselors in Ohio.
S.B. 49, introduced by Senator Jay Hottinger (Newark) and Senator Vernon Sykes (Akron), established a payment assurance program for registered design professionals, including architects, landscape architects, engineers, and surveyors.
S.B.3, introduced by Senator Kristina Roegner (Hudson), enters Ohio into the Nurse Licensure Compact on January 1, 2023, which allows nursing professionals to obtain from their home state a multistate license which allows the nurse to practice in other states who are members of the compact.
S.B. 6, introduced by Senator Kristina Roegner (Hudson) and Senator Steve Huffman (Tipp City) allows Ohio to enter into the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact to help physicians licensed in Ohio get expediated licensure in compact member states.
H.B. 252, introduced by Representative Andrea White (Kettering) and Representative Phil Plummer (Dayton), enters Ohio into the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact that allows professionals to practice under their home state license in member states.
H.B. 137, introduced by Representative Terrence Upchurch (Cleveland) and Representative Willis Blackshear (Dayton), establishes March 29th as Ohio Tuskegee Airmen Day in Ohio.
H.B. 222, introduced by Representative Shane Wilkin (Hillsboro) and Representative Terrence Upchurch (Cleveland), specifies that a nonprofit formed or acquired by a county hospital or joint township district hospital is a separate entity from the hospital.
H.B. 82, introduced by Representative Jon Cross (Kenton) and Representative Don Jones (Freeport), permits parents of high school students to opt them out of the state administration of the ACT or SAT. In addition, the measure reduces the number of rated components of the new report card from six to five for the 2021-2022 school year. Senator Andrew Brenner (Delaware) introduced companion legislation in the Ohio Senate.
H.B. 106, introduced by Representative Jon Cross (Kenton), designates January as Radon Awareness Month in Ohio. The measure is also known as the Annie Cacciato Act, recognizing an individual diagnosed with lung cancer after she was exposed to radon at her workplace.
S.B. 80, introduced by Senator Theresa Gavarone (Bowling Green) and Senator Jerry C. Cirino (Kirtland), requires political party affiliation to be listed on general election ballots in judicial elections increasing transparency. Representative D.J. Swearingen (Huron) and Representative Brian Stewart (Ashville) introduced companion legislation in the Ohio House.
H.B. 201, introduced by Representative Jason Stephens (Kitts Hill), prevents local governments from limiting the use of natural gas and propane and ensures individuals access to distribution services or retail natural gas services. Senator George Lang (West Chester) and Senator Michael Rulli (Salem) introduced companion legislation in the Ohio Senate.
S.B. 40, introduced by Senator Tim Schaffer (Lancaster), revises the way cigarettes' wholesale minimum sale price is calculated by referring to the manufacturer's gross invoice cost as the basis of a wholesaler's cost.
Governor DeWine issued the following statement?on?Thursday regarding Ohio Department of Education Superintendent Paolo DeMaria's retirement announcement:
"I would like to thank Superintendent DeMaria for his tireless work on behalf of Ohio?s children. Throughout his service in state government, Paolo has been passionate about ensuring that the needs of the whole child are met so that every child can live up to his or her God-given potential. Fran and I wish him well in his retirement."
On Friday,?Governor DeWine made two announcements regarding his cabinet. Effective July 5, Matt Damschroder will move from interim director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to its permanent director. Prior to his assignment in early March as interim director, Damschroder served as the director of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS).
Governor DeWine also announced that Kathleen Madden will become the director of DAS, also effective July 5. Madden has been serving as chief of staff for the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) since November 2020.
?Matt and Kathleen have been key members of my administration since the beginning and are both dedicated public servants who are passionate about making government work for all Ohioans,? said Governor DeWine. ?Both have brought positive changes and oversight to their departments and programs during particularly difficult times.?
Governor DeWine speaks to staff and volunteers at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, paying special thanks to the Ohio National Guard.
Also on Friday,?Governor Mike DeWine?and First Lady Fran DeWine visited the?MidOhio Food Collective Harvest Foodbank in Grove City and the Second Harvest Food Bank in Springfield to thank Ohio National Guard members who have been supporting Ohio's regional food distribution warehouses and local food banks since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Saturday, marks the Ohio National Guard's?final day of emergency foodbank support.?
Since March 2020, Ohio National Guard members have received, packed, and distributed approximately 150 million pounds of food and groceries to over 2.9 million Ohioans.
Members of the Ohio National Guard stand for a farewell as they prepare to leave the Mid-Ohio Food Collective and Second Harvest Foodbank.
Governor DeWine issued the following statement on the death of John Mahaney on Friday.
"Fran and I were saddened to learn of the death of John Mahaney. As head of the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants for decades,? John effectively advocated for small and large retail establishments in Ohio.? While John has been retired during my time as Governor, he was a force that every previous Ohio Governor, Speaker of the House, and Senate President needed to deal with. John was bigger than life and instantly filled every room he entered.? John used his Irish wit, charm, storytelling ability, and determination to make sure his members were heard in Columbus.?
"I met John when I was first elected to the Ohio State Senate.? John?s office walls were filled with pictures of those who had previously worked for him - his "alumni."? What you quickly noticed is that these individuals went on to head up trade associations or government affairs for the most prominent businesses in the state.? The Mahaney network was everywhere.?? John was called "The Chief" by his team members and by those who worked around Capitol Square.? I will miss his smile, his endless stories, and his history lessons.? Rest in Peace, Chief."
Governor DeWine announced on Fridaythat he has approved a request?from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) to activate additional members of the Ohio National Guard in support of the Southwest Border (SWB) mission.
The requested 185 members of the Ohio Army National Guard will be deployed to provide non-law enforcement support to the United States Custom and Border Protection (CBP) at the SWB.? The service members will be deployed on federal Title 10 status to assist CBP in late 2021.
The Ohio National Guard Soldiers will join the estimated 3,000 Guard personnel requested from other states to support the SWB mission.
Approximately 115 members of the Ohio National Guard's 1484th Transportation Company were previously deployed to support the Southwest Border operations at the request of DHS and NGB. These Soldiers currently remain on active duty.?
As of?Friday, there have been 1,112,088 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio. Additionally, 20,344 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths have occurred. A total of 60,705 people have been hospitalized, including 8,327 admissions to intensive care units.
For more information on Ohio's response to COVID-19, visit?coronavirus.ohio.gov?or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
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