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Asserting that “Business is Everybody’s Business,” six major Ohio business associations today released legislative priorities aimed at improving and enhancing Ohio’s business and job climate and increasing opportunities for Ohio families.

Ohio Farm Bureau is among the six associations, including the Ohio Business Roundtable, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Business Ohio and the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, that put forth objectives in areas such as taxation, regulation, education and energy among others.

“Ohio’s economy is the engine that provides incomes to our families, whether breadwinners work in the public or private sector,” said Pat Tiberi, president and CEO of the Roundtable. “Every Ohioan has an interest in seeing to it that Ohio has a strong economic climate because that’s what produces the income for everything we hold dear, whether it’s good jobs, great education, opportunities for our children, leisure activities, the arts or any other phase of our Ohio quality of life. No matter what each person’s interest, we all have a stake in a strong Ohio.  Business is truly everybody’s business.”

State Sen. George Lang, R-West Chester, chair of the Ohio House and Senate Business First Caucus, responded, “As a small business owner and chair of the Business First Caucus, I appreciate the six groups that represent most businesses in the state coming together and sharing recommendations on those issues most important to them with the Ohio Legislature. They are right; business is everybody’s business. I look forward to continuing to work toward making Ohio the most business-friendly state in the nation.”

The guidelines for legislators and policymakers are included in a brochure forwarded today to members of the Ohio General Assembly and state executive branch leaders. The brochure makes the observation that like any machine, Ohio’s economic engine requires periodic maintenance, repair or updating. A number of recommendations tie directly to the coming aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and others are recommendations that have appeared on such lists before, and remain important to Ohio.

Some of the key recommendations include:

• Avoid Tax Increases: During budget debate, seek to retain existing small business tax provisions and to oppose significant tax or fee increases.
• Keep Education Standards High: Any attempt to roll back school academic and accountability standards must be opposed.
• Develop Our Workforce: Sustain and grow workforce readiness programs such as TechCred, industry credentialing and streamlining workforce development programs.
• Fix Unemployment Compensation: Renew efforts to restore stable financing and make need policy reforms for Ohio’s Unemployment Compensation system.

“We are mutually committed to cooperating on advocacy for these important business goals,” said Roger Geiger, executive director of NFIB-Ohio. “Working together, we send an unambiguous message about what is important to our state from a business standpoint.”