May 30, 2023

Ohio Chamber Testifies in Support of Telepharmacy

Meredith Craig, Director of Healthcare Policy, provided testimony last week in support of Senate Bill 95 (Reynolds), legislation aimed at expanding access to pharmacy benefits. SB 95 would give Ohioans the ability to fill their prescriptions at a pharmacy where the supervising pharmacist is operating remotely. At a time when many communities throughout Ohio are experiencing local pharmacies closing, allowing the use of remote pharmacy means more Ohioans will have greater access to pharmacies and pharmacists. 

In the Ohio Chamber’s Blueprint for Ohio’s Economic Future, we show health disparities exist amongst a variety of different populations including rural Ohioans. For example, Ohioans in rural counties have higher hospitalization rates and severely limited access to physicians when compared to the rest of Ohio. To address these disparities, the Ohio Chamber’s research suggests lawmakers should consider supporting policies that expand telehealth services such as SB 95. 

Land Use Legislation

The Ohio Chamber testified in opposition to HB 64 (Eminent Domain). The current version of the bill creates new standards of proof, takes away an irrebuttable presumption when an agency rules on the necessity of a project and makes other changes that would impact the current jurisprudence developed since the last reform was made on eminent domain in 2007. That last change was developed over a two-year period. If eminent domain reform is necessary, the Ohio Chamber would favor a more deliberative approach. Like the process used in the past to create the 2007 changes.

Tax News

As the budget begins its journey through the Ohio Senate, the Ohio Chamber continues to monitor language in the budget pertaining to several tax issues. Work also continues to add budget amendment language from a few bills the Ohio Chamber testified on during committee hearings in the House. As of this update, HB 116 (Bonus Depreciation), bad debt deduction for tobacco products (HB 66), and the municipal tax penalty limitations (HB 105) are still in the budget.

Work continues to add language to the budget in the Senate on the safe harbor for municipal tax withholding requirements (HB 121) when apportioning the municipal net profits tax.

Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA Hears OCC Blueprint Presentation

OCC SVP Rick Carfagna traveled to Cincinnati last week to address the monthly meeting of the Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA at the request of the organization’s president, Alfonso Cornejo. Carfagna provided a PowerPoint presentation of the Ohio Chamber’s “Blueprint for Ohio’s Economic Future,” and discussed the need to tackle workforce housing, childcare, and job readiness issues over the next 5-10 years. Additional discussion centered around embracing immigrant workers, the Ohio Chamber’s advocacy efforts to lift the caps on H1B visas for technology workers and H2A visas for agricultural workers, and how Ohio can be a welcoming state for entrepreneurs across all ethnicities.

The Hispanic Chamber’s stated mission is “to promote the creation, sustainable growth and development of the Hispanic/Latino business community in the Cincinnati Tri-State area as well as to link our Hispanic professionals with the best job opportunities to foster their professional and personal growth.” According to their website, the Hispanic Chamber also works closely with profit and nonprofit area businesses as well as the local and state Chambers of Commerce and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. They are a link and forum within the national network of Hispanics business associations and firms, and work to expand business opportunities. The Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA brings together many different individuals and business in the Cincinnati community to network and build fellowship, and more can be found at https://www.hispanicchambercincinnati.com/.

Debt Ceiling Deal Reached

Over the holiday weekend, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and their negotiating teams, reached an agreement to lift the debt ceiling until 2025. The agreement avoids American default on sovereign debt and allows the US Department of Treasury to continue issuing bonds to pay for government operations. The deal also: sets reduced federal spending limits for the next two years, provides approval for a natural gas pipeline project in Appalachia, rescinds some unspent federal COVID recovery funds, imposes work requirements on some individuals receiving government assistance, and restarts federal student loan payment collections in September.

The U.S. House is preparing to vote on the plan as early as Wednesday, and the Senate has suggested they may remain in session over the weekend to see the bill through. Both chambers will need to approve the legislation and send it to President Biden before the current debt ceiling limit is reached on June 5.

Conservative Republicans in the House are expressing dismay at the scope of the deal, suggesting that Speaker McCarthy could have done more to impose spending restrictions and reform of government programs. Meanwhile, the Speaker and his team have been adamant that the package is a victory because the White House has long argued in favor of raising the debt ceiling without any policy reforms or changes, believing those conversations should happen separately from any legislative action to avoid default.

Ohio Chamber and State Legislators Discuss Education Reform with Human Resources Professionals 

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce recently took part in a conversation about education reform at the 2023 Ohio SHRM Employment Law + Legislative Conference. The event convened state legislators and human resources professionals from across the state to discuss public policy issues affecting the HR profession. OCC SVP Rick Carfagna moderated a panel with State Senator Bill Reneke (R-Tiffin) and State Representative Dave Dobos (R-Columbus) titled “A 21st Century Education and Career Readiness System - Connecting Ohio’s Workforce to Employers”. A significant portion of the discussion centered around Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 12, companion bills pending in the Ohio legislature to restructure both the Ohio Department of Education and State Board of Education to provide stronger emphasis on workforce skills and career readiness. Both legislators also shared their experiences as business owners, as members of their respective Higher Education Committees, and their efforts to address remediation rates and elevate career technical education to meet workforce needs. SHRM attendees engaged in robust Q&A with the legislators, while also relating their own unique experiences with overseeing staffing challenges.

Ohio Chamber Participates in Clay Shoot to Benefit Suicide Prevention

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce recently fielded a team at the 1^st annual Sporting Clay Outing, held by Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF) and Lifeside Ohio. The charitable event, held at Black Wing Shooting Center, brought together a number of participants and was designed to increase outreach and awareness of suicide prevention avenues to gun enthusiasts, veterans, and members of law enforcement communities.

The Ohio Chamber also welcomed OSPF Executive Director Tony Coder as a guest speaker at a recent Coffee and Commerce event, where Coder outlined the mission of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and how they are engaging the business community to steer people in need to these important resources. To this end, the OSPF has an online toolkit for employers which includes a resource guide, posters for the workplace, and information about training programs. 

You can access and download the toolkit materials at https://www.ohiospf.org/employer-toolkit/.