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Empowering Local Leadership Conference
In a collaboration with the Greater Cleveland Partnership, Northeast Ohio Mayors and City Managers Association, and the Cuyahoga County Mayors & City Managers Association, the ACAA is hosting the 2025 Empowering Local Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. on June 5 and 6. During this event, members will receive recent updates and policy briefings from our Northeast Ohio congressional delegation, the White House, and other key decision makers whose work impacts your business and our economy.
To register for this event, click here.
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Ohio Summer Social
On June 10 and 11, members are invited to join regional stakeholders in Washington D.C. for the Ohio Summer Social to network with Members of Congress and government staffers in an intimate setting. As an invite-only event, this unique opportunity provides members with an opportunity to build relationships with key decision makers.
For more information, contact Chris Franz by Friday, June 6 at cfranz@uakron.edu.
| | Recap of Ohio's Primary Election | | |
Ohio’s Primary Election earlier this month featured a mix of statewide and local decisions. State Issue 2, which the ACAA endorsed, passed with over a two-thirds majority and authorized $2.5 billion in bonds over ten years for public infrastructure projects. Across the state, this funding will improve roads, bridges, water systems and waste facilities across the state, which will enhance public health, safety, and economic welfare of the people and communities in our state.
For more information on the results of the Primary Election, visit the Secretary of State's website.
| | Key Pieces of Legislation | | The ACAA is actively tracking several bills and policies that directly impact our members and the broader business community. Among the various legislative measures currently under review, there are several which the ACAA is actively supporting or opposing. These bills represent critical issues that could shape the future of our broader business community and the interests of our stakeholders: | | |
Senate Bill 11
This bill would prohibit non-compete agreements, rendering them illegal contracts. If passed, Senate Bill 11 would disrupt longstanding employment laws and contact rights, hindering Ohio’s economic competitiveness. Last month the ACAA – and more than 10 other organizational partners – signed onto a letter opposing the ban of non-compete agreements.
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Senate Bill 88
This bill would modify a prohibition previously enacted in 2023 against foreign entities from adversarial nations to own agricultural land in Ohio. Senate Bill 88 would expand current Ohio Revised Code to prohibit foreign governments, entities, and individuals from adversarial nations to own any/all real property in Ohio. If passed, this would force many businesses currently operating in Ohio to close, and create a negative impact on Ohio jobs, communities, tax revenue, and supply chains. For more information on Senate Bill 88, click here.
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House Bill 159
This bill would create the Manufacturing Technologies Assistance Grant Program, a program designed to help small- to mid-sized manufacturers in Ohio modernize and innovate their production processes with up to $150,000 for the investment of “smart technologies” such as machinery, equipment, and training. If passed, House Bill 159 would boost the productivity and efficiency of Ohio's small- and mid-sized manufacturers and enable them to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market. The ACAA previously expressed support for this bill when it was first introduced during the 135th General Assembly as House Bill 435. During the 136th General Assembly, the ACAA intends to provide future testimony for House Bill 159.
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State Operating Budget
“Pill Tax”
The current version of House Bill 96/the State Operating Budget includes an amendment that adds a mandated dispensing fee (or “pill tax”) on every prescription filled in Ohio. This fee – which ranges from $10.50 to $15.40 – would directly raise costs for employers and employees across Ohio and force employers to choose between cutting benefits and/pr increasing premiums just to provide the same services. The ACAA and several leading business organizations from across the state signed onto a letter opposing the government healthcare mandates.
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