The last week of June was a busy week for the Ohio legislature, as they worked to pass legislation and quickly get bills signed by Gov. Mike DeWine.
One of the most important bills was the state budget, which DeWine did sign. Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the components of the state budget, various voting bills and infrastructure.
Ohio’s budget
Burga was relatively pleased with what was in Ohio’s recently signed biennial budget for 2022 to 2023. Some items included within the budget will help create and save jobs, properly fund schools and more, he said.
He praised the Fair School Funding Plan, which will restore the constitutionality of Ohio’s public school funding. The state had been sued four times regarding the constitutionality of school funding and lost each suit. However, the Fair School Funding Plan was only promised for two years and legislators gave even more money to the state’s private school voucher program.
Burga also touched on budget items that will save or create jobs. For instance, there were threats to close a corrections center, but funding was restored and jobs were saved.
Additionally, funding and grants were provided to expand broadband internet. Burga said this was a key piece of infrastructure improvement following the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, solar and wind projects will receive additional funding, helping to spur job growth in the industry.
Voting bills
Republican-controlled legislatures have moved quickly to pass voting legislation. Burga said Ohio is not one of these states, however. The state may not see an aggressive push because of how well former President Trump performed in Ohio.
Burga did preview a bill that includes voter issues. For example, the bill will allow voters to file for or update their voter registration while doing tasks related to license renewals, getting new license plates and more. The bill also limits ballot drop boxes to one per county.
Infrastructure
Burga said he was encouraged by President Biden and the bipartisan group of Senators who agreed on a smaller infrastructure plan. Their willingness to work together is promising after years of bitter partisanship.
Infrastructure improvement is long overdue in the U.S. and Ohio will greatly benefit from it. The bill must serve all of Ohio, not just urban Ohio or rural Ohio. This includes physical and social infrastructure.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
