COALITION SAYS NO TO “POINTLESS” HEARING
Paid Sick Day Backers Gather Signatures; Question Purpose of Hearing
For Immediate Release: May 28, 2008
Columbus…..Ohioans for Healthy Families, the state-wide coalition of 217 organizations spearheading the push for passage of paid sick days, declined to participate today in a last-minute, end-of-session hearing called by the House Labor and Commerce Committee. A copy of the Coalition’s letter to Committee Chair Tom Brinkman (R-Cincinnati) is attached.
Though the Coalition had long called for additional hearings on the Ohio Healthy Families Act (OHFA) at which expert witnesses could testify concerning the impact of the bill on jobs, economic competitiveness and public health, the General Assembly’s Republican leadership refused to hold such hearings prior to the May 8 deadline for legislative action prescribed by the “initiated statute” provisions of the Ohio Constitution. On May 9, the Coalition began collecting additional vote petition signatures to put the issue on the November ballot.
Said Coalition spokesman Dale Butland:
“Frankly, we question why this hearing is being held and suspect it is simply more game-playing on the part of the Republican leadership. It can’t be because the legislature suddenly expects to take action on paid sick days. Not only has the May 8 deadline expired, but the General Assembly is adjourning this week and no votes are scheduled on the OHFA in either House of the legislature. In fact, we were explicitly told by the Committee Chairman several weeks ago that there would be no further hearings ---and a spokeswoman for House Speaker Husted publicly reiterated that position, saying "certainly those who support the issue are now able to gather more signatures and move forward with that course of action." (Business First, 5/8/08)
“On May 9, Ohioans for Healthy Families began doing just that. We have already gathered over 50,000 new petition signatures and, with over 70% of Ohioans supporting paid sick day legislation, have no doubt whatsoever that we will be able to gather the number needed to put it on the November ballot. Personally, I think anyone running for legislative office this year while opposing paid sick days is playing political Russian roulette.”
“In any event, there is absolutely no reason at this point to divert our energies away from signature-gathering ---particularly since this sudden, out-of-the-blue hearing cannot result in any meaningful action by a General Assembly that will adjourn this week while still refusing to give the bill an up-or-down vote. Simply put, we’re fed up. ”
By law, if the Coalition gathers an additional 120,683 signatures by August 6, the Ohio Healthy Families Act will appear on the November ballot.
Posted by SickDaysOhio.org on May 28, 2008
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