COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State Senate session was seated just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to begin a possible vote process on the controversial Senate Bill 5.
Opinions are running rampant as Senate Bill 5 -- Ohio's collective bargaining reform bill -- made its way from the committee hearings for a possible vote in Wednesday afternoon's session.
"We've heard from thousands of Ohioans on all sides of this debate in recent weeks, and this bill is better because of their participation," said State Sen. Kevin Bacon, chairman of the committee. "Through 22 hours of testimony and more than 100 witnesses, we've produced a bill that balances the concerns and the livelihoods of our public employees with the need to restore fiscal accountability in Ohio."
Legislators arrived at a vote in a morning committee session in less than an hour after talks began at 10 a.m.
A handful of protesters were visible on the front steps of the statehouse, far fewer than the thousands who took part in an organized demonstration on Tuesday.
An organized protester group announced plans shortly after the vote to return to the Statehouse Wednesday evening for a vigil to oppose Senate Bill 5 and Gov. John Kasich.
The protestors will gather on the west lawn of the statehouse from 4 -6:30 p.m.
On Wednesday morning, the Ohio Liberty Council, a coalition of tea party groups across Ohio offered their statement on final version of collective bargaining bill.
"The Ohio Liberty Council urges the Ohio Senate to pass Senate Bill 5, and we are hopeful the final bill will include, at very least, the following improvements:
- Government employees should have the freedom to choose whether they belong to a union or not.
- Government unions should not be able to use an employee's dues for political purposes without the consent of the employee.
- Government employee benefits should be realigned with those of the private sector by ending the conversion of years of banked sick days into large cash payouts."
At the same time, nearly 100 clergy from across Ohio announced the signing a faith statement opposing Senate Bill 5, and in support of the state’s current collective bargaining law.
“I fully support the right of public sector employees of Ohio State Government to form unions for the purpose of just and fair collective bargaining,” said Rev. Hart Edmonds, of Kenney Heights Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati in a press release. “The tough economic times we are facing as a state and nation were not brought on by public employees. Like all Americans our state must face these challenging times with fairness for all citizens rather than pitting one group of people against another.”
Republican State Sen. Shannon Jones introduced 98 pages of amendments to the original proposed bill on Tuesday. Jones said that she understands that while reform is hard, "it's what Ohioans sent us here to do. We cannot restore our economy and create jobs if we keep raising the tax burden on Ohioans, and the only way to get that under control is to limit the growth of government. Senate Bill 5 is an important step in that process," she said.
The current version of Senate Bill 5 allows public workers to negotiate only on issues related to wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment. The bill prohibits public employees from striking and gives state and local governments more flexibility over their budgets. The bill also creates a new contract dispute resolution process that involves elected officials.
Keep checking newsnet5.com for more information.
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