Today, Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) and members of the House Economic and Small Business Development Committee joined representatives of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) at a press conference for Small Business Day at the Capitol.

The legislators took the opportunity to discuss House Republican efforts to bolster small business growth and economic development in Ohio. Additionally, the caucus revealed plans to continue to reach out within their communities to gain further insight into the ways Ohio’s government can positively impact business growth.

“Seventy percent of all jobs are created by small businesses, which is why our caucus is committed to a job-creation agenda and legislation that will improve our small business climate,” Batchelder said. “This General Assembly has been a great opportunity to really put our heads together and move forward on legislation to help Ohio’s businesses and families. Ohio’s business climate should always be at the forefront of our minds in every decision we make and every bill we pass. I think our track record of pro-business bills shows the strength of that commitment.”

Representative Nan Baker (R-Westlake), chairwoman of the Economic and Small Business Development Committee, discussed pro-business bills that have passed from the committee or are currently being considered for passage by the committee. She also announced that the Republican committee members will be soliciting feedback throughout the summer from business owners within their districts. Members will seek input on what is working at the state level and what the government can do to help small business owners to create jobs.

“My colleagues and I have continued to reach out to the small business owners within our districts during our time in the House, and we will be intensifying the effort this summer,” said Baker. “As a business owner for 30 years, I understand how important it is for the government to allow businesses to grow, create jobs and make a profit. I am very pleased that we are able to partner with NFIB in the effort to help Ohio’s small businesses succeed.”

Since the beginning of the 129th General Assembly, the House Republican Caucus has diligently worked to encourage job creation and economic development within the state of Ohio. The first bill to pass from the House was House Bill 1, which created JobsOhio to function as a lean, responsive economic development entity that would aggressively seek out opportunities for growth and investment.

Since the passage of H.B. 1 from the Ohio House, Speaker Batchelder and the House Republicans have worked on additional pieces of legislation that aim to improve Ohio’s business climate and reduce the unnecessary regulations that often strangle small businesses. Among these bills are measures to:

• Save families and businesses approximately $48.5 million over the next three fiscal years and offer job-retention tax credits for businesses that have received offers to relocate in other states (H.B. 58)
• Reduce wasteful spending and hold down tax rates by conducting performance audits of certain state agencies (H.B. 2)
• Adopt the Common Sense Initiative Office to evaluate all regulations and whether a particular mandate has an adverse effect on businesses (H.B. 94/S.B. 2)
• Improve Ohio’s business climate by creating an online titling program for commercial vehicles and easing restrictions on the transportation of Ohio’s farm commodities and agricultural products (H.B. 114)
• Minimize local tax burdens by giving local government other options than tax hikes to balance their budgets (S.B. 5)
• Eliminate the death tax to support small business owners, farmers, homeowners and retirees (H.B. 153)

“I want to thank Speaker Batchelder and the many legislators who are working to make Ohio a stronger, safer and easier place to build a business and create jobs,” said Vice President/Executive Director of NFIB/Ohio Roger R. Geiger. “They made regulatory reform legislation a priority for this general assembly because they knew it was a priority for Ohio’s small businesses. Their budgeting plans hold small businesses harmless by maintaining the promised income tax reduction and providing an end-date for the harmful estate tax. Their attention to the needs of Ohio’s entrepreneurs will go a long way toward putting Ohio back on a path to prosperity.”

The House Republican Caucus will continue to support Ohio’s small business owners and ensure that the state government does not hinder local businesses.

To view the House Economic and Small Business Development Committee’s Facebook page, please follow the link: www.facebook.com/ohiohousegopmeansbusiness