Cost analysis ordered for maternity leave plan

COLUMBUS (AP) — The state’s civil rights agency didn’t do enough to determine how much a new maternity leave requirement would cost schools, townships, cities and other local governments, a legislative rule-making committee said Monday.

The bipartisan committee voted 9-1 to order the Ohio Civil Rights Commission to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the cost and return after three months with the results. On a form asking whether the new requirement would have any financial impact on local governments, the commission indicated “no.”

That answer was not sufficient, said Rep. Ross McGregor, a Springfield Republican and chairman of the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review. JCARR must weigh changes on technical grounds, not on the proposal’s merits.