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Ohio House rejects bill about companies
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Rep. Robert F. Hagan, D-Youngstown. (AP Photo/Larry Phillips)
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
Legislation requiring the state to disclose the names of companies with high numbers of workers who receive public assistance in addition to paychecks died in the Ohio House on Wednesday.
Substitute House Bill 331, sponsored by Rep. Bob Hagan, a Democrat from Youngstown, received a tie vote of 47-47, despite pleas from the sponsor and other Democrats.
“I am trying to make sure that the taxpayers see that we have a problem,” Hagan said in urging approval. He added, “These things are hurting the people in my district, your district, every district here. The taxpayers have a right to know this. They have a right to know where every dollar goes that we push through this chamber.”
The legislation would have required the Department of Job and Family Services to compile an annual report of the top 50 employers with the highest number of workers receiving Medicaid, food stamps and other public assistance.
The bill also would have called on the Department of Development and other governmental bodies to consider the data when considering tax breaks or financial incentives for those companies.
The goal, Hagan said, was to spotlight Walmart and other companies with workers who are relying on public assistance to make ends meet.
“There are a lot of folks working at Walmart where that’s their career,” said Rep. Steve Dyer, a Democrat from the Akron area. “And it’s pathetic that you can have a career and make so little money that you’ve got to get public assistance.”
He added, “What is Walmart afraid of? If they don’t want to be known as the largest welfare recipient in the state, cover your people, pay them more.”
But Republicans called the legislation a “McCarthy-style witch hunt” that would drive more businesses from the state.
“This is a bill that would blame almost every societal problem in Ohio on Ohio’s businesses,” said Rep. Dave Burke, a Republican from Marysville.