Mike DeWine Is Bad for Business
August 17, 2022
“But we cannot grow if it [Ohio] is not welcoming. That’s bad for our businesses and terrible for our people.”
Columbus, OH — In case you missed it, the Columbus Dispatch Editorial Board outlined all the ways that Republicans like Mike DeWine are bad for business in Ohio. DeWine continues to serve as a rubber stamp for extremists in the legislature who are pushing policies that drive businesses and workers away and keep them away. From ripping away abortion rights to politicians inserting themselves into the classroom, DeWine is sacrificing jobs and workers here in Ohio all to embrace the extremism of Republican politicians who deeply distrust him. At a time when too many working families are struggling to get by, DeWine is only focused on keeping one job: his own.
“Innovation is steeped in Ohio’s history, and with the announcement in January that Intel plans to spend $20 billion to build two plants in New Albany, there is renewed hope that innovation will help shift the state from the “Rust Belt” to the “Silicon Heartland.” That bright future might be compromised if state lawmakers continue to push an agenda that makes many feel unwelcomed,” writes the Dispatch Editorial Board.
Read more from the Columbus Dispatch editorial here and below:
- Innovation is steeped in Ohio’s history and, with the announcement in January that Intel plans to spend $20 billion to build two plants in New Albany, there is renewed hope that innovation will help shift the state from the “Rust Belt” to the “Silicon Heartland.”
- That bright future might be compromised if state lawmakers continue to push an agenda that makes many feel unwelcomed.
- Around the nation, companies and their potential employees are paying attention to the laws state legislature are passing regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, and abortion access — seen as a human right by many on both sides of the issues.
- According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 74% of adults younger than 30 say abortions should be legal in all or most cases, as do 62% of adults in their 30s and 40s.
- If the employee shortage prompted by the pandemic taught us one thing, that thing is that workers have options, and many want to work for places that share their values.
- About 80% of American workers who took part in a 2021 CNBC/SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey said that they want to work for a company that values diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Sought after workers want to work for companies that value diversity, so it reasons that companies want to be located in cities and states that value diversity.
- Ohio’s new abortion law is even more restrictive than the one in Indiana, banning most abortions — even those that resulted from rape and incest — after a heartbeat can be detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy.
- The conservative Ohio Chamber of Commerce is among several business groups that have spoken against House Bill 616, which would suppress what teachers can teach kids about the LGBTQ community, racism and history.
- “Ohio needs to be a welcoming place for all. We should focus on ways to cultivate and harness the talents of Ohioans, while also attracting out-of-state workers to relocate here,” an April statement from the Chamber reads. “The Chamber is concerned that that some of the language in this bill may impede Ohio’s ability to lure the best and brightest minds to fill these openings and put down roots in the Buckeye State; however we trust that through the legislative process everyone will get a chance to have their voice heard.”
- We believe the Buckeye state remains the heart of this nation.
- But we cannot grow if it is not welcoming.
- That’s bad for our businesses and terrible for our people.
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