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www.ohiorestaurant.org
Fall 2012 Issue
PUBLIC POLICY
MASON
: The Ohio House is controlled by the Republicans
by a margin of 59-40. I’ll go out on a limb and predict
the Rs will gain three seats. Agree or disagree? Do
you see any surprises in races for the Ohio House of
Representatives?
WEAVER
: Agree with you that the Ohio House will remain
in GOP control and the Republican caucus will pick
up seats. I’d say another four seats. The races will be
heated with significant expenditures on negative mailers.
MASON
: Another Issue 2 is on the ballot – this time a
proposal to change how we realign legislative districts
after the census every decade. Will it actually make a
difference? Is this really important to restaurateurs?
WEAVER
: This is an issue that comes up every decade
or so and it has not been adopted any of the times
it has been raised. The last time this was attempted
(2005), it was defeated by a lopsided margin. It will
be defeated again this year, probably by 10 points
or better. Having said that, if districts are ever made
more competitive, candidates will have to listen more
closely to groups like the ORA.
MASON
: The ORA endorsed candidates for the 2012
elections (which appear in this publication and on the
ORA’s website:
. Does it make a difference to voters
when interest groups make endorsements?
WEAVER
: Candidates seek out endorsements from
groups like the ORA and such endorsements can be
made even more effective when local members take
the initiative to publicize the endorsement. Restaurant
owners are important employers in every community
and they have significant influence. They should use it!
MASON
: One last question: years from now, when we
look back at the 2012 elections in Ohio, what will
stand out? What about this election is unique?
WEAVER
: Ohioans, like the rest of the nation, are
getting more and more frustrated with the electoral
process and the divided nature of politics. 2012 may
well be seen as a high water mark of those frustrations.
Ironically, voters have the power to end all this by
paying more attention to the process and using the
power of the vote to force change. It hasn’t happened
yet, though.
MASON
: Mark, on behalf of our members, thank you
for sharing your insight. And, on a personal note, it’s
always a pleasure to work with you.
By Richard Mason,
Director of Government Affairs,
Ohio Restaurant Association
Serving the ORA as Our Political “Eyes and Ears”
The Government Affairs Committee safeguards the interests of Ohio’s foodservice industry
The Government Affairs Committee is a standing committee
of the Board of Directors. Members are appointed by the
Board Chairman and any ORA member in good standing
is eligible. It meets on an as-needed basis, most often by
conference call.
When time allows, the Government Affairs Committee
determines a position on an issue and recommends it to
the board of Directors, which meets quarterly. The Board
determines the official ORA position and staff carries it
out. If time does not allow, the recommendation of the
Government Affairs Committee can become the ORA
position. Finally, and again depending on the timing, ORA’s
four-person Executive Committee can set policy between
meetings of the Board of Directors.
What does this mean to you? First, it means that the ORA’s
position on laws and regulations that impact your business
are set by your peers. Second, it means that there is a
process for setting association public policy. And perhaps
most important, you can play a role in setting ORA policy.
We periodically ask members for their ideas for changing laws
or regulations. Those ideas are forwarded to the Government
Affairs Committee and the Board of Directors. I promise you
that ALL ideas are taken seriously. You are our eyes and ears.
So, yes, your voice is most certainly heard.
While we have a clear, efficient process for determining our
position on issues, the reality is that the legislative process
itself is not always as clear and efficient. Determining
our position requires us to do so in the turbulent political
environment in which laws are made.
The easiest task for our Government Affairs Committee is to
decide our position on legislation that has been introduced in
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