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25
Fall 2012 Issue
PUBLIC POLICY
Politics can be confusing and confounding. Unless it’s part of
your job, it’s almost impossible to keep track of what did and
did not happen; if the issues are federal, state or local; and if
any of it really makes a difference to you and your business.
Over the past several years, the Ohio Restaurant Association
has made a concentrated effort to increase our influence with
lawmakers and regulators. While we haven’t won all of the
battles on your behalf, we have a pretty good track record.
So, here’s what we’ve done for you lately:
•
Local Preemption
– The ORA drafted and successfully
passed a law preempting local political subdivisions
from enacting a host of anti-restaurant ordinances. This
law was later adopted as a model bill by the American
Legislative Exchange Council.
•
Paid Sick Leave
– As a leader in a statewide coalition,
the ORA helped persuade proponents of an expensive
paid sick leave mandate to withdraw their statewide
ballot initiative.
•
Taxes and Fees
– The ORA helped keep new restaurant
taxes and fees out of the state’s 2010-2011 budget.
•
Crafted Strong Relationships
– The ORA expanded the
industry’s political influence by building strong, personal
relationships with the governor’s office under both a
Democratic and a Republican administration; with state
agencies that regulate restaurants; and among allied
interest groups. The ORA is active in coalitions that
promote shale oil/gas development; that aim to make
municipal income tax structures consistent statewide;
that minimize workers’ compensation premiums; that
promote Ohio tourism and that develop alcohol-related
public policy issues.
•
Gubernatorial Appointments
– ORA member Nick Zuk
chairs the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
(BWC) Board of Directors; ORA Board Member Dan
Young serves on the CSI Small Business Advisory
Council and ORA Staff Member Richard Mason is a
member of the Retail Food Safety Advisory Council.
•
Regulatory Reform
– The ORA advocated for two pieces
of legislation that simplified the state’s regulatory
process and require proposed regulations to pass a
small business cost/benefit analysis.
•
Estate Tax
– The ORA joined with other business
associations to successfully repeal the estate tax.
•
Tourism Funding
– The ORA took a leadership role working
with two administrations to develop an innovative
and sustainable means to fund tourism promotion by
the State of Ohio that was passed in 2012 and will
generate more than $234 million annually in new food
and beverage spending.
•
Workers’ Compensation
– The ORA worked with a
business coalition to fight for continued discounts for
members in the ORA’s group rating program.
•
Smoking Ban Exemptions
– The ORA continued to stall
persistent efforts to add exemptions to the statewide
smoking ban that would have created a competitive
disadvantage for most ORA members.
•
Sunday Alcohol Sales
– The ORA developed and
successfully promoted legislation to allow restaurants to
sell alcoholic beverages over the Sunday lunch period.
•
Ignition Interlock
– The ORA assisted in stopping legislation
that would have mandated the imposition of ignition
interlock devices on all first-time OVI offenders, which
would depress legal and responsible social drinking.
•
E-Verify
– The ORA helped educate lawmakers on
appropriate and effective immigration policy and
successfully discouraged the Ohio General Assembly
from adopting various mandatory E-Verify laws.
•
Utility Costs
– The ORA assumed the leading role in
opening a public policy discussion about the need to
create a structure for small businesses to advocate their
interests on utility rate increase cases before the Public
Utilities Commission of Ohio.
What the ORA Has Done For You Lately...
• Considering the role of electronic
completion or storage of I-9s.
l
A number of states require the use
of E-Verify, which is an electronic
employment verification system
that provides an automated link
to federal databases to help
employers confirm the employment
authorization of new hires.
By following these steps, an employer
will be in a better position to manage
its compliance risk, and to respond if, or
when, ICE comes to call.
For additional information or to discuss these
recommendations, please contact Keith Pryatel,
esquire for Kastner Westman & Wilkins (KW&W), at
(330) 867-9998. KW&W is committed to helping
companies build the solid foundations they need for
effective human resources management. KW&W’s
practice is limited to representing management
exclusively in the full range of workplace issues –
labor and employment law, workers’ compensation,
employee benefits and human resources consulting.