Innovation Ohio

What you need to know about Ohio Politics and Policy

Voting Advocates Release Letter to Secretary LaRose Laying Out Steps He Can Immediately Take For Safe and Accessible Election

Voting rights advocates call on Sec. LaRose to use his authority to ensure Ohio’s election in November is safe, secure, and accessible for all voters.

Columbus, OH – Today, voting advocates representing a diverse intersection of voters across Ohio gathered to release a letter to Secretary of State Frank LaRose laying out four policies he can immediately and unilaterally enact to make November’s election safe and accessible during the COVID-19 crisis. 

“I do not hear from our leaders that all of our votes matter. I am here to say we will not allow this to happen. We must raise our voices to Secretary LaRose and demand he takes action,” said Rev. Chris Attaway of Tabernacle Church in Cleveland. 

The letter is online here and is signed by more than a dozen organizations. It lays out four policies that Secretary LaRose has the authority to enact immediately:

  1. Prepay postage on absentee ballots and applications.
  2. Create a statewide online absentee request form and phone number. 
  3. Encourage county boards of elections to offer multiple dropboxes.
  4. Issue a directive to limit polling place consolidation.


“It is clear that Ohioans cannot rely on their state legislature to pass needed election reforms to make sure we have a safe, secure, and accessible general election. Fortunately, Secretary of State Frank LaRose has existing legal authorities to implement policies that will significantly ease voters’ burden of safely casting a ballot during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said ACLU of Ohio Policy Strategist Collin Marozzi. “There is a leadership void in our state, and we are calling on Secretary LaRose to use the powers of his office to reaffirm the fundamental right of Ohio voters to make their voice heard.” 

A recording of the press call is online here. (Passcode: 1P&Yd=8U)

The letter and advocacy efforts come in response to massive problems during the Ohio primary election this spring. 

Rev. Brian Cash of East Mount Zion Baptist Church in Cleveland expressed concern that older members of his congregation would be unable to navigate the confusing absentee system. “We must push Secretary of State LaRose to send prepaid postage to ensure that all of our community members are able to participate in this year’s election,” he said. 

Kalesha Scott, a recent Central State University graduate and Ohio Student Association organizer, said: “Many students were unable to vote because of issues with the absentee ballot system, including myself. These four steps that Secretary LaRose can and should take would greatly help college students and young people making their voices heard.” 

“While some voters were able to navigate the system during the primary, countless other Ohioans were unable to cast their ballots,” said Petee Talley of the Unity Coalition and Black Trade Unionists. “The General Assembly has had plenty of time to make our election safe and accessible, but has failed to do so. Time has run out. So we are calling on Secretary of State LaRose to do the right thing, and exercise his authority to take these steps.”

The letter is available online at:
https://innovationohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/LaRose-Letter-Aug-4.pdf

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Ohio Senate May Vote On Harmful Elections Bill, HB 680

Send your Senator a letter urging them to amend H.B. 680

At The Statehouse: Senate May Vote TOMORROW On Harmful Elections Bill 

After a quiet month of summer break, the Ohio Senate returns for a day of committee hearings and floor votes tomorrow, and, at the top of their agenda, is HB 680, an election bill that makes it harder to vote early, in-person, and by mail, and does nothing to improve the safety or accessibility of voting in November. The bill was passed by the Ohio House last month on a party-line vote. Tomorrow the Senate will get its turn.

House Bill 680, as passed by the House, would:

  • Require Ohioans to pay for postage on absentee ballot applications and on any absentee ballots themselves
  • Limit each County to only one Early Vote and secure ballot drop box location no matter its size or population.
  • Force Ohioans to request absentee ballots by mail instead of online.
  • Prohibit the Governor and Ohio Department of Health Director from “causing an election to be conducted other than the time, place, and manner prescribed by the Revised Code,” effectively tying official’s hands to change aspects of the election even if the pandemic continues to worsen.
  • Shorten the time to request a vote-by-mail ballot

Despite repeatedly saying he wants to allow Ohioans to request an absentee ballot online and that forcing voters to pay for return postage is likely “unconstitutional,” Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is inexplicably supporting the passage of HB 680.

Reports suggest the Secretary of State and local election officials are primarily interested in moving up the deadline to request an absentee ballot, but if that’s the case, they should condition their endorsement on improvements to the bill that make it easier — not harder — for Ohioans to exercise alternatives to voting in person on election day.

The bill is up for its first and last Senate hearing tomorrow, setting it up for a likely floor vote at tomorrow’s 1:30 pm session. See “Statehouse Meetings and Events” below for details on watching or testifying at tomorrow’s hearing. 
Here is a tool you can use to send a note to your State Senator to ask them to fix HB 680.

Take Action on HB 680

House Bill 680 — up for a vote in the Ohio Senate as early as tomorrow, July 21 — does nothing to make our elections safer or more accessible in November. 

Contact your state Senator and ask them to amend HB 680 with the following voting improvements:

  • Prepaid postage on absentee applications and ballots,
  • Online absentee ballot requests, and
  • Multiple, secure and convenient drop boxes to return absentee ballots

Click here to send an email to your Senator now!

New Legislation This Week

Below are some of the new bills introduced in the last several weeks since we last sent an update. You can also view the complete list of bills we’re tracking.

Ohio City Leaders Call on Portman to Fight for a Bold Federal Relief Package

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Columbus, OH – Today, city executives and elected officeholders across Ohio held a press call to demand that Senator Portman support the HEROES Act or fight for a similarly-bold package for localities, working families, or schools as the Senate crafts its own bill. They released a letter signed by 20+ elected officials across the state outlining key priorities. 

A recording of the call is available here. (Password: 6p+gK@07)

“We are in the middle of a very challenging year in our state and in our country — and that is putting it mildly,” said Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, noting that his city is experiencing “Great Depression levels of unemployment” and that Ohio cities’ reliance on income tax makes them uniquely vulnerable to recessions. Toledo faces a $30 M deficit because of the pandemic and has had to furlough 300 employees.  

A photo of Rob Portman speaking during a congressional hearing. Image courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Creator: Glenn Fawcett
Image credit: U.S. Government

“The federal government has botched the response to COVID-19, and we in local government have had to do what we always do: step up to deliver for and protect our citizens,” he said. “But in this unprecedented moment, our hands are tied by not having the resources we need to deliver the services our citizens expect…If Washington chooses to ignore police and sanitation workers and they have to be laid off, I will be very clear about who was responsible for that…Airlines and corporations are always first in line, but most people want the parks mowed and a firefighter to be able to come when they call.” 

Cincinnati Councilmember P.G. Sittenfeld emphasized the unprecedented moment of a public health, economic, and racial justice triple crisis and how surreal it has been to see visitors bureaus and recreation centers become temporary hospital facilities and housing for the homeless. 

He explained how his city’s $73 M budget deficit, often seen as an abstraction, has real-world effects. “Our ability to piece together a budget that ensures that vulnerable seniors and youth can keep cool in 90-degree heat is at risk….Teachers are reaching into their pockets more than ever to pay for things their kids need,” he said. “Senator Portman should join Senator Brown in getting this vital legislation through. My message to him is: listen to your constituents.” 

He also urged the Senator to continue the Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program and noted Economic Policy Institute data that if it expires, over 100,000 jobs will be lost. 

Cleveland Cincinnati Councilmember Blaine Griffin said, “If the HEROES Act passes, Cleveland will receive more than $1 B for healthcare and for teachers and for other essential employees. They are working so hard for us, and we cannot give them a pink slip…We need federal relief to keep Clevelanders to keep from falling into poverty.” 

He also said the city has been financially responsible. “Cleveland has done our part. We prepared for a downturn. But nobody was prepared for COVID-19 and how it would reveal the inequities among us,” he said. 

He noted the recession has contributed to a spike in violent crime and domestic violence and has disproportionately affected African-Americans. He invited Senator Portman to walk the neighborhoods of Cleveland with him and see the effects. “I know we are seen as a Democratic city,” he said, “But we are your constituents too, Senator.” 

Columbus City Auditor Megan Kilgore forecasts a drop of 4.7% in city revenue, five times worse than Columbus’ worst-ever year for revenue collection on record during the Great Recession. 

“Funding infrastructure is the most economically efficient way to rebuild an economy,” she said. “Take a project like an investment in clean drinking water or sewer lines or high-speed IT networks or green energy projects. Think about the workers who work on that. That creates more wages, which gets spent, and that spending supports other workers. That is the multiplier effect….If Senator Portman does not act, he is putting a ‘Closed for Business’ sign on Ohio.” 

Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney said the crisis has been particularly acute for Southeast Ohio, which has a disproportionately high number of public-sector workers like teachers, hospital employees, and local government staff. 

His city is still finalizing projections, but they could be as high as a 10% or 11% dropoff in revenue. Already in the last few months, the city has drained one-third of its reserves, which it has spent the last few years building up, and has had to issue layoff notices to firefighters. He offered an example of economic effects: “We’ve had to reduce work hours by one-third. That means the building I sit in right now [City Hall] has to close tomorrow. That means those workers won’t come downtown and shop or dine on Main Street.” 

Speaking for Southeast Ohio as a whole, he said: “There may not be a big population center, but we matter down here too. We’re asking Senator Portman to stem the bleeding in places like mine and in cities like Ironton and Waverly,” he said. 

The leaders seek $1 trillion in aid to state and local governments, among other priorities detailed in the letter pertaining to Medicaid, K-12 education, childcare, paid family leave, and unemployment compensation. Already, 65,700 public sector workers have been laid off in Ohio since February. 

Anything less than $1 trillion for state and local government will cause needless suffering: while Ohio stands to lose another 191,400 public and private sector jobs in the next 18 months if no federal package is passed, the Economic Policy Institute projects that even a package that amounts to a mere $500 B for states and cities will still trigger the loss of 93,900 Ohio jobs. 

At The Statehouse: Lawmakers Look To Grant Business Immunity

Both chambers are working on legislation to limit the ability for businesses to be sued for liability during the COVID pandemic emergency. A Senate committee will hold a third hearing and vote on that chamber’s version of the bill (SB308) while the House plans two hearings this week to consider the House Bill (HB606). 

Lawmakers last week introduced new legislation (SB311) to rescind current health emergency orders and limit the power of the Director to enact new orders. 
The House and Senate have session scheduled for Wednesday with an additional meeting of the House penciled in for Thursday if necessary.

New Legislation This Week

Several new bills were introduced last week that we will be monitoring. You can also view the complete list of bills we’re tracking.

  • House Bill 633 (Boggs) – Workers Compensation – To make COVID-19 contracted by specified types of employees an occupational disease under the Workers’ Compensation Law under certain circumstances and to declare an emergency.
  • House Bill 634 (Denson, Upchurch) – Marijuana – To allow for the cultivation and possession of marijuana, to modify possession and cultivation penalties, and to allow for the expungement of certain marijuana convictions.
  • House Concurring Resolution 27 (Russo) – Health Insurance – To urge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to immediately issue a special enrollment period through HealthCare.gov for uninsured Ohioans who may be unable to access COVID-19 testing and treatment.
  • Senate Bill 311 (McColley, Roegner) – Health Orders – To rescind certain orders of the Director of Health regarding COVID-19, to require the approval of the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review for Department of Health orders to be effective for more than fourteen days, to require statewide Department of Health orders to include the Governor’s signature, to modify the Department’s rulemaking authority, to allow in-person high school graduation ceremonies, and to declare an emergency.

Statehouse Meetings and Events

Tuesday, May 12

Wednesday, May 13

  • 9 am – House Civil Justice – 4th hearing (all testimony, possible amendments, and substitute) on HB606 (Civil Immunity). Statehouse Room 116 (overflow in 114). Watch online at ohiochannel.org.
  • 9:15 am – Senate Judiciary – 3rd hearing (all testimony, possible amendments, and vote) on SB308 (Civil Immunity). Senate South Hearing Room. Watch online at ohiochannel.org.
  • 11 am – Senate Rules and Reference – meeting to set agenda for May 20 Senate session. Senate Majority Conference Room. No broadcast.
  • 11:45 am – House Rules and Reference – meeting to set agenda for May 21 House session. Statehouse Room 017 (overflow in Room 018). No broadcast.
  • 1 pm – House Session – agenda TBD. Watch online at ohiochannel.org.
  • 1:30 pm – Ohio Senate – agenda TBD. Watch online at ohiochannel.org.
  • 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – Watch online at ohiochannel.org.
  • 3 pm – Senate Local Government – 2nd hearing (all testimony, possible amendments & vote) on HB242 (Plastic Bag Ordinances). Senate South Hearing Room. Watch online at ohiochannel.org

Thursday, May 14

  • 1 pm – House Session – agenda TBD. Watch online at ohiochannel.org.
  • 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – Watch online at ohiochannel.org.

Friday, May 15

  • 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – Watch online at ohiochannel.org.

DeWine to Announce Reopening Plan

Statehouse Preview

Week of April 27, 2020

Statehouse work continues online this week (see below), but House Speaker Larry Householder has informed House staff to return for in-person work beginning next week.

The House has scheduled sessions on May 5 (if needed), 6, 7, 13, 14, 19 and 21st, and plans tor resume committee meetings in some of the larger hearing rooms with accommodations made for social distancing.

The Senate, for its part, has a session scheduled for Wednesday but is widely expected to cancel it in favor of a meeting date later in May. The chamber and its leader, Senate President Larry Obhof, have not indicated when or if they plan to resume business as usual. 

Today, Governor DeWine will continue his series of daily COVID-19 briefings with a much-anticipated update about the state’s plans to allow the limited resumption of certain businesses and activities. Briefings are expected to continue daily.

The House of Representatives’ Economic Recovery Task Force will continue to hear from (mostly) business owners about their economic hardships. Only one representative of workers has appeared before the panel in its three weeks of almost daily hearings.

Also today, the state Controlling Board, a panel of legislators empowered to approve spending outside the normal legislative process will consider proposals from the DeWine administration’s Office of Budget and Management and Department of Job and Family Services related to the state’s COVID-19 response. The hearing will also be streamed online.

Statehouse Meetings and Events

Monday

  • 10 am – Economic Recovery Task Force – Speakers include representatives from Stark County Minority Business Association, Mechanical Contractors Association of Ohio, Chillicothe Fireworks, Brumbaugh of Garner Trucking, cityBRANDS Holdings, LLC, Lake Erie Shores & Islands, Allen Company, Lakota Sports Organization, BASEC Management, Inc., DBA Wendy’s and Body Alive Fitness. Virtual meeting streamed live online at ohiochannel.org. 
  • 12 pm – Controlling Board – Senate North Hearing Room and streamed live online at ohiochannel.org.
  • 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – streamed live on ohiochannel.org.

Tuesday

  • 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – streamed live on ohiochannel.org.

Wednesday

  • 1:30 pm – Ohio Senate (if needed) – stream lived on ohiochannel.org.
  • 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – streamed live on ohiochannel.org.

Thursday

  • 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – streamed live on ohiochannel.org.

Friday

  • 2 pm – Gov. DeWine Briefing on COVID-19 – streamed live on ohiochannel.org.

Ohio extends vote by mail primary until April 28 due to coronavirus. Here is what you need to know

The new deadline to cast your ballot is April 28

We certainly live in uncertain times.

At last, we have a clear answer about how to vote in the Ohio Primary! Initially, that was supposed to happen on March 17 but in-person voting was canceled at the last minute due to justified concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

So what happened?

State lawmakers extended the opportunity to vote by mail in the Ohio Primary until April 28th*

*Ballots must be postmarked by April 27th

If you voted before March 17, great! You’re all set and don’t need to take any action. Your ballot will be counted

There will be no in-person voting for the primary, with the exception of a small group of voters. If you have a disability or are experiencing homelessness, you will be permitted to vote in-person on April 28 at the county Board of Elections where you are registered between 6:30 am – 7:30 pm.

If you haven’t voted in the primary yet, request your ballot immediately.

If you haven’t voted in the primary yet, the best thing you can do is request your ballot immediately (even though boards of elections will technically accept ballot requests until April 25th). By submitting your request early, you can ensure you will have plenty of time ahead of the April 28 deadline to fulfill the required steps, which we will outline below.

Voters will not be automatically provided with a ballot request form.

However, if you are a registered voter in Ohio, you will receive a postcard from the Secretary of State’s office explaining:

  • 1. How to request an absentee ballot
  • 2. The procedure for returning your completed ballot to your county Board of Elections
  • 3. The deadlines for absentee ballot requests and the return of your completed ballot

Some voting rights groups expressed concern that the April 28 deadline selected by the legislature could create logistical challenges due to the requirement that all voters manually request their ballot by mail or phone. Most states with all-mail elections in place send a ballot to all eligible voters.

If only it could be that easy in Ohio, huh?

Again, this is why we encourage you to request your absentee ballot as soon as possible.

STEP ONE – Obtain a ballot request form

There are a few ways you can obtain an absentee ballot request form.

  1. Download and print a request form from the Secretary of State’s website 
  2. Call your county’s Board of Elections to request one over the phone.
  3. Write out the required information on a piece of paper and mail it to or drop it off at the Board of Elections.
Image courtesy of Mia Lewis with Common Cause Ohio on Twitter

STEP TWO – Fill out your ballot request form

The Secretary of State’s website lets you fill it out before you download and print. 

Make sure you sign the form before putting it in an envelope. 

Be careful not to list today’s date where you’re asked to list your birth date (that’s a common mistake).

If you fill the form out by hand, here’s a diagram that may be helpful, courtesy of Ohio Progressive Action Leaders:

Image courtesy of OPAL – Ohio Progressive Action Leaders

STEP THREE – Mail your request form to your county’s Board of Elections

Once you have your request form in-hand and filled out, put a stamp on it, address it to your county’s Board of Elections, and drop it in the mail; or drop it off in-person. All early vote centers should have drop boxes available to do drive-bys.

STEP FOUR – Fill out your ballot when it arrives

Go to the Secretary of State’s website to find your sample ballot for the primary.

STEP FIVE – Return you completed ballot

IMPORTANT: Absentee ballots must be postmarked no later than 4/27, or they can be dropped off at vote centers by 4/28.

Frequently Asked Questions

See more FAQs on the Sec. of State’s website.

What election date should I put on my ballot request form? The date of the election technically never changed from March 17, but Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office has stated they will accept March 17, April 28, or June 2 as valid election dates.

Can I request a ballot online? No, although this seems like a commonsense reform worth advocating for, long-term.

What if I don’t have a printer? Not everybody has ready access to a printer, especially right now at a time when many public libraries and office places are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. If you don’t have a printer, call your local county’s board of elections and ask them to mail you an absentee ballot request form. You will still need to complete the form and mail it back before you receive your official ballot.

Can I put multiple applications in one envelope? Yes, but only so long as all the forms are supposed to be delivered to the same county board of elections. 

Do I need to pay for postage? You need postage for when you send in your absentee ballot request form. The postage on your ballot should be prepaid.

Does this mean I can vote in the primary if I register to vote right now? Unfortunately, no. In order to be eligible to cast your primary ballot by mail, you have to have already been registered to vote by February 18, 2020. 

The voter registration deadline for the November 3 General Election is October 5, 2020. You can register to vote online in Ohio at the Secretary of State’s website.

See what’s on the 2020 ballot in Ohio

Ohio Lawmakers Focus on Coronavirus Emergency

This week, the legislature is back in session for the first time in nearly a month, taking up a number of emergency measures necessary to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Items we know will be on the agenda:

  • Rescheduling the March 17 primary election
  • Waiving standardized testing and other requirements for schools
  • Extending the time to renew a drivers’ license
  • Changes to laws requiring in-person meetings of various governing bodies, boards and commissions

Other legislation that could be in the mix include:

  • Addressing expanded eligibility for private school vouchers to prevent a continued negative fiscal impact on local districts

The process at the Statehouse this week will look very different.

No regular committees are scheduled to meet, other than the powerful Rules committees in each chamber, which determine which measures will be going to the floor for debate and vote.

The House is scheduled to meet three times: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 1pm, while the Senate is in session on Wednesday (and possibly Thursday, if needed) at 1:30. At this hour, we are even hearing that the Senate may be called into session later today. 

No regular committees are scheduled to meet, other than the powerful Rules committees in each chamber, which determine which measures will be going to the floor for debate and vote.

What those sessions will look like is up in the air – while members’ desks are normally well-spaced, it is possible that debate and vote may be extended to limit the number of people in the chamber at any one time. 

The mechanism for enacting the above changes to state law is likely to look very different. Instead of three committee hearings before a bill goes to the full House or Senate for a vote, It is likely that policy changes enacted this week will be made by members offering, debating and voting on amendments on the floor of their respective chambers, potentially incorporating them into unrelated legislation that has already gone through the committee process. This faster, less hands-on process is arguably necessitated by the public health emergency but offers far less transparency, predictability and almost no opportunity for public input.

If you have an issue that requires legislative attention, contact your state lawmakers as soon as possible. 

We’ve provided more guidance below on how to get help from state leaders during this crisis.

Who to Contact for Help

Remember, part of a lawmaker’s job is to provide constituent services. If you are experiencing challenges accessing benefits that you or your business may be eligible for, or in dealing with a state agency, your state lawmakers should be able to help you navigate those programs and get resolution. 

In some cases, issues you are experiencing may highlight previously-unknown gaps in state programs and benefits. Letting your lawmaker know is one of the best ways to get those systemic gaps onto the radar of policymakters and into the legislative agenda at the Statehouse.

 The Governor’s office also operates a constituent helpline. If you are having trouble with a state government program or agency, they are there to help. 

If you observe someone engaging in fraudulent behavior, such as price-gouging or scamming consumers, contact the office of the Attorney General of Ohio.

New Legislation

Below are bills that have been recently introduced to deal with the current public health emergency:

  • House Bill 557 (Sobecki) – Video Meetings – to authorize public bodies to meet via teleconference and video conference during a public health state of emergency as declared by the Governor, and to declare an emergency.

Committee Hearings to Watch

  • Tuesday, 11 am – House Rules and Reference. Statehouse Room 116.
  • Wednesday, 10:30 am – House Rules and Reference. Statehouse Room 116.

Find details about all upcoming committee hearings:

In-Session

  • House: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 1:00 pm – watch online 
  • Senate: Wednesday (and Thursday, if needed) at 1:30 pm – watch online

As always, we will be sharing updates on Twitter using the #OHLeg hashtag for legislation, #OHBudget for budget updates and #OHGov for executive actions. Follow us to stay up-to-date on what’s happening at the Statehouse.

>> Sign up for legislative alerts and other updates at innovationohio.org/signup

Coronavirus crisis reinforces need for paid sick days during the outbreak — and in the future

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

This commentary on the need for paid sick leave originally appeared in the Ohio Capital Journal on March 18, 2020

Every day, working Ohioans need access to paid sick days to address short-term health conditions for both themselves and their families, and these needs are amplified during a public health crisis like the current COVID-19 outbreak.

The coronavirus has exposed vast shortfalls in our state’s social safety net programs, demonstrating the reality that many working people face on a regular basis: an impossible choice between their health and their paycheck.

As the spread of the virus continues, it reinforces the need for paid sick days to help the working people and families impacted during the outbreak — and for those needing to address short-term health conditions in the future.

Nationally, 7 in 10 low-wage working people do not receive any paid sick days from their employer.

Unfortunately, even without the strain of a pandemic, our broken caregiving systems fall short of providing families with the support they need to address their own health, or the health of a loved one, without risking their job or their paycheck.

The United States is one of few developed nations in the world without a guaranteed paid sick leave law, which leaves behind 1 in 4 U.S. workers, or more than 32 million people, without access to any paid sick days.

Low-wage and hourly workers, the majority of whom are women and people of color, are less likely to have access to paid sick days. In fact, nationally, 7 in 10 low-wage working people do not receive any paid sick days from their employer, exacerbating health and economic disparities facing lower-wage working people and their families.

Disparities can cause working people without paid sick leave to feel compelled to show up for work even when they are showing symptoms.

Paid sick days have been shown to reduce the spread of illness, and the policy would help contain the spread of coronavirus by allowing working people to stay home — without risking their jobs or their paycheck — if they are infected with the virus, need to care for a loved one with the virus, or need to stay home from work with children following school or childcare closures. 

However, disparities in access can cause working people without paid sick leave to feel compelled to show up for work even when they are showing symptoms. This is particularly true for low-wage working people in the service industry (like those in restaurants, retail, childcare, and home healthcare); domestic workers (such as nannies, house cleaners, and caregivers);  contract workers (also known as the gig economy); and part-time workers, who are less likely to have access to the policy.

Many of these workers are in high-contact positions, which can’t be done remotely, making it more difficult to contain the outbreak, and hitting low-wage workers harder.

In Congress, the U.S. House recently passed, with bipartisan support, a coronavirus economic relief package, which includes access to 14 days of paid sick leave for many working people. The bill also expands access to paid family and medical leave, a policy designed to help working people address the longer-term medical conditions for themselves or their family, something that will inevitably be brought on by the coronavirus.

Despite limitations in who is covered by the legislation, it would take important steps in extending crucial economic support to working people impacted by coronavirus.

The bill is currently sitting in the U.S. Senate awaiting action, delaying crucial support for impacted workers. Every day that this bill passage is held up, tens of millions working people in Ohio and across the country are left without any access to paid sick days or paid family leave, causing potentially devastating damage to their ability to support themselves and their families. 

Ohio has an opportunity to continue to lead on our response to this crisis

Here in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine has demonstrated leadership on the national level with his swift action to enact sweeping health precautions and economic relief support for Ohioans affected by the virus, including changes to the state unemployment compensation system.

These changes will help support working people who are laid off, facing closures of their employers as a result of the coronavirus, or in mandatory quarantine.

However, the gaps in the state unemployment compensation policy leave, as well as the federal economic relief package still held up in Congress, leave behind many working Ohioans who will be impacted by this public health emergency. 

Ohio has an opportunity to continue to lead on our response to this crisis. In order to fully address the far-reaching health and economic consequences of the coronavirus outbreak in Ohio, our state leaders must enact emergency paid sick days to ensure that working people are not forced to choose between their health and their economic security. 

Paid Sick Leave Needed To Protect Public Health

A briefing on paid sick days legislation to address public health emergencies and short-term health issues

Prepared by the Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network

Issue Overview

The United States is one of the few developed nations in the world without a guaranteed paid sick days law, which leaves behind 1 in 4 U.S. workers, or more than 32 million people, without access to any paid sick days. Low-wage and hourly workers, the majority of whom are women and people of color, are less likely to have access to paid sick days: 7 in 10 low-wage workers do not receive any paid sick days.

Without access to paid sick days, many working people are forced to make the impossible choice between staying home to recover when they are ill and continuing to work, risking transmitting the illness to others, for fear of losing their paycheck or their job.

This is amplified during a public health crisis, such as the coronavirus outbreak. The disparities in access to paid sick days can cause working people, particularly low-wage working people in the service industry, like those in restaurants, retail, childcare, and home healthcare, to feel compelled to show up for work even when they are showing symptoms. Many of these working people are in high contact jobs and are unable to work remotely, which could make it more difficult to contain the outbreak and could mean that low-wage working people are hit harder.

Access to paid sick days has been shown to reduce the spread of illness, and it can make a difference in the ability to contain the spread of the coronavirus. There is a cost to doing nothing: Without access to paid sick days, more working people will go to work sick because they are forced to choose between earning the paycheck they need and staying home to prevent spreading the virus further, which can make it difficult to contain the outbreak and lead to widespread and prolonged economic disruptions.

Policy Recommendation

It is crucial that our state takes swift and substantive action to provide access to paid sick days for public health emergencies, such as the Coronavirus crisis, as well the ability for working people to earn paid sick days for other short-term health issues they face year-round.

Ohio leaders should enact an Emergency Paid Sick Days measure that:

  • Requires all employers in the state of Ohio to allow for employees to accrue up to 7 paid sick days annually for regular use to address and recover from short-term illnesses, access preventive care, care for a sick family member or seek assistance related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.
  • Requires all employers in the state of Ohio to provide an additional 14 days of paid sick leave, available immediately at the beginning of a public health emergency, including the current Coronavirus outbreak.
  • Ensures paid sick days measures include coverage for the following circumstances:
    • an employee’s child’s school is closed due to a public health emergency
    • an employer is closed due to public health emergency, or
    • an employee or an employee’s family member is quarantined or isolated due to a public health emergency
  • Covers all employees within the state of Ohio, including hourly workers, part-time workers, small business employees regardless of employee size, and contract workers (also known as workers in the gig economy).
  • Guarantees job-protection and anti-retaliation protections for employees who take paid sick days.

National landscape

In response to the coronavirus crisis, federal lawmakers have introduced Emergency Paid Sick Days legislation, which would require employers to provide 14 paid sick days for a public health emergency and allow employees to accrue up to 7 paid sick days for regular use.

Additionally, state leaders across the country are stepping up to call for action on paid sick days amid the coronavirus outbreak, including Colorado, which will soon require employers to provide emergency paid sick days to service and hospitality workers who are exhibiting flu-like symptoms and being tested for coronavirus.

Private sector companies are also recognizing the need to enact emergency paid sick days policies for their workforce, particularly service industry companies that directly interact with people and are unable to work remotely. Walmart, McDonald’s, and Olive Garden have all announced paid sick leave policies related to the coronavirus outbreak.

The need for paid sick days extends beyond public health emergencies, like the Coronavirus outbreak, and lawmakers at the state and local level have recognized the importance of addressing short-term health issues workers face every day:

Since 2011, 13 states and the District of Columbia have passed paid sick days laws:

  • Arizona,
  • California
  • Connecticut
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Maine
  • Michigan
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Washington

At the local level, 20 Cities and 3 Counties have enacted paid sick days

  • San Francisco, Oakland, Emeryville, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego and Berkeley, Calif.
  • Seattle and Tacoma, Wash.
  • New York City and Westchester County, N.Y.
  • Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • Montgomery County, Md.
  • Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth, Minn.
  • Chicago and Cook County, Ill.
  • Austin, San Antonio and Dallas, Texas

Media Coverage

Can You Lose Your Job If You Are Quarantined During The Coronavirus Outbreak? What You Need To Know, Forbes, February 26, 2020

Avoiding Coronavirus May Be a Luxury Some Workers Can’t Avoid, The New York Times, March 01, 2020

Analysis | Our lack of paid sick leave will make the coronavirus worse, The Washington Post, March 03, 2020

As coronavirus spreads, the people who prepare your food probably don’t have paid sick leave, The Washington Post, March 04, 2020

‘If We Don’t Work, We Don’t Get Paid.’ How the Coronavirus Is Exposing Inequality Among America’s Workers, TIME, March 04, 2020

America needs paid sick leave laws to stop coronavirus from spreading, The Hill, March 04, 2020

Ohio House Dems urge governor to create paid sick leave amid virus fears, The Columbus Dispatch, March 9, 2020

Walmart, Apple and Olive Garden are among major employers updating sick leave policies as coronavirus cases spread, The Washington Post, March 10, 2020

Ohio House Dems ask Gov. DeWine for paid sick leave program, NBC4, March 10, 2020

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