SB 5 Passes House Despite Heated Opposition

65,414 Ohioans signed petitions opposing SB 5. They were delivered by Democratic House members March 29 to the House Commerce and Labor Committee. Republicans were embarrassed and had them removed.

After nearly four hours of debate, the Ohio House of Representatives yesterday passed an amended version of Senate Bill 5, immediately prompting jeers and boos from the gallery.

The vote passed with 54 members voting in the affirmative, 44 members voting against the measure.

Republicans voting against the bill were McGregor, Carey, Gardner, Johnson and Kozlowski. All Democrats voted against the bill.

House Speaker Batchelder had the gallery cleared by the highway patrol after the vote. The bill immediately went back to the Senate where it passed by one vote.

Opponents pledge to challenge the bill on the November ballot.

People from throughout Ohio descended on the Statehouse Wednesday to protest SB, which strips hard-working teachers, firefighters and police of their collective bargaining rights.

UAW Region 2B Director Ken Lortz said SB 5 is an “attack on democracy.”

“It is appalling that the same Ohio senators who are using SB 5 to strip benefits and wages from Ohio workers exercised their democracy when they voted to reject a pay cut for themselves,” Lortz said. “Even more hypocritical is Governor Kasich’s claim that these changes are necessary to ‘balance Ohio's budget,’ after he gave his chief of staff a $50,000 pay increase and created a new assistant chief of staff position that pays a $120,000 yearly salary.”

The push to pass SB 5 isn’t about reviving the state’s economy; it’s about politics. Gov. John Kasich is cutting wages and benefits for teachers, nurses and firefighters, while raising the pay of his own senior staff and helping some of his campaign donors make millions.

“Ohio faith-based groups, workers – both union and nonunion, and civic groups have rallied together and are prepared to take this issue to the ballot,” said Lortz. “so the people of Ohio can veto this bill and send a message to the governor and his extremists: We will not stand by while they attempt to reward their Wall Street buddies on the backs of Ohio workers.”