COLUMBUS—State Representative Richard Adams (R-79th District) has announced that the Ohio House of Representatives recently passed a series of bills that aim to create jobs and encourage economic development within the state of Ohio, specifically by permitting tax credits for home-based employees, offering tax credits for businesses that expand into vacant facilities, and urging Congress to take action on the Workforce Investment Act.
“One of my major objectives continues to be to promote economic development and job creation. These bills support the goals of the citizens of Miami and Darke counties,” said Representative Adams.
House Bill 327 permits a company tax credit for employees whose services are performed primarily from their homes to be included in the Job Creation Tax Credit and Job Retention Tax Credit programs. This legislation enhances the current tax credits to include the increasing number of companies that utilize employees who work from their homes.
The House also passed House Concurrent Resolution 33 to urge the United States Congress to take action on the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and to allow states greater flexibility to address their current economic realities. In 1998 Congress passed the WIA with the intent of reauthorization every five years. However, it has been 12 years since the WIA was reauthorized, and the program fails to meet the needs of a very different economic situation than what existed more than a decade ago.
Additionally, the House voted to concur on Senate changes to House Bill 18, which authorizes a $500 per-employee grant for a business that expands into a facility that has been vacant for 12 months and creates new jobs. This legislation would encourage businesses that have a need to add new employees but have a lack of space to do so to invest in communities that have been hard-hit by the difficult economy.
During the 129th General Assembly, a top priority for the House has been job creation, starting with the passage of House Bill 1—which created the lean, non-profit economic development entity JobsOhio. Since then, the House has passed numerous economy-focused bills, including House Bill 58 (a job retention and tax conformity bill that will save taxpayers nearly $50 million), House Bill 114 (the transportation budget that included significant monies for public works jobs), House Bill 133 (to safely and responsibly reduce our dependence on foreign oil and help Ohioans keep more of their own money), House Bill 153 (the state budget that closed an $8 billion deficit without tax increases), and House Bill 243 (to lighten bureaucratic permit restrictions on micro-distillers in Ohio).
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