Latest news with #DontaviusJarrells
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio bill would require employers to pay people with disabilities minimum wage
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – While federal law allows employers to pay some individuals with disabilities less than minimum wage, Ohio lawmakers are attempting to eliminate the practice in the state. House Bill 225, sponsored by Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.), seeks to phase out subminimum wages for employees with disabilities over a five-year period. Indoor park with 'waterless slides' opens first Ohio location in Columbus 'This bipartisan legislation is about dignity,' Jarrells said at a hearing for the bill in May. 'It's about economic opportunity and it's about making sure every Ohioan, regardless of ability, has the right to fair wages and the chance to contribute meaningfully to their communities.' Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 permits employers to pay workers whose disabilities impact their productivity less than the federal hourly minimum wage of $7.25, if they obtain a certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor. The practice is intended to prevent the restriction of employment opportunities for those with disabilities, according to the department. Introduced in April, the bill would require employers who hold a certificate to submit a plan regarding phasing out subminimum wage to the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. The plan would have to be submitted within 15 months of the bill's effective date. Under the legislation, the state would assist employers with implementing their plans. Over the five-year transition period, the state would also be required to gather, monitor and publicly report the progress of the phase-out. Unsolved Ohio: Who killed Amy Jo Nelson? Family wants answers in 2017 homicide The bill underwent three hearings in the House's Commerce and Labor Committee in May, where more than 40 people testified in support of the bill. 'Paying people with disabilities less than minimum wage devalues their labor and reinforces harmful stereotypes that their work is worth less,' said Justin Blumhorst with the disability support organization Capabilities. 'Many people with disabilities perform as well as or better than their non-disabled peers when given the proper support and accommodations.' Seven spoke out against the legislation, including Brittany Stiltner with Sandco Industries, a nonprofit that provides employment skills training to people with developmental disabilities. 'At Sandco, the 14(c) certificate allows us to provide customized, supportive employment opportunities to individuals who may not be able to succeed in a traditional competitive work environment,' Stiltner said in written testimony. 'Phasing out this option entirely would eliminate opportunities for people who depend on it – individuals whose stories too often go unheard in policy conversations.' In Ohio, 41 businesses have obtained federal 14(c) certificates, most of which are nonprofit agencies that 'provide rehabilitation and employment for people with disabilities,' often in a 'sheltered' setting, according to the Labor Department. Intel executive explains why Ohio plant will need to fight for Intel's business Jarrells introduced a similar bill last April, but it only received one hearing and did not progress to the point of receiving a vote. Sixteen states have already legislated or initiated the phase-out of subminimum wages, according to Jarrells. In December, the Labor Department proposed phasing out the practice nationally over three years. The agency has not provided an update on the status of the proposal since. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local lawmaker among those fighting to replace lead water lines
(WKBN) – A new bipartisan bill aims to eliminate lead from water lines across the State of Ohio. Columbiana Representative Monica Blasdel helped introduce the Lead Line Replacement Act on Wednesday. The bill would require all publicly-owned water systems to replace these lines within 15 years. Lawmakers say every zip code deserves a safe and healthy community. 'Stand with us as we get the lead out of Ohio, as we ensure that every child, every family from Youngstown to Zanesville to Cleveland, where I'm from, never again have to be poisoned by lead,' said Dontavius Jarrells (D – Columbus). The Ohio EPA would be responsible for the establishment and oversight of this program. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
One measure of property tax relief works its way through Ohio Statehouse
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Property tax reform and relief is something Ohio lawmakers say they want to get done and now, after years of inaction, one measure has taken a step forward. House Bill 28 is a reintroduction of a bill from the last general assembly that never saw a floor vote, but this general assembly, three months in, and it is on its way to the Ohio Senate. The legislation would eliminate replacement levies. 'We have a lot more work to do in this body,' Ohio House Assistant Minority Leader Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) said. 'And that bill takes us in the wrong direction.' 'If we want to enact real property tax reform, we need to fix the system that got us into the point that we're in today,' Rep. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township), one of HB 28's sponsors, said. Here's what to know about levies: there are three different types you might see when you go to the polls. One always results in an increase, one never does, and one is variable. A 'renewal levy' reinstates an already existing levy. A 'renewal with an increase,' reinstates an already existing one with an increase. A 'replacement' recalculates property taxes owed based on the latest valuation of one's home, oftentimes resulting in an increase. 'I think [House Bill 28] brings transparency for the voters when they go to the ballot box to make informed decisions,' Hall said. 'Replacement levies are very confusing. This doesn't take away the ability for renewal. This doesn't take away the ability for people to have a renewal with an increase. It just takes away one of their tools that we feel like is very misleading when presenting to voters.' Hall said voters often don't know that type of levy will cause an increase and said that overall, this will simply empower voters with more information with two clear levies. In the state's November 2023 election, replacement levies passed at an 89% rate across the state, and renewal with increase levies passed at an 86% rate. Democratic leaders said eliminating replacement levies does not help bring Ohioans direct relief, and it stands to hurt local governments. 'It would take away opportunities for our local governments to be able to have options when they're putting levies on the ballot,' Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) said. 'It is maybe a tiny little piece of what we've been talking about with property tax relief, but it does it at the expense of flexibility for our local governments who are already struggling.' What services might be at risk? Jarrells said he worries that fire and police departments, mental health services and other locally funded services might feel the brunt of a removal of replacement levies if the bill goes all the way through. 'We should be really having honest conversation around property taxes,' Jerrells said. 'How do we actually support our cities without necessarily taking tools away?' While this bill has gotten through the Ohio House, there are at least 15 others aiming to bring Ohioans property tax relief that are being worked on in committee. But how is it going to get done? 'When you're trying to solve a big problem with lots of parts to it, I think it's best to pass the things that are easiest first and that are clearest,' Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said. 'I think it's a good start, but there is much more to do.' 'We need comprehensive property tax reform instead of just taking a buzzsaw to every little thing,' Rep. Dan Troy (D-Willowick) said. 'We can do better.' Right now, several of the bills focus on relief for elderly Ohioans, but lawmakers said that is not where they want to stop, just where they want to start. 'I do think that property tax reform is needed for all levels of age, but I do have a soft heart and focusing primarily on our people, on a fixed income,' Hall said. 'Our system right now is taxing some of these people out of their own homes.' House Bill 28 must now be considered by the Ohio Senate before a vote to pass sends it to the governor's desk. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio Democrats propose bill to gradually increase minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2030
Stock photo from Getty Images. Ohio lawmakers are once again trying to increase the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour. State Reps. Dontavius Jarrells, D-Columbus, and Ismail Mohamed, D-Columbus, recently introduced House Bill 34, which would increase the minimum wage by a dollar per hour each year for workers until reaching $15 per hour in 2030. The bill is in the Ohio House Labor and Commerce Committee. Ohio's minimum wage went up to $10.70 per hour for non-tipped employees on Jan. 1. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. 'At $10.45 per hour, Ohio's minimum wage is not enough for working families to stay afloat,' Jarrells said in a statement. 'No one should have to work multiple jobs just to survive. Raising wages means strengthening families, stabilizing communities, and growing our economy.' Under H.B. 34, the state's minimum wage would increase to $11 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026, $12 per hour in 2027, $13 per hour in 2028, $14 per hour in 2029 and $15 per hour in 2030. The bill also raises the tipped minimum wage by $0.50 per year for five years. The director of Commerce would then adjust the state's wage on Sept. 30 of every year, starting in 2030, and the new wage would take effect on Jan. 1, according to the bill. Ohioans passed a constitutional amendment in 2006 that has increased the state minimum wage every year based on the consumer price index. One Fair Wage, a national organization, tried unsuccessfully to get minimum wage on the Ohio ballot last fall. The organization failed to submit the necessary signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State to get their initiative on the ballot, which would have increased minimum wage up to $15 per hour in 2026. Increasing Ohio's minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026 would have aided nearly 1 million Ohioans — about a fifth of Ohio's workforce, according to Policy Matters Ohio. Upping Ohio's minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2025 would have saved 4,000 lives and created a $25 billion benefit to the state economy by 2036, according to the Scioto Analysis. One Fair Wage said they plan on trying to get on Ohio's ballot again, but 'can't disclose more at this point,' the organization said in an email. One Fair Wage encountered lots of opposition from the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance who said restaurant operators would have to raise their menu prices by about 20-30% if the minimum wage jumped to $15 per hour. There were a couple of bills related to increasing Ohio's minimum wage during the last General Assembly, but neither of them made it out of committee. Two democrat state senators — Kent Smith and Hearcel Craig — introduced a bill that would have gradually raised the state's minimum wage one dollar each year until it was up to $15 an hour in 2027. In an effort to stop the constitutional amendment, Republican state Sen. Bill Blessing put forth a bill that would have increased the wage to $15 by 2028. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
