October 14, 2022
OVERVIEW
Elections are top of mind in Ohio with the November 8 general election quickly approaching.
After the elections, the legislature will return to a lame duck session to move a number of bills to the floor and onto Governor DeWine’s desk before the end of the year. All eyes are on how Ohio will spend its remaining $280M of ARPA funding as well as General Revenue Funds (GRF) that will shape just how expansive the next Operating Budget can be for FY2024-25. In January, the work begins on this two-year state Operating Budget that includes funding opportunities for nonprofits. If you are considering funding from the state for programming, now is the time to start planning.
G2G Events
Join us for Part III of G2G’s Nonprofit Webinar Series on advocacy and accessing funding on Monday, November 2 at noon where we will look at the federal government and how to best advocate to Members of Congress and agencies. You can register here to attend the webinar.
G2G will be sponsoring a number of events in October and early-November. Please join us:
- Oct 19 – Midtown Cleveland's Monthly Networking Event sponsored by G2G. This event will give you the opportunity to meet professionals dedicated to the growth ofCleveland's Health Tech Corridor. The event will be held on Wednesday, October 19th 5-7:30 PM at Chateau Hough: 1650 E 66th St, Cleveland. You can register here to attend.
- Nov 1 – City Club of Cleveland: A Conversation with Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) sponsored by G2G. As Cheney prepares for life after Congress, she will join the City Club in conversation with Judy Woodruff, Anchor at PBS NewsHour, to offer her thoughts on the state of the nation and the future of the republic. This event will be held Tuesday, November 1st 11:30am-1pm at Cleveland State University Student Center: Glasscock Ballroom, Cleveland.
- Nov 1 – Women, Entrepreneurship & Government – Networking Event. Join Ohio Women In Government (OWIG) and G2G for the first OWIG Northeast Ohio Networking event to network with women who have worked in and with government to help spur economic growth in the region, and learn more about Ohio Women in Government, an organization that exists to support the development of all women engaged in government and public policy in Ohio. The event will be held on Tuesday, November 1st 5:30pm-7:30pm at CoHatch Cleveland: 2814 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland. You can register here to attend.
- Nov 10 – G2G Happy Hour in Columbus – Join G2G for this post-election happy hour! It will be outdoors under the tent with heaters at Gemüt Biergarten: 734 Oak St, Columbus. RSVP here.
CITY CLUB OF CLEVELAND EVENT — SILICON HEARTLAND: MAPPING OHIO'S NEXT PHASE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH
G2G sponsored a City Club of Cleveland event featuring U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves to discuss what Intel can provide nationally, to the state and at the local level in Cleveland. Other panelists included: Marcia Ballinger, president of Lorain County Community College (LCCC), Michael Cantor, Managing Director and Principal at Allegro Realty, and Matthew Joyce, Vice President for Corporate New Business Development at the Lubrizol Corporation.
Deputy Secretary Graves, a Cleveland native, said when President Biden took office, the U.S. and Northeast Ohio in particular were grappling with decades of underinvestment in infrastructure, workers, businesses and communities of color, along with supply chain challenges and labor shortages. He said the CHIPS and Science Act will unleash the next generation of American innovation, is also critical for national security and has already led to market reactions.
The Cleveland area will need to have the workforce for jobs that are present now and coming in the future and those carry a variety of educational requirements from technical certification to Ph.D. graduates. LCCC’s efforts over the past decade have helped prepare for these opportunities, including establishing collaboration with other institutions. They are already working with dozens of Intel suppliers in Northeast Ohio, and the state’s 23 community colleges are connected to address workforce and economic development through the Ohio TechNet group.
The panelists agreed that Intel’s investments in Central Ohio will reach up to Northeast Ohio, but business leaders need to be active in seeking them out, and that includes attracting and retaining talent. Team NEO and JobsOhio have created a task force to bring interested parties together to better understand what is needed to succeed. It is important for Northeast Ohio to be proactive about creating sites to attract Intel suppliers as well as businesses in other industries. It is equally as important to have them shovel-ready, with utility access and necessary infrastructure to respond to the likely demand as a result of this major change in Ohio’s economy.
Honda Investment
The Biden administration joined Gov. Mike DeWine and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in announcing a $4.4 billion investment by Honda Motor Co. and LG Energy Solutions of Korea in a new Fayette County electric vehicle (EV) battery plant and another $700,000 to convert Honda’s three existing Ohio automotive factories to EV production by the end of 2026, creating over 2,500 projected new jobs.
Of projected jobs, 2,200 will come at the Fayette County plant near Washington Court House and within 40 miles of Columbus and Dayton. Another 300-plus new jobs at retooled Honda auto plants in Marysville/Union County, Anna/Shelby County and East Liberty/Logan County are also projected.
The Fayette County site for groundbreaking is slated for early 2023 and completion by the end of 2024, with finished EV batteries shipped in 2025 for installation at the three Honda and Acura plants the following year. Those operations are a big part of Honda’s plan to produce EV-only cars and trucks by 2040 and to be carbon-neutral in all products and corporate activities by 2050.
oneohio recovery foundation
The much-anticipated OneOhio Recovery Foundation is finally starting to move forward. OneOhio ensures the $444 opioid settlement recognizes that every corner of the state has been hit hard by the crisis. The OneOhio Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlines the plan for distribution and allocation, as well as how the funds can be used.
- The Foundation was incorporated on June 22, 2022 at their meeting of the Board of Directors. This meeting’s purpose was to lay the foundation of the organization and establishing their administrative structure and procedures.
- As of August 8th, OneOhio Recovery Foundation is being sued by Harm Reduction Ohio for failure to follow public records and meeting laws. Cases are still open with the Ohio Supreme Court and Franklin County Common Pleas Court.
- At the August 10th meeting of the Board, the agenda reflects a continuation of the establishment of the foundation, including approving policies, laying out job descriptions for key Foundation positions, and establishing standing committees of the Board.
- In the September meeting, the Board adopted a variety of operating policies and provided an update on pending litigation. The Foundation brought on a chief financial officer and board secretary and authorized spending for office equipment and insurance to builds out the infrastructure for the organization that will eventually oversee millions of dollars to be granted for addiction recovery efforts. Attorney General Dave Yost’s office had deposited $1 million for the startup of operations, this money came from the state’s settlement with McKinsey & Co, which predated the establishment of OneOhio.
- Funding from OneOhio is not expected to be released until 2023 at the earliest and how funding will be decided is still to be determined. G2G is monitoring this process very closely.
polls
Governor — New polling released in late-September continue to show Gov. Mike DeWine with a wide lead over Democratic challenger Nan Whaley. DeWine has a 56% to 38% lead over Whaley, including a 34% lead among independent voters.
U.S. Senate — The U.S. Senate race, however, is much closer with Democrat Tim Ryan leading Republican J.D. Vance 48% to 45% with 7% undecided. Ryan is leading among independent voters, who favored him by 7%, and women, who support him by 13%. While 40% of Ohio residents have a favorable opinion of Ryan, 35% has either never heard of or are unsure how to rate him and 25% have an unfavorable opinion of Ryan. Ohioans’ impressions of Vance are upside down as 30% have a favorable view of him and 36% have a negative one. Like Ryan, though, 34% have either never heard of or are unsure how to rate Vance.
Ohio Supreme Court — Republicans lead in all three Ohio Supreme Court races, but the margin is close. Sharon Kennedy leads Jennifer Brunner in the chief justice race 45% to 40%; Pat DeWine leads Marilyn Zayas 41% to 40%; and Pat Fischer leads Teri Jamison 43% to 39%. Among all likely voters, 66% said the Supreme Court races are more important this year than previous elections.
Important Issues — The poll showed economy is the top issue with 71% of respondents considering it of high importance, including 82% of Republicans, 63% of Democrats, and 66% of independents. The U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned the Roe v. Wade abortion rights was considered of high importance by 51% of respondents, including 61% of women, 72% of Democrats, 35% of Republicans, and 44% independents.