State Rep. Matt Lundy says that’s often currently prohibited in the bidding process for work on local projects.
"Right now, the law says about the lowest big generally ends up winning the contract," Lundy said. "And what we're saying is that even if the next closest bid is within 3 percent and it’s an Ohio company, you then can opt to use that and make that your winning bid instead."
Some state agencies already have provisions in their contracts that allow them to buy Ohio goods and services in some cases. Lundy says the thinking behind this is that local or state employers will have to hire local employees for large jobs. He says those companies are also likely to put money back into their local communities.
