Major Ohio cities are squaring off with state lawmakers over an effort to end requirements that contractors hire local residents for city projects. ideastream’s Nick Castele reports the legislation is now working its way through committee.
In Cleveland, contractors on city construction projects that cost more than $100,000 must set aside 20 percent of their work hours for workers who live in the city. It’s called the Fannie Lewis Law, named after the late city councilwoman.
A pair of bills introduced this year in the state House and Senate would prohibit such requirements. It’s pitting Democratic-run cities against Republican state lawmakers.
Officials in Akron, Youngstown, Columbus, Dayton and Lima have lined up against the legislation.
In a letter to Statehouse leadership, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson wrote that the city laws are part of an effort to ensure locals benefit from development in the city.
Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley also opposes the bills.
"They want to take away our local hiring preferences," he said in a wide-ranging news conference this week. "To me, that’s pretty shocking, because we’ve got this one. We worked this out with the business community.”
The Greater Cleveland Parnership, the regional chamber of commerce, agrees with the city.
But the bills have the backing of other contracting and business groups, including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. A letter from the chamber says local hiring preferences discriminate against workers based on where they live, and get in the way of the free market.
In a press release announcing the introduction of one of the bills, Republican State Sen. Joe Uecker said the local rules place "an unnecessary burden" on contractors working in Ohio.
