Michelle Holdgreve
OCA Director of Legislative & Environmental Affairs
As I sat down to write this article, I thought of many things I could share – a brief biography of me as background since I’m relatively new (just 4 years) to OCA, though that has already been written (OC September-October 2018). The same can be said for a rundown of the gas tax debate from 2019 (OC May-June 2019). There have also been articles about other issues in the legislative arena like force accounts, gas tax repeals, work zone safety initiatives, etc. My mind then went to a message about getting involved, supporting the PAC, attending events such as the Fly-In. While all these items have merit, they have all been mentioned in some form or fashion recently. Then I thought, what is one easy thing I can encourage folks to do that will have an impact? And I immediately knew what to write about – the importance of voting.
For some of you, voting is second nature. On the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, you are queued in line at your local polling place waiting to cast your ballot. For others, voting is not a normal practice for a variety of reasons. They never registered to vote, simply forget, or just get too busy and miss the opportunity. Or which I think might be a big category of folks, they think it is a waste of time because their one vote cannot possibly have influence, or they simply do not like politics.
Admittedly, the past few years have not been pleasant for those with a predisposition to disliking politics. The chaos of Ohio’s elections this year with two primaries and continued uncertainty about legislative boundaries is understandably frustrating. And do not even get me started about all the negative campaign ads and their sheer number. I like politics and the past few years have me frustrated too.
Despite the frustrations, I am here to tell you – like it or not – politics matters a great deal, and the results of the election can greatly impact the heavy/highway industry in Ohio. This year, Ohioans will be electing a governor and all other statewide office holders as well as two Supreme Court judges, every member of the Ohio House of Representatives and half of the Ohio Senate. That is just on the state side. On the federal side, a new U.S. Senator will be chosen (see more about that beginning on page 10) and every Ohio seat in the U.S. House of Representatives will be considered.
There are candidates running for the Ohio House of Representatives that think prevailing wage is a terrible idea; others want to increase force accounts, which would take work away from the construction industry and allow local forces to perform more work. Some members of the Ohio Senate want to repeal the state gas tax. Decisions by the Ohio Supreme Court can have significant impacts on business policies and practices in Ohio. And the person in the governor’s chair holds the purse strings for ODOT as well as leads the policy agenda for all other regulatory agencies in Ohio.
Bottomline, your industry needs you to get out and vote. Encourage your employees to do the same. If you are not registered, contact your local Board of Elections and get registered. The deadline to register is October 11. You do not even have to wait for Election Day to cast your ballot. Early voting begins October 12. Or you can vote absentee, just be sure to make your ballot request by noon on November 5.
When it comes to advocating for your industry, the easiest and least costly thing you can do is show up on Election Day and cast your ballot. Doing otherwise is putting your fate in the hands of others.
I am here to help if you have any questions about new candidates or where incumbents stand on issues important to OCA. Feel free to send me an email or give me a call. Now, go check that your voter registration is current and verify the location of your polling place. See you at the polls on November 8!