Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett Update 

Greetings! 

While Democrats in Washington are pushing for a $1-Trillion tax increase and an unbalanced budget, the March jobs report was another reminder that the Democrats have no plan for jobs. 

An analysis by the Dayton Daily News found that Ohio's personal income rose at one of the fastest rates in the nation last year. Perhaps this should be another lesson for Ohio Democrats to stop opposing the Republican reforms and growth friendly policies that are making Ohio a better place for families to live and work.       

Governor Kasich's Jobs and Transportation Plan Moves Into Law 

The new Jobs and Transportation Plan that Governor Kasich signed into law last week represents a big step forward for all Ohioans. This plan creates jobs and jump starts many road projects that otherwise would not be funded for another 20 years. Despite these accomplishments a few Democrats were still silly enough to attack it. Read my statement praising Governor Kasich and the General Assembly for working together here.  

By working together, Governor Kasich and the general assembly were able to solve a 50-year old funding problem that became law in four months. Click here to read Pennsylvania's reaction. You can also read more about the benefits of the Jobs and Transportation Plan on the Ohio Senate's website 

Mike DeWine and Religious Freedom 

Last week I told you about Attorney General Mike DeWine's joint letter urging the federal government to exempt private employers who object on religious grounds from having to provide certain contraceptive coverage for various forms of abortion as an employee insurance benefit. Under Obamacare, business owners are being forced to cover prescriptions such as the morning-after pill, while organizations such as unions are exempt. 

Our country has a rich history of religious tolerance. If President Obama wanted everyone to have birth control he could have made it so. Instead, he picked those who should pay. 

General Assembly Republicans Hard at Work in Columbus 

The first four months of the 130th General Assembly have been full of accomplishments such as the Jobs and Transportation Plan, but that wasn't the case three years ago when Democrats controlled Columbus. The 128th General Assembly under Armond Budish set a record for one of the least productive sessions ever. Thankfully we have great Republican leaders in the House and Senate who are not afraid to cross party lines and tackle the big issues. 

I hope you will read State Representative Marlene Anielski's column about how simplifying the state's tax system can lower compliance costs for small businesses. Speaker Batchelder also wrote a column about how Ohio's young winter athletes can stay safe and healthy in the off-season. Read his column here. 

Mary Taylor and CSI are Getting Results for Small Businesses 

The Salem News pointed out last week how Mary Taylor's leadership of Ohio's Common  Sense Initiative (CSI) is cutting through regulatory red tape and helping small business owners. Read their full article here. To learn more about CSI, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CommonSenseInitiative. 

Lt. Governor Taylor also brought her expertise on health insurance issues to Capitol Hill to testify before the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She discussed federally-funded high risk pools created by Obamacare and the serious challenges it poses to bringing down health care costs. Read more from the Dayton Business Journal. 

Auditor Yost Helps Root Out Food Stamp Fraud 

Thanks to Auditor of State Dave Yost's initial evaluation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is now partnering with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to root out fraud among food stamp recipients. A common form of fraud involves people illegally selling or trading their benefit cards to friends, store clerks, drug dealers or others for cash, drugs or other non-food items. Abuse of this program costs U.S. taxpayers millions of dollars each year. The new partnership will investigate suspicious patterns and track benefits. Once again, Auditor Yost's leadership is paying off for Ohio's taxpayers. For more information, read this story from WHIO. 

Rob Portman Stands for Second Amendment 

As Democrats in Washington continue to attack our Constitutional rights, I am thankful we have dedicated and principled leaders like Senator Rob Portman who will stand up for our rights. You can read his weekly column here. Please also read about the praise Senator Portman received from the Buckeye Firearms Association for his strong condemnation of gun control proposals in D.C. and the U.N. 

Senator Portman also participated in the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Pre-Game Ceremony last Monday to honor our wounded heroes. 

Josh Mandel Listens to Job Creators 

Treasurer Josh Mandel has been busy traveling across the state listening to local business  owners offer ideas on how we can continue to improve the climate for job creators to do business in our state. He visited Fostoria last Wednesday to tour the manufacturer Roppe Corporation, and discussed ways to improve Ohio's agriculture, energy, manufacturing and small business sectors. Read more about Treasurer Mandel's efforts here.