Legislation creating JobsOhio clears General Assembly, gets Gov. John Kasich's signature

Gov. John Kasich promised during his campaign to abolish and replace the Ohio Department of Development with a privatized, corporate board that he would appoint and chair. The new entity, JobsOhio, would be a more nimble and efficient vehicle for luring businesses to the state and retaining businesses already here. The development department has become sluggish and inefficient in its current structure, Kasich has said.

On Feb. 18, Kasich signed a bill establishing JobsOhio. The bill moved swiftly through the Ohio House and Senate earlier in the month, despite objections from most Democrats in the House, who said the publicly funded yet privately operated nonprofit corporation will be allowed to operate in secrecy. JobsOhio will be exempt from the state"s public-records laws. The House passed the bill Feb. 1, and the Senate approved it on Feb. 16.

"People will look back on this day, with the creation of JobsOhio, and see it as the vehicle for the transformation for our economy,” Kasich said before signing the bill. "People need jobs. With jobs comes hope. Without jobs, people become hopeless.”

The bill establishes a framework for JobsOhio. Another bill is expected to be drafted later to refine the plan.

While there clearly has been progress on this promise, there"s still work to do. JobsOhio exists on paper, but now the administration must put the plan into action. On this promise from the governor, the Kasich-O-Meter remains pointed at In the Works.