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Statehouse Reporter Looks At SB5 Issue


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An OU professor and statehouse news columnist says Gov. John Kasich has an uphill battle when it comes to stopping the repeal of Senate Bill 5.

The governor said Thursday that he believes rejection of this bill in the November election would hurt job creation and Ohio's economy.

Tom Suddes says getting people in Athens County to vote against a repeal of the bill will be a hard thing to do.

"I think one of the things that our region is especially significant is the fact that we depend on government services to a large extent. And secondly, in Athens County, somewhere around the order of 37 percent of all employed people are working on government payroll. So, this is something that could affect the livelihood of many, many people, statistically," says Suddes.

Suddes says one issue voters will struggle with connected to Senate Bill 5 is the prohibition on strikes by public employees.

"If I were a voter, I would ask myself if this is fair or not fair.  To the taxpayers on the one hand, and to the working public employee on the other," says Suddes.

President Obama is scheduled to come to Columbus tomorrow to campaign for his jobs plan.

Obama has come out against plans like Senate Bill 5 in Ohio and Wisconsin.