Welcome to 2019 and to the opportunities it brings. As the state’s leading business advocate a New Year brings new faces in the Ohio General Assembly and to state leadership. Plus, 2019 is a state budget year which always brings much debate to the Statehouse.

The General Assembly begins the new legislative session with 30 new faces and several members who have jumped from the House and the Senate and vice versa. In this issue, we have an article highlighting some of those new members along with a list of all of them. Our legislative team will be meeting personally with new legislators to make them aware of our legislative goals. These goals are published in our Public Policy Priorities agenda which all of our members will receive. This publication is developed with input from all of our committees. The Public Policy Priorities lays out the goals for the state legislature to meet in order to ensure that our state remains economically competitive.

2019 also brings new statewide leadership headed up by Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. Gov. DeWine has contributed an article to this publication that lays out his Ohio’s Prosperity Plan. We look forward to working with him, his administration and the other new statewide leaders to make Ohio THE place to live and work.

Our new headquarters, directly across from the Senate building, will be very handy as we anticipate much activity at the Statehouse. As with past legislative sessions, a flurry of bills will be introduced during the first quarter of the year with the budget debate lasting through June. In order to stress the impact that proposed legislation will have on Ohio businesses, we will most likely call on you, our members, to contact their elected officials or even provide testimony in committee hearings. It is imperative that elected officials hear from the business community.

Also on tap for 2019 is our Annual Meeting & Legislative Reception and our Policy Conference at Salt Fork. The Annual Meeting & Legislative Reception is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8 with the meeting being held in the Jo Ann Davidson Theatre inside the Riffe building and the reception at the Sheraton on Capital Square. The Policy Conference at Salt Fork will be held September 4-6 at Salt Fork State Park just outside of Cambridge. Information on both of these events will be sent to you via mail and/or email.

Our Opioid Toolkit continues to be available on our website for all businesses to use at no cost. The five online video segments also include handy materials that can be printed off and used for office training and education. The toolkit has drawn national recognition and is being used by a number of other states.

While 2018 was a whirlwind for us, we are looking forward to what 2019 brings. As we tackle the issues at the Statehouse, know that the Ohio Chamber of Commerce will be laser focused when it comes to protecting Ohio’s economic climate. Every day, we will be advocating for your best interests so you can concentrate on your company. Here’s to a productive and prosperous New Year!