Tomorrow is the last day of 2014 and without a session scheduled for the General Assembly, it means the book is closed on the Ohio Chamber’s 130th Ohio General Assembly Voting Record.

Two key votes were added to the voting record in both the House and Senate during the lame duck session following November’s election. In total, the House finished with eight voting record votes and the Senate with seven.

Here are some of the key takeaways from this General Assembly’s voting record:

• The average pro-business score was slightly better in the Senate (87%) than the House (80%), but overall they were both overwhelmingly pro-business.
• A majority of current members in both chambers achieved a perfect 100% score for the session – 50 of the 99 members in the House and 19 of the 33 members in the Senate.
• Seven senators tied for the lowest score of 57% in the Senate. In the House, Rep. Barbara Boyd scored a zero, having only cast votes on three of the eight voting record bills.
• 30 representatives and five senators finished the session with a 100% lifetime score.
• Special recognition goes to outgoing Reps. Lynn Wachtmann and Rex Damschroder. Rep. Wachtmann has cast 176 votes in his career and maintained an outstanding 97% pro-business score. Rep. Damschroder has 109 total votes and a 98% score. There is no doubt both of these legislators have done their part to improve Ohio’s business climate!

Based on the election results, the next General Assembly should be just as pro-business as this one. That’ll be good for not only Ohio’s employers, but Ohioans across the board. A better business climate means a more competitive economy, and a more competitive economy means more growth and opportunity for everyone.

Have a Happy New Year!