The Ohio Roundtable and Roundtable Freedom Forum issued the following statement regarding the mandatory sick leave proposal. The statement was released at a news conference in Columbus. The statement was also posted at aproundtable.org, a site visited by nearly one million viewers each year. The Roundtable also sent this statement to over 12,000 community leaders, business people, and clergy across the state.

“Ohio Governor Ted Strickland is working behind closed doors trying to create a very dangerous compromise on a mandatory sick leave law. This measure was brought to the Legislature by organized labor through a petition for an initiated statute. The Legislature has refused to fully debate the measure. Now SEIU labor organizers have gathered enough signatures to place the measure on the November 4th Ohio ballot.

Governor Strickland has rightly discerned that this unprecedented intrusion of state law into the marketplace would be a disaster for Ohio companies. The new law forces every Ohio company with 25 or more employees into a one-size fits all mandated sick leave policy. No such law exists in surrounding states. In fact, no such law exists for any other state in the Union.

Democrat leaders are viewing this measure as a voter turnout tool. They believe working class voters will come to the polls and support this measure along with democrat candidates. The state Democratic Party's number one goal in this election is to take control of the Ohio Legislature. They believe this mandatory sick leave measure will help them reach their goal.

The Roundtable and Roundtable Freedom Forum oppose this state mandated sick leave measure on constitutional principles as well as common sense economics. The state has no constitutional authority to strip business owners and workers of their right to negotiate employment benefits. This measure is unquestionably a job killer for Ohio. Furthermore the measure is so poorly designed that it will invite abuse and hurt honest workers and profitable companies.

There is no room here for a deal because this measure is dishonest and unconstitutional from the start. We urge all Ohioans to call Governor Strickland (614-466-3555) immediately and tell him no deal on mandatory sick leave. Furthermore a deal would put the first version of this unprecedented mandate into Ohio law. The legislature could readily expand the measure next year and for years to come making the law progressively worse than even the current proposal. Therefore any compromise is not worth the paper it is written on.

When the mandated sick leave measure reaches the ballot in November we urge every Ohioan, Democrat, Republican, Independent, labor, management, homemaker and retired to vote NO against state mandated sick leave.”