OHIOCHAMBER.COM MAY/JUNE 2016 GET INFORMED. 1 Former Speaker of the U.S. House John Boehner reflects on his time in office Lieutenant governor lauds business accomplishments at Annual Meeting SHARE SUCCESS. 4 Legislation introduced to legalize medical marijuana Ohio Chamber launches middle-market task force OBSC leads on rule relief legislation 2016 election: Analysis and recap Legalized marijuana should worry employers An Official Publication of The Ohio Chamber of Commerce STAY CONNECTED. 7 Committees in action Chamber works for the good of all IT’S STILL JUST ME Former U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner reflects on his time in office In his opening remarks to attendees regulatory process was out of at the Ohio Chamber’s Annual control.” Meeting, former U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner told the However, after being involved in his crowd, “It’s still just me” when homeowners association, he ran for addressing his recent retirement township trustee because someone from Congress. was needed to fill the position. Then when his state representative From his time in the Ohio House retired, party leaders asked him to to his October retirement from run for the Ohio House. his position as U.S. Speaker of the House, Boehner spent years as an “I told them they were out of their elected official, something he hadn’t minds, I had a business to run,” he really considered growing up as the said. “But I was frustrated and bored son of a bar owner in Cincinnati. to death, so I thought I could do Boehner credited his family of 11 both, and I ended up serving in the Ohio House for six years.” brothers and sisters and his work expecting to add to their majority QUICK GLANCE in his dad’s bar for teaching him He made a lot of friends at the and ended up losing it. When asked everything he needed to know about Statehouse, both in the House and by Gingrich, then Speaker of the being in politics. Senate, Republican and Democrat. House, what to do, Boehner said, “Newt, you’ve led the team as far as John Boehner “You have to learn to work with “Vern Riffe and I were friends, even you can. I think it’s time to go.” The everyone who walks in the door, Graduated Xavier University though he was on the other side of Republican caucus election didn’t whether that is a sibling, a bar the aisle,” he told the crowd at the bode well for Boehner, either, as he Worked as a small businessman customer or an elected official from theater in the Vern Riffe building. lost the election for chairman of the the other party,” he said. “I learned something from Vern — Republican caucus. Served as township trustee Boehner worked his way through say it like it is.” “Most members in that situation Served in the Ohio House Xavier University at a packing and In 1991, he ran for U.S. Congress would just pack their bags and plastics small business — a business and began a 25-year career in leave,” he said. “I decided I wasn’t Served 25 years in Congress he worked for after graduation. Washington, D.C. Boehner’s that smart. I was never going He worked his way up, bought out Recently resigned as accomplishments include being to let them see me sweat, never the person who had become his a member of the Gang of Seven, going to show them one ounce of U.S. Speaker of the House business partner and over the years, working with Newt Gingrich to disappointment. I was going to the company grew. craft the “Contract with America,” let my work speak for itself, and “The last thing I ever thought in my helping elect Ohioan Deborah Pryce I was going to work my way back wildest dream I’d ever do was be a to Congress and being elected to a into leadership.” of our Gross Domestic Product part of public service,” Boehner said. leadership position in the House. dropped five years in a row. He became a committee chairman “Like many small businesspeople, It wasn’t always easy. Boehner talked and worked on many issues with “We were able to make changes I thought government was too about the House Republican defeat Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy; to Medicare, which were the first big, they spent too much, and the in 1998, when the Republicans were other politicians called them entitlement changes made in 20 “political bookends.” years. We worked with Nancy Pelosi to make small tweaks to help In 2010, the Republicans took preserve and protect Medicare.” back the House, and Boehner was elected Speaker of the House, He also put a stop to earmarks. a job Boehner calls “a marvelous experience.” “Not all earmarks are bad,” he said, but he disagreed with the way the “I cut a deal with President Obama process was used to corrupt the to save $2.4 trillion in spending legislative process. over 10 years,” he said. “That’s the reason the deficit dropped four Continued on page 3 years in a row, and it’s the reason federal spending as a percentage WWW.OHIOCHAMBER.COM 1 You want up-to-date information. We’re all for informing our members on the latest, policy, political and business news. We’re all for Ohio. VISIT ALLFOROHIO.COM As many of our members and readers know, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to championing free enterprise, economic competitiveness and growth for the benefit of all Ohioans. We created the allforohio.com blog site to update our members and the Ohio business community about the latest business, public policy, political and member happenings from around the state. We invite you to take a look at our new format and encourage you to share our message on your social media platforms. We’re all for enhancing economies and creating jobs. Because when we stand together, we all see stronger results. WE’RE ALL FOR OHIO. GET INFORMED. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR LAUDS BUSINESS ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT ANNUAL MEETING QUICK GLANCE Office to determine if the regulatory intent of the rule justifies the Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor talked about: impact to businesses. According to Taylor, CSI has reviewed 7,700 The elimination of the state’s rules, with 58 percent being overwhelming deficit eliminated or changed. The creation of more than The lieutenant governor also talked 400,000 jobs about the turnaround Ohio has The challenge of combatting opiate seen since 2010 when she and Gov. drug addiction John Kasich took office. In addition to speaking about the elimination of the state’s overwhelming deficit Lt. Governor Mary Taylor and the creation of more than addressed the attendees of the Ohio 400,000 jobs, Taylor spoke of the Chamber’s Annual Meeting touting challenge of combatting opiate her business knowledge and the drug addiction, which is impacting administration’s accomplishments not only Ohio families but also on behalf of the business employers that support drug-free community. The former state workplaces. representative was endorsed by the Ohio Chamber Political Action Infrastructure is another challenge Committee when she ran for the for Ohio, Taylor said. House in 2006 due in part to her business experience. “We have overlooked infrastructure issues for far too long, both above “I’ve walked in your shoes, I’ve been and below ground,” she said. around business decision makers said. “I am working every single Taylor said she wants to hear from When I think back to and seen them make decisions,” day here to make sure I’m making Ohioans when it comes to our Taylor told the crowd of more than a difference. When I think back to state’s continued improvement. 2008, 2009 and 2010, 500 people in the Capitol Theatre. 2008, 2009 and 2010, I am proud “I’ve had a great partnership with “I hope you’ll call us because I do I am proud of the work of the work we have done and the the Ohio Chamber of Commerce want to hear from you,” she said. progress we have made in Ohio. and all chambers across Ohio.” “If you call with a problem, I would we have done and the I’m committed to implementing also like your feedback on how to fix the common-sense, conservative This business experience has progress we have made policies that benefit all of you, your served her well not only as our the problem. Status quo has never been acceptable to me.” business, our families and our state’s lieutenant governor, but in Ohio. communities across the state of also as she oversees the Ohio Taylor backed up her statement Ohio to make our state better for Chamber-backed Common Sense by giving out her phone number, future generations of Ohioans.” Initiative (CSI). Since its inception she told the audience she is making (614) 644-0935, and encouraged in 2012, all proposed state agency every minute count. attendees to call. rules that impact Ohio businesses “Regardless of what you do in life, must undergo an analysis and As she looks back on her past years make your time count,” Taylor be subject to review by the CSI as the state’s second in command, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 IT’S STILL JUST ME However, his greatest accomplishment was arranging for Pope Francis to address a joint session of Congress this past fall, something he’d been working on for 20 years. “It doesn’t get much better than the Pope,” he said.