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Proponent Testimony House Bill 88 — Tom Shreves, House Commerce and Labor Committee

Summary

Tom Shreves, Executive Director of the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), gives proponent testimony on House Bill 88 to the House Commerce and Labor Committee. The testimony supports HB 88, legislation sponsored by Representative Tom Patton, that would require licensing of commercial roofing contractors in the state of Ohio by the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB). It states that electrical contractors in Ohio have been licensed for over 20 years and that the experience has been extraordinarily positive for contractors and their customers.

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“Proponent Testimony House Bill 88 — Tom Shreves, House Commerce and Labor Committee.” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2021-11-17-commerce-labor-testimony-hb88proshreveswritten-fe175d3c31/, SHA-256 88c01f1cfeeda8464436228282877f79b866e602d131715ba6e8a7d5a8a319f8.

Full text

                                 Proponent Testimony
                                     House Bill 88
Chairman Stein, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan and members of the House Commerce and
Labor Committee:

My name is Tom Shreves and I am Executive Director of the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the
National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). NECA represents both large and small
signatory contractors who operate largely in the commercial and industrial marketplace. I am
writing today in support of HB 88, legislation sponsored by Representative Tom Patton, that
would require licensing of commercial roofing contractors in the state of Ohio by the Ohio
Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB).

In Ohio, electrical contractors have been licensed for over 20 years, and as a “regulated
industry” I want to share with you that the experience has been extraordinarily positive for
both my contractors and their customers. For too long, the legislature has viewed licensing as a
dirty word. In reality, licensing ensures high quality services, competitive pricing, and most
importantly, quality and safety. Regardless of your political or philosophical persuasion, these
should be outcomes that the legislature strives to ensure for their constituents.

Make no mistake, the construction industry is a dangerous place. It is inexplicable to me that
the folks who cut your hair must obtain a license from the state, but the companies who put
roofs over your heads that have the potential to collapse or leak and cause considerable
damage to your home and health, have no such obligation. As electrical contractors, we have
sought for years to put these same regulations and protections in place not just on contractors,
but for electricians as well. Yet a philosophical objection to licensing has always inhibited our
efforts.

This is nonsense and must stop. The legislature should realize the tremendous value that
sensible and reasonable regulations afford. HB 88 provides just such provisions. I encourage
this committee to support HB 88 and pass it to the House floor for further consideration.

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