Opponent Testimony — Jeff Dillon, Americans for Prosperity, on House Bill 129 (6.6.23)

Summary

Jeff Dillon, Ohio Legislative Director for Americans for Prosperity, gave opponent testimony on House Bill 129, dated 6.6.23, before the House Commerce & Labor Committee. The testimony opposes HB 129, a bill that would force commercial roofing contractors to obtain government occupational licenses. It cites a recent national study finding that licensing barriers already cost Ohio over 67,750 jobs, $209 million in deadweight economic losses, and over $6 billion in misallocated resources annually. It urges the committee to oppose the bill.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

HOUSE COMMERCE & LABOR COMMITTEE – Opponent Testimony, House Bill 129,
6.6.23

Chairman Johnson, Vice Chair Manchester, Ranking Member McNally, and members of the
committee, thank you for holding this hearing and for the opportunity to provide testimony. My
name is Jeff Dillon, and I am the Ohio Legislative Director for Americans for Prosperity.

On behalf of Americans for Prosperity and our activists in Ohio, I thank you for this opportunity
to testify in opposition to HB 129, a bill that would force commercial roofing contractors to obtain
government occupational licenses.
AFP Ohio believes that government should focus on effective oversight of service providers but
in the least burdensome ways possible to protect and hold people accountable. While nobody
would question the importance of safely built commercial roofing in our state, we can look to
the broader oversight and legal powers Ohio government already possesses and utilizes in
overseeing the construction of commercial roofing just as numerous other states without
licensing mandates do. Adding an additional layer of bureaucracy would place new burdens on
people who wish to enter this profession, reduce availability for customers including
businesses, and more bureaucracy could undermine broad government oversight rather than
enhance public health and safety.
Today, licensing burdens reduce employment opportunities for many Ohioans while cutting off
rungs on the economic mobility ladder for people trying to improve their lives. A recent
national study found that current governmental licensing barriers already cost Ohio over 67,750
jobs, $209 million in deadweight economic losses, and over $6 billion in misallocated resources
annually. In other words, people are spending more than they would have, and on different
things, than if Ohio’s many government licensing laws weren’t creating barriers to needed
products and services.
Research also shows that in more onerously licensed states, entrepreneurship rates are lower
among low-income residents, recidivism rates are higher for ex-offenders, and other unintended
consequences such as increased crime rates occur due to decreased employment opportunities.
Ohioans, and those wishing to move to Ohio to contribute to our economy, deserve the dignity
of personal choice as consumers and the ability to support their families without undue
government burdens as they seek fulfilling work. While we share a desire to ensure public
health and safety in Ohio, we strongly urge you to oppose HB 129 and the new licensing
burdens on commercial roofing contractors that will undermine employment and infrastructure
in our state.




 Americans for Prosperity (AFP) exists to recruit, educate, and mobilize citizens in support of the policies
and goals of a free society at the local, state, and federal level, helping every American live their dream –
     especially the least fortunate. AFP has more than 3.2 million activists across the nation, a local
   infrastructure that includes 36 state chapters, and has received financial support from more than
   100,000 Americans in all 50 states. For more information, visit www.AmericansForProsperity.org.


File and source

File

2023-06-06_commerce-labor_testimony_testimony-6342.pdf

Size

77,088 bytes

SHA-256

0558fa5118dfec8f88b88c2f96a0347fd748d13c3c4087b191cdae220ab916be

Our copy

2023-06-06_commerce-labor_testimony_testimony-6342.pdf

Original

No public link identified.