Rep. Sweeney: Ohio General Assembly Has the Power to Stop State Employee Furlough & Protect Ohio Workers' Paychecks

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) today urged the Ohio General Assembly to take immediate action following the announcement that thousands of federally-funded state employees will be placed on furlough amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Thousands of state employees received notice Friday, October 31, 2025 that the state will begin placing state workers on temporary furlough at the end of the contractually required 14 day notice period. At that time, affected employees will stop reporting to work and will no longer receive pay due to the lapse in federal funding 

These state workers would be furloughed and without a paycheck at a time when the state is sitting on record-high cash reserves. Currently, Ohio’s “rainy day” fund, also known as the Ohio Budget Stabilization Fund, is at an all-time high with a cash balance of over $3.9 billion dollars. State tax revenues also continue to run ahead of projections and the state has millions sitting in General Revenue Fund reserves and emergency funds that could be used to ensure these employees do not go without pay until federal funding is restored.

“Ohio Republicans would rather furlough thousands of our own state employees than use the billions sitting in state reserves to protect these workers – funds that will almost certainly be reimbursed by the federal government, as has happened in past shutdowns,” said Rep. Sweeney.

“The Ohio Legislature has the power and resources to prevent the furlough of state employees, keep food on the table, and stabilize communities. Instead, they are punishing Ohio workers so they can continue to work with Republicans in Washington to rig the system and prioritize billionaires over working people. Ohio’s leaders should be following the example of other Republican-led states and work with us to release the necessary state dollars and protect Ohio workers’ paychecks.”

Each year, the State of Ohio receives millions of dollars from the federal government to support the operation of state-run programs that implement federal policy initiatives, benefit programs, and regulatory functions. Many of these functions are carried out by state employees whose salaries are partly or fully supported by federal funding.

These state workers perform essential duties that keep Ohio communities safe and functioning, including fraud prevention, law enforcement, emergency management, workforce development, and public health services. This includes program administrators who process unemployment and childcare benefits, epidemiologists who track and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, and law enforcement officers assigned to anti-drug and human trafficking task forces.

“If the Ohio General Assembly fails to act, it will mean longer lines, delayed services, and more economic pain for Ohioans across the state, Rep. Sweeney continued. “Ohio has the tools and resources to prevent Ohio workers from going without. We just need the political will to use them.”