Reps. Rader, Pizzulli Present Sponsor Testimony on JobsOhio Transparency Act

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Tristan W. Rader (D–Lakewood) and State Rep. Justin Pizzulli (R–Scioto County) today presented sponsor testimony on HB 779, the JobsOhio Transparency Act, to the House General Government Committee.

HB 779 represents a bipartisan effort to improve oversight and create transparency with JobsOhio, the state-created entity that oversees Ohio’s liquor profits to finance economic development projects.

“State agencies, schools, libraries, health providers, food banks, and nonprofits in many cases receive far less money than JobsOhio yet are put through far more scrutiny to receive it,” said Rep. Rader. “JobsOhio cannot have it both ways. They cannot receive public money and spend it like a business.”   

JobsOhio paid $1.4 billion dollars to become the sole franchisee of the state’s liquor profits for 25 years at the founding of the agency. In 2025, JobsOhio received a 15-year extension on this agreement at no additional cost and with no supporting testimony from JobsOhio. With very minimal auditing requirements and no mandate for open meetings, JobsOhio has been the subject of controversy since its creation in 2011.

“The people of Southern Ohio and other communities throughout the state deserve a fair shake from JobsOhio, and even after a years-long relationship full of promises, communities like mine have yet to see the job creation or investment they deserve,” said Rep. Pizzulli. “There must be public accountability and real transparency to deliver results for our constituents.”

HB 779 would take the following steps:

1. 1. 1. Declare that it is the intent of the General Assembly to ensure that JobsOhio as a state-created entity utilizes the state liquor profits that belong to Ohioans in a manner that is responsible and prudent as well as free from waste, fraud, or abuse.
      2. Requires JobsOhio and its affiliates to publicly disclose every corporate sponsorship or media partnership that it engages in. Disclosure should occur annually and include the recipient, dollar amount, approving individual, conflict of interest check, and whether any public employee or official was involved in the arrangement.
      3. Requires the Auditor of State to audit JobsOhio every two years and submit that audit to the Governor, Speaker, Senate President, and Minority Leaders. The audit shall include the average salary of JobsOhio employees, the total number of employees, and the number of employees that make at least four times the median Ohio income.
      4. Requires the Chief Investment Officer of JobsOhio to testify annually before the Ohio House and Senate Finance Committees to explain how funding has been distributed to projects in counties across the State of Ohio.
      5. Requires any future extension or restructuring of the liquor profit/franchise arrangement to receive approval by the General Assembly, not the Controlling Board, and only after an independent valuation and at least one public hearing. Any future extension must be granted at fair market value, not for free.
          

JobsOhio is not legally required to hold open meetings or provide records on how it spends its money. According to 2021 data from LSC, less than 60% of JobsOhio’s liquor profits go to economic development incentives.

A Senate companion bill, SB 397, has been introduced by Senator Bill DeMora and awaits a first hearing in the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee.