A recent survey of CEOs indicates that Ohio has the most improved business climate in the nation. The survey places Ohio at number 22, up from 35 in 2012, and 44 in 2010.

Although we have a long way to go still, this is a great indicator that our Republican leaders are enacting an agenda that’s creating jobs.

Here is a recent statement from Governor Kasich:

“It’s great for Ohio workers when the nation’s CEOs see Ohio more and more as one of the best places in the country to do business.  It’s incredibly gratifying to see all of our hard work continue to pay off like that.  We’re achieving what we set out to do: get Ohio back on track by creating a jobs-friendly climate.  We’re not there yet and we’ve got a lot of work still to do, but we’re making real progress and it’s great news for Ohio’s families.”

You can view the study results here.

Also, here are some comments from CEOs in the survey results:

“States like…Ohio are consistently trying to help us grow our business and are listening to the leaders of companies to help solve problems.”

“Ohio has made a dramatic turnaround under Republican leadership.”

“Ohio is doing some amazing things to attract and support a pro-business climate.”

In this editorial, the Dispatch explains how the recent BWC announcement to return $1 billion in rebates to Ohioans is a wise, job-creating move:

Ohio’s economic turnaround got a further boost on Thursday when Gov. John Kasich announced $1 billion in rebates for public and private employers.

The state Bureau of Workers’ Compensation expects to send checks this summer to 210,000 employers. They’ll range from $5 to several million dollars. This is possible because the bureau’s investment strategy has generated better-than-expected three-year annual return of 11.4 percent.

In all, the bureau’s net assets have grown to $8.3 billion, in excess of what it needs to cover future liabilities. Kasich’s answer was to return this excess to the job creators to whom it rightly belongs.

The three-pronged program would divvy up nearly $2 billion in excess funds, first through the $1 billion give-back, which the BWC board will consider in May.

Kasich called it “one of the most significant economic-stimulus efforts you will see.”

Vintage-style T-shirt entrepreneur Ryan Vesler said the governor’s plan would give his Short North business, Homage, a $4,000 rebate, which he wants to put toward hiring employees, technology expenses and other costs.

For the bureau’s public employers, the money would ease tight budgets. Based on current workers’ comp payments from Franklin County governments, including schools and the city of Columbus, the governor’s office figures residents could see upward of $5 million in rebates, making central Ohio one of the proposal’s biggest beneficiaries.

And the rebates come on top of three years of steady rate cuts that have made public-sector rates in Ohio the lowest in 30 years and saved private employers a collective $224 million over 2010 levels.

Second, the bureau wants to triple the state’s investment in a worker-safety and wellness-grant program that greatly reduces the risk of Ohioans being injured or killed. In companies that have received prior matching safety grants, the number of claims dropped by 66 percent and claims costs per employee fell by 86 percent, the bureau said. The bureau would increase grants to $15 million, from $5 million.

Third, the investment surplus will allow Ohio to join nearly every other state and private insurer in how it bills employers. If the legislature approves, in mid-2014, customers would pay in advance of their coverage, instead of six months after.

The current system can pose a budgeting problem for businesses, and it also drives up costs for employers when some don’t pay bills for coverage already received. But changing this setup would have burdened employers; they’d have to pay their prior bill and the new one, too. To avoid that, Kasich plans to use another $900 million from the BWC surplus to make this first prospective payment on behalf of employers. The new payment system will allow the bureau to lower premiums 2 percent for private employers and 4 percent for public ones.

These seismic changes — dividend rebates, safety grants and the modernization to a prospective-payment system — will affect mostly government and small and mid-sized employers, who provide the most jobs in Ohio. Many large companies fund their own workers’ compensation program.

This plan would be a boon to economic growth and job creation and would underline the fact that Ohio is serious about keeping, bolstering and attracting business.

You can read the original editorial here.

Governor Kasich, Ohio Senate President Keith Faber, and BWC administrator Steve Buehrer recently announced a plan to return $1 billion in insurance premiums to Ohioans. The Plain Dealer has more:

Gov. John Kasich said today that he wants to return $1 billion in insurance premiums to 210,000 public and private employers in amounts ranging from $5 to millions of dollars.

Kasich said the rebates would come from the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s net assets, which exceed $8 billion and are more than enough to meet all of the state-operated insurer’s financial obligations.

“I would call this one of the most significant economic stimulus measures that we have seen,” Kasich said during a news conference at a vintage T-shirt shop in the city’s hip Short North neighborhood. “This is essentially a billion dollar tax cut for our medium and small businesses.”

The larger-than-expected assets were generated by strong investment management practices, Kasich said. The rebates, if approved by the bureau’s board of directors, could begin arriving in June or July.

“We’re very confident that this will happen and be approved,” Kasich said.

And

Ryan Vesler, owner of the T-shirt shop, Homage, said he expects to receive a rebate of about $4,000.

“Every little bit helps,” said Vesler, who founded Homage in his parents’ basement in 2007. “This will definitely make a difference.”

And

Other proposals offered by Kasich on Thursday included tripling investments in worker safety grants to $15 million, and lowering all workers’ compensation rates by 2 percent for private employers and 4 percent for public employers. The rate cut would be on top of a 4 percent cut last year, Kasich said.

“Our efforts to create a jobs-friendly climate are paying off, with more than 115,000 new jobs created in the last few years,” Kasich said. “A billion dollars should have a very positive effect on jobs in Ohio.”

You can read the entire article here.

The Findlay Courier details below how a recently announced plan to offer $1 billion in rebates to Ohioans demonstrates sound fiscal management and will be a powerful tool to help create jobs:

One of John Kasich’s goals since being elected governor has been to find ways to create a more business-friendly climate for Ohio.

Kasich gave that cause another boost this week with a plan to give existing companies a return on their investment while making the state more attractive to those looking to relocate here.

The plan involves the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, the state agency which provides insurance to about two-thirds of Ohio’s public and private workforce. Any business with more than one employee is required to pay into a fund which can be tapped for medical expenses and wage compensation when a worker is injured on the job.

Last year, the bureau covered more than 252,000 employers, processed more than 116,000 new claims and paid out $1.9 billion in benefits. Premiums and assessments from employers were slightly more than $2 billion.

But now that the bureau’s net assets have grown to $8.3 billion, Kasich says it’s time to return $1 billion to those who have been paying in. Rebate checks or credits could be sent to employers this summer if the proposal is approved by the bureau’s board later this month.

While the size of the refunds would vary depending on the size of the company, the money could allow a business to hire employees or purchase new equipment or expand.

The bureau says it can afford the refunds because of good management and better-than-expected investment returns. Administrator Steve Buehrer said investment returns have averaged 11.4 percent over the last three years.

You can read the entire article here.