Ohio judge tosses out new law that prevents Cleveland and other communities from hiking the minimum wage above the state limit saying it was attached to a non-singular bill that became law and that the Ohio constitution requires single subject bill

CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM-CLEVELAND,OHIO- An Ohio  judge has tossed out a new law passed last year by the Ohio State Legislature that prevents communities like Cleveland from increasing the minimum wage above the state limit saying it violates the one subject bill rule, meaning it was passed as as amendment to an unrelated bill rather than on its on individual merit.

 

The Ohio Constitution requires singular bills and related amendments and  Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Richard Frye ruled, following a lawsuit filed by 50 cities villages and townships, that the bill was a  runaway bill with no singular concept.

 

Senate Bill 331, dubbed the Christmas Tree bill because it was passed last December during a lame duck state legislative session and contains numerous amendments to what was initially a dog bill relative to regulating the sale of dogs at pet stores and other retail outlets, had several unrelated add-on changes or amendments of which included the aforementioned minimum wage law.

 

The controversial new law stopped an effort by Raise Up Cleveland and the Service Employees International Union to get Cleveland voters to approve a hike in minimum wage to $15.

 

Those groups secured a ballot initiative in Cleveland, and the measure can now go forward before voters on the Nov 8 ballot, at least for now.

 

Ohio's minimum wage is currently set at $8.30 per hour.

 

A bill is proposed legislation that may or may not become law and it can be introduced as a new law or an amendment to a law. It becomes law in Ohio when it is passed by the Ohio House and Ohio Senate and signed by the governor.

 

The state legislature can pass another bill in a singular fashion, which fuels the debate during an election year for Cleveland mayor and the 17 city council seats, Mayor Frank Jackson, City Council President Kevin Kelley leading the charge in getting the General Assembly to pass the town defunct law and outspoken city councilman Jeff Johnson,  a candidate for mayor this year, standing with activists, unions and the underprivileged that want the wage hike.

 

Raise Up Cleveland and the Service Employees International Union have endorsed Johnson, who is Black,  for mayor and he is among some seven possible mayoral candidates, including the incumbent Jackson, a three term Black mayor of the majority Black city, Ward 2 Councilman Zack Reed and former East Cleveland mayor Eric Brewer, both of them also Black, and Brandon Chrostowski, an east side restaurant owner and the lone White guy.

 

"The state legislature  will just pass another bill blocking minimum wage hikes above the state limit, and as a singular bill, " an Ohio state legislator told Cleveland Urban News.Com on condition of anonymity.

 

(www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com). Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog with some 4.5 million views on Google Plus alone.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.