Huffman signals JobsOhio reform unlikely before the next governor takes office

Efforts to increase oversight of JobsOhio are unlikely to advance this legislative session after Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman said lawmakers should wait until a new governor takes office before making major changes to the state’s economic development organization.

“We’re going to have a new governor in January, they may have a different idea about how these things are being run,” Huffman, R-Lima, told reporters, Statehouse News Bureau reported. “A lot of these what I would call institutional or system changes should be done in concert with a new governor.”

The comments come months after lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing oversight of JobsOhio following questions about payments made to a podcaster linked to former Ohio State University President Ted Carter’s resignation.

State Reps. Justin Pizzulli, R-Scioto County, and Tristan Rader, D-Lakewood, introduced House Bill 779 earlier this year. The legislation would require JobsOhio to disclose sponsorships and media partnerships annually, to provide regular testimony before lawmakers, and to undergo periodic state audits.

Pizzulli said concerns about JobsOhio existed before the controversy involving the podcaster Kristanthe Vlachos, but the episode reinforced the need for greater oversight.

“It’s embarrassing to our state,” Pizzulli said earlier this month. “Something needs to be done, that’s what motivated us.”

JobsOhio came under scrutiny in March after it was revealed the organization paid $60,000 to Vlachos for four episodes of “The Callout Podcast.” The arrangement became controversial after Carter admitted to an inappropriate relationship with Vlachos before resigning as president of Ohio State University.

JobsOhio later said only one episode had been produced and indicated it was exploring other options to recover the money.

The controversy led lawmakers from both parties to introduce legislation aimed at increasing oversight of the organization.

State Sen. Sandra O’Brien, R-Rome Twp., introduced separate legislation requiring annual performance audits of JobsOhio. Earlier this year, then-Attorney General Dave Yost and Buckeye Institute President Robert Alt also called for reforms, arguing that the organization should be subject to greater transparency and independent review.

JobsOhio was formed in 2011 as a private nonprofit corporation charged with leading Ohio’s economic development efforts. The organization is funded through profits generated by the state’s liquor enterprise, which lawmakers extended through 2053 last year.

JobsOhio has pointed to projects such as Intel’s semiconductor investment in New Albany and Anduril Industries’ planned manufacturing facility near Columbus as examples of its economic-development efforts.

JobsOhio spokesman Matt Englehart previously said the organization has remained committed to transparency while protecting Ohio’s competitive position when pursuing economic development projects.

Before lawmakers left for summer recess, House Bill 779 received a single committee hearing but has not advanced further. Huffman’s comments effectively place major JobsOhio reform efforts on hold for the remainder of the legislative session, despite continued calls from some lawmakers for greater oversight of the organization.