Ohio governor candidates: Where they stand on jobs & the skills gap

Ohio has a four-way race for governor this year and voters will decide on Nov. 6 who will lead the state for the next four years.

The candidates are Democrat Rich Cordray, former director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Republican Mike DeWine, who is Ohio attorney general; Green Party candidate and Columbus attorney, Constance Gadell-Newton and Libertarian Travis M. Irvine, a filmmaker.

We looked into their positions on jobs and the economy, closing the skills gap, preparing the workforce for the jobs of the future and in-demand jobs now.

Here’s where they stand:

How they compare   
Democrat Richard Cordray and Republican Mike DeWine agree on some economic proposals, such as not raising taxes and raising the eligibility for early childhood education programs from 130 percent to 150 percent of the federal poverty level. On other issues they are far apart. Here's where the four candidates for Ohio governor stand on are the four candidates' positions on jobs and the economy.   
Richard Cordray, Democratic PartyMike DeWine, Republican PartyConstance Gadell-Newton, Green PartyTravis M. Irvine, Libertarian Party
Offer tax incentives to train people in workforce skills existing employers need to grow.Establish opportunity zones to encourage business growth in economically-distressed communities.Transition to a 100% green economy, putting solar panels in all homes, highly insulating all buildings and promoting geothermal energy for heating and cooling.Reduce regulations to "unleash the power" of gambling, alcohol, marijuana, vape store and food truck businesses.
Invest nearly $50 million in federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding to train workers for fast-growing industries like health care and advanced manufacturing.Remove "strings" on federal WIOA money and convert funding to block grants to add local flexibility.Strengthen employment laws for non-union workers.Add incentives to attract new companies, such as filmmakers, to Ohio.
Offer more vocational training, apprenticeships, certificates and flexible skills training through Lifelong Learning and Training Accounts, which are typically funded through contributions from individuals, employers and sometimes government. Provide funding for 10,000 in-demand industry certificates and encourage more vocational training and apprenticeships for adults and youth.Invest in safe public gathering spaces, commons-based business incubators, and walkable neighborhoods and business districts.Make Jobs Ohio transparent or abolish it.
Establish Ohio Peace Corps for communities to hire recent high school and college graduates to do community development work.Create Student Work Experience Tax Incentives for businesses that provide students with work opportunities.Provide free public pre-school statewide; return vocational school and home economics classes to high schools.Cut spending from inefficient areas of state education to spend more on early childhood education; add vocational training in high school.
Raise minimum wage and protect workers from legislation that reduces wage and overtime protections.Do not raise minimum wage beyond current state law that has inflation-indexed annual increases.Increase minimum wage to $15 per hour plus annual increases for inflation and cost of living.Do not increase minimum wage.
Make infrastructure improvements using a bond issue that voters would be asked to approve.Work with private sector to expand broadband infrastructure.Establish universal health care and mandate paid maternity and paternity leave.Eliminate policies favoring large businesses over small businesses.
Boost funding for public transit.Eliminate burdensome regulations, including any that negatively impact job creation, except those needed for health and safety. Fund development of municipal broadband.Repeal all laws restricting new technological advancement in favor of incumbent special interests.
Reduce the number of occupations permitted to have non-compete clauses.Reform occupational licensing to remove barriers to employment.Invest in public transit.Reduce occupational licensing.
Encourage more clean energy jobs.Allow research done at Ohio universities to remain the intellectual property of the researcher, not the institution.End corporate welfare tax policies.Hold colleges accountable for controlling costs.
No tax increases.No tax increases. Provide a Universal Basic Income for people, a concept that guarantees a wage for all, usually funded by the government.Reduce taxes on businesses, reduce property taxes and eliminate the state income tax.
Increase consumer protection for college borrowers. Provide tuition guarantees to protect students from increases during their time in college.Institute tuition-free public universities and debt relief for students.Align community college training with what businesses need.
Help small businesses access financing and assist with regulations and licensing.Develop a match-making application to connect people seeking jobs with companies that are hiring.Establish public banks to serve depositors and small businesses; strengthen labor unions.Encourage entrepreneurship and grow startup, homegrown Ohio businesses by reducing red tape.
Source: Each candidate's web site and their answers in the Dayton Daily News Voter Guide  

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