Championed by Representative Don Manning, HB 144 would make Ohio the 19th state to prohibit nurse mandatory overtime.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2020
Molly Homan, Director of Communications
Ohio Nurses Association
614-746-9914 | mhoman@ohnurses.org
COLUMBUS COLUMBUS – Senator Michael Rulli is carrying on the passionate work of his good friend, Representative Don Manning, with sponsorship of Representative Manning’s prized legislation, House Bill 144. Representative Manning passed away unexpectedly in March merely weeks after providing passionate sponsor testimony in senate committee about the importance of prohibiting forced nurse overtime for the safety of both patients and nurses.
“Representative Don Manning was a true ally and champion for Ohio’s nurses. His respect and admiration for nurses came easily. With his fiancé a registered nurse and his daughter a student in nursing school, Manning was a natural advocate for the profession. He wanted a safer nursing profession not only for his family, but for the more than 200,000 registered nurses in Ohio,” stated Deborah Arms, PhD, RN, president of the Ohio Nurses Association.
“And while we will always miss Representative Manning’s passion and enthusiasm, we are honored for Senator Rulli to carry on Manning’s important work. As dear friends and fellow lawmakers, Senator Rulli understands the high regard in which Manning held this legislation. We have no doubt the senator will carry the torch for HB 144 with the same passion and enthusiasm in honor of his late friend. ONA is also pleased that the newly appointed replacement for Don Manning, Representative Al Cutrona will also be supporting Senator Rulli’s efforts to pass HB 144 in the Senate Chamber,” continued Arms.
“House Bill 144 is a good bill that safeguards the nurses who serve the patients of Ohio. Being on the frontlines of medical care, nurses work many hard days and many long hours, House Bill 144 ensures that any nurse in Ohio who works overtime is not unfairly required to do so as a condition of employment. The Covid-19 pandemic in Ohio and across the country has only served to highlight our dependence on first responders and dedicated hospital staff. The late Representative Don Manning, a near and dear friend of mine, understood that Ohio needed to give back to those who give so much of themselves for us. His compassion for the nursing profession in Ohio led him to sponsor House Bill 144, and it would be my privilege to take up the management of HB 144 and carry on the good work he started. As the bill continues to work its way through the Senate, it is my honor to serve the people of Ohio and better our great state by honoring the last work of Representative Manning,” stated Senator Rulli.
“It is my honor to take up the mantel of my predecessor, Don Manning, and continue his work on HB 144. His hours of dedication towards the cause will not be forgotten, and I will work my hardest to ensure that his work is finished. Through my experience in the healthcare industry, I have come to understand just how important our nurses are, and I have an extremely high interest in doing all I can to support them. Our nurses, especially in the face of a global pandemic, are doing God’s work. Since the beginning of the profession, our nurses have been the salt of the earth in the healthcare industry. Anything that can be done to help ensure their safety, and the safety of their patients, is a cause worth fighting for. I look forward to working with Senator Rulli to see this piece of legislation through to the finish line. It is my honor to stand next to our nurses to get HB 144 passed,” stated Representative Cutrona.
House Bill 144 passed the Ohio House of Representatives in December 2019. The legislation is awaiting further testimony in the Senate Transportation, Commerce and Workforce Committee.
###
About ONA: Formed in 1904, the Ohio Nurses Association is a powerful network of registered nurses who are committed to advancing nursing through education, political action and workplace advocacy. ONA is the leading voice of the approximately 190,000 professional registered nurses in Ohio. To become a member of the Ohio Nurses Association, visit www.ohnurses.org.