| Joe Uecker | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 66th district |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Jean Schmidt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 27, 1954 Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Loveland, Ohio |
| Alma mater | Moeller High School, University of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University |
| Profession | Sales, Business Owner, Law Enforcement |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Joe Uecker is a Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives, who has represented the 66th District (Clermont County) since 2005. He is the Chairman of the House Commerce and Labor Committee.
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Uecker worked in law enforcement for the City of Deer Park, Clermont County Sheriff's Office, and the City of Montgomery before parlaying his management degree into the private sector in 1988. He also co-owned a private business for three years. Uecker worked as the Administrator of the Clermont County Engineer's Office from 1993 until 2004 and was also a Miami Township Trustee from 1990-2004.
When incumbent Jean Schmidt decided to run for the Ohio Senate, Uecker was one of five who ran for her open House seat.[1] He won with 40.26% of the electorate.[2] He ran unopposed in the general election, and began his term in 2005.[3]
In 2006, he won a second term against Democrat William Newby with 63.59% of the vote,[4] and again ran unopposed for a third term in 2008.[5]
For a final term in 2010, Uecker defeated Libertarian Barry Cox with 79.94& of the vote.[6] He is serving on the committees of Commerce and Labor (as Chairman), Criminal Justice, and Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security. He also serves on the Clermont County Transportation Improvement District Board of Trustees.
As the chairman of the House Commerce and Labor Committee, Uecker presided over collective bargaining reform that many found controversial. It passed out of his committee on March 29, 2011,[7] after 13 hearings and 60 hours of testimony from 200-plus witnesses.[8] Making minor changes from the Senate version of the bill, Uecker said he was satisfied with the results.[9] Uecker faced criticism after ordering 65,000 petitions against the bill removed from the committee room after they were placed there by Democrats.[10] However, he still believed the bill would pass into law.[11] He had also stated that it would be influential in helping balance budgets for local government and school districts,[12] a key aspect of Ohio Governor John Kasich's budget proposal.[13] Ultimately, the bill passed out of the entire legislature after much controversy.[14]