<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(177, 18, 42);">Here is the press release sent out by the Ohio Department of Administrative Services yesterday. Although it is addressing possible effects of a continuing Government shutdown, This would also effect OOD and other agencies if we don\u2019t find a way to counter act the reduction in force and the destruction of the department of education.</p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(177, 18, 42);"><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(177, 18, 42);"><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(177, 18, 42);"><br></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(177, 18, 42);">News Release</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For Immediate Release:</p><p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">October 31, 2025</p><p class="p3" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">State of Ohio preparing for potential impact of ongoing federal government shutdown</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">COLUMBUS- As state government prepares for possible impacts of the ongoing shutdown of the federal</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">government, per the agreement in the current union contract, six agencies today notified staff of the</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">potential for the interruption of funding which could lead to future furloughs. Those agencies include the</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ohio Adjutant General\u2019s Department, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Opportunities for</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ohioans with Disabilities, the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Department of Job and Family</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Services, and the Ohio Department of Public Safety.</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The announcements are informational only. <span class="s1" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 233);">State bargaining contracts</span><span class="s2" style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);"> r</span>equire agencies to make a</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">general announcement 14 days before funding interruptions could occur at their agencies. At this time, all</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">State of Ohio employees continue to report to work, and no employees have been notified that they will</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">not receive pay.</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">While nearly 9,000 state employees received the announcement this afternoon, the projected number of</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">state employees who may actually be subject to furlough would be less than half. The potential impact to</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">employees is still being evaluated by these agencies. Additionally, the U.S. Senate\u2019s approval of a clean</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">continuing resolution within the next two weeks will render today\u2019s notices moot as the positions would</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">be funded again.</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">\u201cWhile we hope for a resolution from Washington soon, we must prepare for the potential impact on our</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">workforce in the coming weeks should the shutdown continue,\u201d said Kathleen C. Madden, Director of the</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ohio Department of Administrative Services. \u201cWe will continue to evaluate the situation daily and will</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">have more specific information should further action become necessary.\u201d</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If the federal government shutdown continues and necessitates the furlough of any state employees</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">whose positions are funded fully or in part by the federal government, those employees will be notified</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">individually in advance in accordance with contract requirements.</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">###</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">DAS is the engine of state government, providing innovative solutions and supporting the efficient operation</p><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; font-width: normal; font-size: 11.5px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">of state agencies, boards, and commissions.</p></body></html>