The Governor of Ohio John Kasich and the top executive of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) proposed a rebate for Ohio employers over the summer which would be the biggest rebate of comp premiums in the state in two decades.

The proposed premium rebate is $1.5 billion, bringing total cost savings for employers to $8 billion since 2011. The BWC estimated that most rebates would equate to around 85 percent of the employer’s premium for the policy year, ending June 30, 2017 for private employers, and the end of the 2016 calendar year for public employers. Injury claims in the state have dropped by 16.8 percent since 2010 and the state has given out around $70 million in safety grants since 2011. Rebates around $1 billion were issued in 2013, 2014 and 2017. In 2016 there was a $15 million rebate for counties, cities and public employers.

The bureau’s board will approve the rebate next month before employers receive their rebate this summer.

Read more from The Columbus Dispatch here.