Saturday Stats

$68,812: According to our friends at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), that’s the average annual reduction (since 2005) in state taxes paid by the highest-income 1% of Ohioans — those with annual income over $753,900. That’s enough to buy a new Lexus every year.

$459: Average annual reduction in state taxes paid by the middle-income 20% of Ohioans — those with annual income at or near the state median of $72,212. That’s about $38 a month, roughly enough to cover a tank of gas.

1: Number of income groups (out of 5) that we studied for the Great Ohio Tax Shift who on average pay more in taxes today than they did in 2005. It’s the lowest-income 20% — those with income under $26,000 — who now pay on average $32 a year more in state taxes than they did 20 years ago. Explaining how that happened is complex, but the upshot is dead simple: Ohio legislators have spent decades helping the wealthiest Ohioans shift responsibility for funding critical public services onto the people who can afford it least.

$4.41: Per-person amount of state funding Ohio invested in public transit in 2024. That makes us 29th in the nation — though we’re 13th for transit ridership, and 12th in share of households without reliable access to a vehicle of their own. In short, Ohioans Love Transit, and with budget season coming up, the legislature ought to show it some love as well.

$61.7M: Estimated revenue Ohio will lose in FY 2026 if the legislature decides to conform to seven federal tax provisions that don’t benefit everyday Ohioans. Traditionally, adjusting our state tax code to match federal changes is a pretty smooth process for legislators — but the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s unprecedentedly harmful tax policies warrant a closer look. In testimony before the House Ways & Means Committee, tax policy researcher Aditi Srivastava recommended “decoupling” from problematic provisions — and engaged in a remarkable Q&A with committee members. As of this writing, legislators are still considering…