Saturday Stats

34.2%: Share of the American workforce who were members of a union back in 1945. That’s more than 1 in 3, and it has never been that high again. In 2024, it was fewer than 1 in 10. Last year it ticked up to an even 10%. And although union representation in Ohio remains higher than the national average, the gap got smaller last year. That is partly because statewide union representation fell slightly. We hate to see our state moving in the wrong direction — especially on labor unions, which are as Ohioan as Buckeye Pie. That’s why our May Day look at union data also highlights organizing wins in the public sector and healthcare.

$60B: Expected cost of the proposed Southern Ohio Data Center in Pike County, as noted in the most recent issue of our CHIPS Ahoy! newsletter. It’s an astronomical amount, and it shows the kind of (literal and figurative) landscape-changing impact data centers and the AI boom are having on our state. The scale of that impact is one thing data centers and microchip manufacturing have in common. We’ll be discussing the intersections at our upcoming Reimagining the Silicon Heartland Summit at the Statehouse on May 22. There are a few seats remaining — reserve yours today!

200+: Number of data centers currently operating in Ohio. There are at least as many communities asking hard questions about how these facilities will affect their lives — and simple answers are hard to come by. When we have them, we add them to this list on our Data Centers in Ohio resource page. Typically, though, the issue requires a lot more nuance. That’s why Policy Matters staff are hitting the road, fielding questions and hosting conversations around the state. Check out Molly Bryden at Happy Dog in Cleveland and Bailey Sandin at Ask the Experts with Progress Grove City.

$3M+: Number of Ohioans enrolled in Medicaid. That includes adults with low-paying jobs, children, older adults, people with disabilities, students with special needs, and children in foster / kinship care. If you are enrolled in Medicaid — or if you care about people who are — you’ll want to know about how major federal changes to Medicaid financing (changes made in H.R. 1, the “Big Beautiful Bill”) could significantly reduce Ohio’s ability to cover its share of Medicaid costs. April’s Revenue Roundtable dug into the details on provider taxes and Medicaid in Ohio. You can watch a recording, access the slides, and sign up to attend the ongoing series — including our May Roundtable on fair share taxes, featuring friends from Maine Center for Economic Policy and the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, who will speak about their states’ millionaire taxes. Don’t miss it!

64: Number of slides in our recent presentation on the many, many ways legislators have found to shortchange Ohio’s public schools by forgoing revenue (i.e., creating tax loopholes and exemptions that primarily benefit the wealthiest). Once we start talking about how tax policy hurts public school kids, families, teachers, and communities, it’s hard to know when to stop. If you love a wonky slide deck, have we got one for you! And if you prefer to hear from the wonks directly, we have a recording of the presentation. (We recommend the latter; Policy Matters staff know how to make tax talk fun!)

Action items

• Join North Shore AFL-CIO in urging Congress to pass the Protecting America’s Workers Act
• Register for the Revenue Roundtable