State legislators can make Ohio good for businesses and working people

CNBC today identified Ohio as “America’s Top State for Business in 2026.” Policy Matters Executive Director Hannah Halbert issued the following statement:

“Ohio’s #1 ranking may be good news for businesses, but it doesn’t reflect the reality that many of the most common jobs in the state pay too little for even a single person to get by — and far too little to raise a family.

“Ohioans still struggle with unaffordable childcare, gaps in health coverage, and wages that have not kept pace with inflation. In fact, some of the policies that make Ohio ‘an environment where businesses can thrive’ are the same ones that make it so hard for families to get by. Decades of business-friendly tax policy — from the repeal of the Corporate Franchise Tax to the billion-dollar LLC loophole and the budget-busting data center sales tax exemption — leave our state without the resources working Ohioans need. Even after 20 years, the benefits haven’t trickled down.

“If you look at the reasons behind the ranking, you’ll notice that they are built into the state itself: the people, the land, the infrastructure. It’s up to legislators to ensure that the businesses taking advantage of Ohio’s many assets are also taking care of Ohio’s workforce.

“Building a middle-out economy and driving business growth are not mutually exclusive: Broadly shared prosperity requires both. Legislators need not sacrifice Ohioans to make the state ‘good for business.’ The sooner they learn that, the sooner working people will start to share in some of the wealth they help create.”