Saturday Stats

$4B: Amount of state revenue that could be generated annually with any one of the Fair Share tax proposals included in our recent report. With help from our friends at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, we analyzed three different models of a progressive state income tax — none of which would impact the 80%+ of Ohioans with income under $250K, and all of which would primarily increase taxes for the highest-income 1% of households. (And if you’re worried about the super-wealthy, don’t be: None of our three proposals would increase their taxes by more than 3% of their income.) The numbers prove what we’ve long said: Ohio has the resources necessary to create an economy that works for everyone; it’s just a matter of everyone paying their fair share.

450K: Approximate number of homes that could be powered by the amount of electricity Intel’s Ohio One campus is expected to demand from Ohio Power Company’s grid. In the coming Lame Duck session, legislators have an opportunity to prevent utility companies from making Ohioans pay for the substations, power lines, and other infrastructure required to meet the demand for energy in the Silicon Heartland. Considering the degree to which Ohioans are already subsidizing the project and the unfulfilled promises Intel made to secure publicly funded support, lawmakers have good reason to get off the sidelines.

$74,804: Ohio’s median household income last year, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

$5K: Amount Ohio’s median household income has fallen since 1999, adjusting for inflation.

$10K: Amount by which our median household income trails the national median. How is that possible here in the recently crowned “Top State for Business”? It’s almost as if some of the very policies that make Ohio so friendly to corporations aren’t so kind to everyday Ohioans. As PMO’s Ali Smith put it in an interview this summer, “We’re glad that Ohio has strong assets to attract businesses. [But] being the best state for business is not the same thing as being the best state for workers and families.”

2M+: Number of Ohioans who qualified for Medicaid last year (another insight from the new Census data). With federal cuts looming and a number of options on the table that would help the state avoid losing even more Medicaid funding, legislators should take every opportunity to ensure Ohioans can access healthcare for as long as possible.

Action items

Join Policy Matters Ohio’s virtual data center town hall on Thursday, 11/5, at noon. We’ll hear from several groups to learn about potential data center policy opportunities & threats during the lame duck session, and how to hold the data center industry – and our elected officials – accountable after the election.

VOTE!!