Saturday Stats

1.4M+: Number of students who attend Ohio’s public schools. They need elected leaders on their side — not looking for ways to shortchange them. That’s exactly what the Ohio House is doing with its budget proposal. We’ve reported on the House proposal before, and recently added a new tool for advocates: Factsheets for every state House and Senate district with analysis of the House budget’s impacts on school funding, and contact info for each district’s legislator. As the budget moves through the Senate, now is a crucial time to make your voice heard on the need for fair school funding in Ohio.

125,000: Annual number of Ohio students with disabilities who receive school-based health services through the Ohio Medicaid School Program (MSP). As Kathryn Poe explains in a recent brief, MSP helps ensure schools can provide students with services required by their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), including speech therapy, physical therapy, and behavioral health support. Public schools are legally required to provide these services to any student whose IEP call for them. With the state legislature bent on underfunding public schools, the MSP is a lifeline we can’t afford to lose.

150: Number of participants in a recent town hall we hosted with friends from the National Education Association, Ohio Education Association, parents, educators and advocates for special education all over the state. It was chock-full of data, analysis, and most importantly, concrete actions you can take to stand up for special education in Ohio. Check out our recap and list of actions and resources.

8 in 10: Number of the most common occupations in Ohio last year that paid their median worker less than the cost of living for an Ohio family of three. More than 930,000 Ohioans are employed in those occupations: nearly 17% of the workforce. The most common occupation in the state — Fast Food and Counter Workers — added nearly 27,000 jobs in 2023, while median pay for those jobs fell behind inflation. These are just some of the findings in this year’s Still working for too little report from Heather Smith, our annual reminder that Ohio’s economy fails far too many working people.

$352,000: Amount that a family of four with an infant and a toddler would need to bring in annually for childcare to be considered affordable, per the HHS recommendation that it take up no more than 7% of a household’s income. Ali Smith highlighted the ongoing childcare crisis in a recent op-ed, ahead of this year’s Day Without Child Care. This year’s rally was especially timely, as the state Senate is considering S.B. 177, which would create a program to provide free childcare for childcare workers, like the one we have been advocating for.

$150M: Total value of federal clean energy / energy efficiency tax credits claimed by Ohio households in 2023. Those credits are now are risk: The U.S. House has proposed changes that would raise household electricity costs by more than $110 per year, even as the administration tries to zero-out funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). To learn more about why federal supports to lower residential energy costs are critical for households with undue energy burdens, see Policy Matters Ohio’s brief on LIHEAP cuts’ implications for Ohio families. Then demand legislators protect federal investments in clean energy that expand access to clean, affordable electricity for Ohio’s working families.

PMO History: In a win for Ohio workers and employers, then-governor Kasich signed SharedWork Ohio into law in 2013 as a direct result of Policy Matters Ohio’s research and advocacy. The law allows payment of unemployment benefits to workers whose employers shorten workweeks instead of laying off staff. Zach Schiller introduced the idea to Ohio in 2010 with the publication of Worksharing: A tool to avoid layoffs in Ohio. Hannah Halbert championed the legislation for two years, delivering testimony in support of HB 484, and then HB 37, the bill introduced based on Zach’s research. As the pandemic intensified in 2020, Policy Matters published an explainer on Ohio’s workshare program to encourage its use to avoid looming layoffs. 

Watchlist

• S.B. 177 would create a program to provide free childcare for childcare workers, like the one we have been advocating for. It is a smart, proven, and targeted policy that will strengthen the childcare sector and the workforce. Legislators should pass it and the governor should sign it into law.
• H.B. 157would allocate money to address student hunger on college campuses. It is a good bill and we support its passage.
• H.B. 25 would create a college scholarship program for Ohioans who age out of the state’s foster care program. It is a good bill and should be passed.

Action Items

• Tell your state legislators to protect public education for all our kids!
• Add your name to the call for a People’s Budget, and let our leaders know what we demand from them.
• Demand legislators protect federal investments in clean energy that expand access to clean, affordable electricity for Ohio’s working families.
• Follow r/OhioBudget to keep up with all the latest state budget news.
• Follow the Ohio Medicaid Matters coalition on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter. You can also share how Medicaid has made a difference in your life.