Saturday Stats

We are deeply saddened by the passing of educator, activist, and Policy Matters co-founder Michael Charney. We remain profoundly grateful and humbled to be one part of the immeasurable impact he and C.J. Prentiss had on the world.  

A retired Cleveland teacher, Michael devoted nearly 75 years to the transformative work of educating, organizing, and making peaceful change. With C.J., his beloved partner in life and purpose, Michael shaped the course of innumerable lives, including that of his friend, Scott Stephens, who offered this remembrance. 

We hope that in Michael’s memory, those who were moved by his leadership and compassion will carry forward his mission: to eliminate racism, uplift working people, empower students, support educators, and build a more just and equitable Ohio. 

We are also mourning the passing of our friend and working people’s policy champion, Rick McHugh. As remembered by his former colleagues at the National Employment Law Project, Rick was a self-described “social insurance geek.” Rick worked so closely with Policy Matters between 2015 and 2017, when Ohioans’ access to unemployment compensation was under attack, that he functioned as — and was sometime mistaken for — a member of our staff. Policy Matters and Ohio were better for it.  

Rick’s family has suggested memorial contributions to Avalon Housing or the Humane Society of Sullivan County be made in Rick’s memory. 

Michael and C.J. shaped so much of Policy Matters’ history, and Rick supported so much of our work, that we can’t do them justice here. In the coming weeks, Policy Matters staff and friends will share our own reflections on their lives and legacies.  

In the meantime, the work continues, as illustrated below… 

230: Number of U.S. Representatives who voted to pass H.R. 1834 this week. The bill would lower health insurance costs by restoring ACA Health Insurance Marketplace enhanced premium tax credits, which have made Marketplace plans more affordable for half a million Ohioans. Congress failed to renew the credits before they expired at the end of 2025, but now a bipartisan group of legislators (including Republicans and Democrats from Ohio) have sent a clean, three-year extension to the Senate for a vote. We’re getting together with some friends in Columbus to let Senators Moreno and Husted know that Ohioans want them to vote yes. You can tell them yourself through our letter-writing campaign. 

19,983: Total number of inspections conducted at Ohio’s licensed child care and education programs in FY 2025, covering every licensed provider. These inspections are thorough and documented, and reports are publicly available. Ohio’s child care system faces real challenges — but widespread fraud is not one of them. Recent misleading claims circulating online and calls for investigations by some members of the Ohio House of Representatives distract from the real work of improving child care. Our recent press release has even more details on how child care oversight works in our state. 

$11.00: The new minimum hourly wage in the state as of January 1, 2026. That is all thanks to Ohio voters in 2006, who passed a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage and annually adjust it based on inflation. Approximately 103,800 Ohioans paid less than $11.00 will have their spending power held steady by the change, as will 169,300 more who are paid close to that amount, if their employers adjust their pay scales accordingly. However, the adjustment is still far below what’s required to afford the basic cost-of-living for an Ohio family of three. It is past time for Ohio to join the 15 states with minimum wage laws requiring at least $15 an hour. 

44: Number of people who testified before the City Council of Wilmington, Ohio, urging elected officials not to accept the proposed site plan for an Amazon data center in their community. The council’s Planning Commission voted unanimously to withhold approval. With partners at Good Jobs First, Policy Matters supported the community’s effort with an open letter. The win may only be temporary, though. Community-members will need to keep the pressure on. (The commission meets at 4:30 on the first Tuesday of every month…) 

5,152: the number of signatures on the petition to block data center expansion in Lawrence County, after a closed-door deal enabled a project to begin construction overnight, just outside of Ironton City’s jurisdiction. Ironton City council called a meeting in response to residents’ concerns, beginning the process to enact a moratorium on further data center development within the City, showing how local officials can be responsive and accountable to the communities they represent.  

18,500: Number of jobs shed by Ohio employers between September and November. Wondering what happened in October? We can’t be sure, since the government shutdown interfered with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting data that month. This week’s irregularly scheduled JobWatch was delayed thanks to the same dysfunction. 

Action items: 

Send a letter telling Senators Husted and Moreno to keep health care costs down for Ohio families by extending ACA Marketplace enhanced premium tax credits 
 
Register to attend Justice Unlocked: Record Clearing, Warrant Relief and Support Services on January 30, 2026 at the Cuyahoga Community College Metropolitan Campus.