Monday April 15 is the deadline to file state and federal taxes. As Ohioans prepare to pay or to get their refund, Policy Matters Communications Director Caitlin Johnson releases the following statement: “April 15 should be hailed as a day Ohioans come together to invest in each other. By paying
Here at Policy Matters, we’ve fought back against – and defeated – a lot of foolish policy ideas. Unfortunately, sometimes they go on to become law in Ohio. Even the most jaded wonks like us occasionally encounter a policy or a proposal so outrageous that we don’t know if it’s
In the United States, questions of race and racism are almost always simmering just below the surface in every institution. The tension often boils over most dramatically in our criminal justice system, whether in black and brown communities or in the court room, where black defendants routinely receive harsher sentences
President Trump’s shutdown has thrown millions of lives into chaos and uncertainty. He told the nation the shutdown could last months or even years. Right now, the media is mainly focused on the 800,000 federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay, including more than 7,000 here in Ohio.
If Ohio House Bill 494 passes, corporate franchise owners would be shielded from responsibility when their franchisees violate labor laws, even if it’s at the corporate owner’s behest. Today, Policy Matters Ohio testified against the legislation in a hearing before the Senate Transportation, Commerce and Workforce Development Committee. “HB 494
After sentencing reform, felony filings dropped, crime didn’t rise In 2016, Oklahomans voted to reclassify low-level drug possession and property crime from felonies to misdemeanors and direct the savings toward rehabilitative services. Since the law took effect, felony cases have dropped dramatically, setting the state on a path to lower
If my due date holds, my husband, step kids and I will welcome a baby boy in June. This is my first pregnancy and I’m still coming to grips with the changes to my body, my life, and my mind. But I’m sure of one thing: When the baby comes,
Columbus — Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 13, Policy Matters Ohio will release their report “A new way forward: 10 ways to support Ohio’s working people,” which calls for state policies that create security, stability and prosperity for workers after years of eroding protections. The report arrives as workers face the most
Good schools, responsive public safety, reliable public transit, quality healthcare – these are the building blocks of thriving communities and strong economies. Ohio’s tax policies starve these essential programs while giving the wealthy big breaks—and now, Governor Kasich and legislative leaders are looking to cut hundreds of millions of dollars
Policy Matters testifies before House Finance Committee Ohio’s 61 public transit agencies badly need a boost from the state. Governor Kasich’s 2018-2019 budget increases funding for transit by $10 million. But by 2019, changes to the state sales tax base essentially offset the state’s $40 million investment in public transportation.
Senate should vote down Better Care Reconciliation Act: Caitlin Johnson (Opinion)
This month, the U.S. Senate could vote on the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). The legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) contains tax breaks for corporate interests and the nation’s wealthiest, while addicts, the elderly and health care workers get the shaft. That’s bad news for Ohio –