By Samuel Johnson All parents, no matter how much money they make, deserve to go to work knowing their kids are safe and in the care of people they trust. In Ohio, many parents who work in low- and middle-wage jobs simply can’t afford child care, or live prohibitively far
By Siyang Liu “College towns” are quintessentially American. As someone who lives in a college town myself, the phrase conjures up images of a quaint locale filled to the brim with vibrant bookstores, locally-sourced delights, and quirky coffee shops. School colors burst from every shop window. College towns magnify the
By April Hopcroft As a senior in college, it’s hard not to feel anxious about the future. When I graduate this spring, I’ll be entering a dismal job market in the midst of the largest recession since the Great Depression, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic (and the poor response of
Maheen Nadeem | Policy Matters Intern Every Ohioan deserves to get medical treatment – whether it’s for COVID-19 or for substance use disorder – and whether they live in the city, the suburbs or rural communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the way good public health policy can save lives.
By Colleen Gravens As Ohio considers efforts to move away from its punitive approach to criminal justice, we can learn from Oklahoma. Last month, Oklahoma took a bold step toward reforming its justice system by commuting the sentences of 462 incarcerated people. Oklahoma’s efforts started in 2016, when voters overwhelmingly
By Joseph Glandorf Ohio’s state policymakers need to start taking public transit more seriously. This April, a study commissioned by Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA), which manages Ohio’s only urban rail network, determined that the system was in need of an upgrade that could cost a staggering $715 million.
By Jack McGowan For the estimated one in three Americans with a criminal record, it can be tough to find jobs that offer fair wages and a career pathway. For many, one mark on their criminal record can limit their options to low-wage jobs with little or no job security
By Katie Burns One in eight Americans are food insecure, meaning they do not have reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food. Nearly one in seven Ohioans is food insecure. This could be a result of a variety of reasons- from lack of transportation to get to a grocer, to
By Emma Schubert Medicaid is important to millions of Americans. It gives over 3 million people across Ohio access to life-saving health care. But, it can do even more. The Ohio Department of Medicaid’s asked for ideas and information to improve the state’s Medicaid Managed Care Program. We provided some,
Introduction Having a safe place to live is a fundamental need for all people. Insecure housing can lead to job loss, poor school performance, health problems,[1] shorter life expectancy and other problems.[2] Not only do houses provide shelter, they are often a long-term investment and source of financial security. When
Innocent people who can’t make bail end up serving time, accepting plea deals By Sydney Diewald In the United States, everyone is supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. But before they even stand trial, many people accused of a crime are forced to serve time in jail or
By Ayame Whitfield In third grade, my class did a unit on ecology and learned about, among other things, the effects of pollution on the environment. My eight-year-old self was captivated—here was a problem that affected the whole world, one of the first that I’d been made aware of, and
