Good afternoon Chair Eklund, Vice Chair Manning, Ranking Member Thomas and members of the Senate Judiciary committee. My name is Piet van Lier, and I am the justice researcher for Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute with the mission of creating a more prosperous, equitable, sustainable and inclusive
Policy Matters Ohio, College Now Greater Cleveland, Ohio Student Association and Innovation Ohio jointly submitted the following letter to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost: Dear Attorney General Yost, We are writing to request that the Attorney General’s office immediately cease its collection efforts on any and all student debt that
No matter where we live or what we look like, we all want to protect ourselves and our loved ones so we can stay safe and healthy. The coronavirus pandemic has begun to expose ever more clearly the inequities in our society and could amount to a death sentence for
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that every Ohioan – whether they live at home or are being held behind bars – must be protected and cared for. Not only is it the right thing to do, it’s the best way to keep everyone safe. Policy Matters Ohio released a statement
The ongoing debate between the Ohio House and Senate about the future of vouchers in our state has brought into sharp focus a critical aspect of the statewide general education voucher program known as EdChoice. Should it continue to be based primarily on the academic performance of the public schools
Executive summary Education and training beyond high school matter today more than ever, preparing students to contribute to their communities, allowing them to lead healthier and more productive lives, and strengthening the economy. In today’s economy, higher education is increasingly important for those seeking jobs that pay a living wage.
Good morning Chair Kunze, Vice Chair Gavarone, and Ranking Member Williams and members of the Senate Higher Education Committee. My name is Piet van Lier and I am the education researcher for Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute with the mission to create a more prosperous, equitable, sustainable
Public schools prepare Ohio children to be thoughtful, curious adults ready to meet future challenges. They build strong communities. But lawmakers have weakened Ohio’s public schools with the EdChoice program, which directs public dollars to private schools. EdChoice is the state’s main general education voucher; it’s available across the state,
Jade and Tiffany are two Ohio women serving time in prison for drug possession and struggling with addiction. Their stories show why Ohio’s punitive approach to drug possession and addiction is not working. Ohio spends more than $1.8 billion a year to keep as many as 50,000 people in prison.
People who complete college or community college earn higher incomes, often much higher, than those with only a high school degree on average. They also have much lower rates of unemployment and are less likely to be in poverty. That’s why Ohio’s Department of Higher Education set a goal that
One of the main ways that states provide opportunities to people and build a strong economy is by making education affordable to everyone. Ohio provides need-based aid to students pursuing postsecondary education through a program called the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG). This is essential to helping students from low-income
Introduction Ohio spends more than $1.8 billion a year to keep nearly 50,000 people in prison. We lock up a larger share of our neighbors than all but 13 other states and only two states have a higher share of people on probation.[1] Many people in our corrections system struggle
