Ohio’s transit system provided 115 million rides in 2013, making it one of the more frequently used systems in the nation. But when it comes to state spending on public transit, Ohio is at the bottom of the barrel— 44 states spend more on a per-person basis. Not only does
By Wendy Patton and Victoria Jackson People throughout Ohio need dependable public transit to get to work, the grocery store and the doctor. But the state of Ohio does less than other states to integrate support for public transit into the overall transportation plan. The new state budget may be
Across the state, Ohio’s health care sector has been steadily adding jobs since 2008, even in places where overall employment has been dropping. The American Health Care Act (AHCA), passed by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month, threatens this increasingly important part of Ohio’s economy. In a tele-press
Good morning Chairman Jordan, Vice-Chair O’Brien and members of the Committee. I am Jack Shaner, consultant to Policy Matters Ohio, a member of the Ohioans for Transportation Equity coalition. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. In our testimony, we encourage the General Assembly to restructure the Managed Care Organization
Good Morning Chairman Anielski, Vice-Chair Hambly and members of the committee. My name is Wendy Patton. I am with Policy Matters Ohio, a not-for profit, non-partisan research organization with a mission of contributing to a prosperous, equitable, inclusive and sustainable Ohio. Thank you for the opportunity to offer opponent testimony
By helping low-income people purchase insurance and those living in or near poverty to access health care through Medicaid, The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been a remarkable demonstration of what public policy can do for public health and the well-being of Americans. The protections it offers to women prevent
Good morning Chairman Hackett, Vice Chair Tavares and members of the subcommittee. I am Wendy Patton, of Policy Matters Ohio, a not-for-profit, non-partisan research group with a mission of contributing to a more prosperous, equitable, inclusive and sustainable Ohio. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on House Bill
State and federal governments work together to protect the public and ensure the well-being of residents. A number of proposals to be considered by Congress in the coming months threaten to destabilize this partnership by cutting funding Ohio uses to provide health care, help children thrive, fix roads and bridges,
President Donald Trump promised to put “America First,” but his federal budget plan leaves many behind. The pain will be felt deeply in the Buckeye State, according to a new report from Policy Matters Ohio. Federal government funding accounts for more than one-third of Ohio’s total operating budget – that’s
Despite some course corrections in the House budget, state policy makers are a long way from properly funding Ohio’s public transit system and shoring it up for an impending revenue loss in 2019. Ohioans for Transportation Equity – a coalition of groups representing people with disabilities, agencies on aging, environmental
Provisions in the House budget bill (HB 49), passed today, create barriers to participation in Ohio’s Medicaid expansion, a program that has been remarkably effective in delivering quality care to 723,000 Ohioans. Instead of simply covering working-age Ohioans making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, HB 49
As a result of the recent boom in horizontal hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” Ohio now ranks ninth among oil and gas producing states. Ohio still hasn’t caught up with its peers when it comes to taxing the drilling industry — costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars in the
