Ohio’s childcare assistance program should increase eligibility and make it easier for low-wage families to climb out of poverty
Kasich proposal would work against the goals of Medicaid expansion to provide access to health care and stabilize health system finances
Many workers in the low-wage economy can’t make ends meet without public assistance.
Ten years of tax cuts have hurt Ohio in many ways. Lawmakers should restore tax fairness and funding for essential services. Contact: Wendy Patton, 614.221.4505Download reportDownload summaryPress release State should invest in schools, colleges, transportation and families Ten years of tax cuts have not helped Ohio’s economy and have damaged
Lagging property values and $418 million in state cuts makes things harder for local communities
Medicaid expansion in Ohio delivers better care, broadens access. Ohioans see improved health outcomes, lower costs; providers get reliable pay for delivery; Ohio economy sees $2.5 billion boost Policy Matters Ohio reports on progress in Ohio’s Medicaid Expansion, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analyzes problems in Indiana’s
Policy Matters Ohio, others, call on the Kasich administration to reverse course on a decision that has cost thousands of Ohioans federally funded food aid as they struggle with unemployment and underemployment in the slow recovery.
Changes to public assistance programs in the MBR emphasize cost cutting, stricter eligibility, but not alleviation of poverty.
Fracking costs local communities big, and HB 375 severance taxes are too small; to allay public expenses, implement a five percent plus severance tax on the value of all oil and gas drilled, close the loopholes, add a 2.5% fee for community redevelopment and a backstop against possible environmental damage.
Parents who work need to know that their children are in safe, high-quality care settings while they are on the job. So do their employers. But such care is expensive: Last year, the average cost of child care in Lucas County was $740 a month for a preschooler, according to
The House version of HB 483 (Mid-Biennium Review), turns attention to neglected needs in Ohio including services for children and the elderly. Wendy Patton’s testimony addresses services for these vulnerable Ohioans as well as foreclosures, local government funding, and the state’s venture-capital fund.
Opinion: State budget cuts hurt communities
Across Ohio, local governments have fewer resources to provide public services than before the last recession. State budget cuts and the erosion of inflation prevent many Ohio communities from resurfacing roads, reopening recreation centers and rehiring firefighters and police at pre-recession levels. The state cut Local Government Funds to towns,