State policymakers can act now to protect Ohio from coronavirus
Pass paid sick days, hike funding for public health Governor Mike DeWine and state lawmakers can take immediate action to protect Ohioans from the coronavirus, starting with a temporary paid sick time program, shoring up the state’s public health infrastructure and making sure everyone’s basic needs are met, according to a brief by Policy Matters […]
Kudos to Yost for report on incentives
But stronger action on economic development programs needed Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost recommended this week that the state tighten up on its enforcement of economic development incentives when he delivered his mandated annual report on that topic. Yost found that many of those receiving state incentives failed to live up to their agreements. According […]
Punitive student-debt collection undercuts Ohio’s education goals
Black, first-generation and low-income students hit hardest State law requiring Ohio’s public colleges and universities to send student debt to the Ohio Attorney General’s office for collection hits students with onerous fees and exorbitant interest rates on top of amounts they owe, a new Policy Matters Ohio report shows. Because schools withhold transcripts from students […]
Hannah Halbert named new Policy Matters director
Policy Matters Ohio has named Hannah Halbert its new executive director. Halbert joined Policy Matters in 2010 as a policy liaison. She had previously spent nearly four years with the Equal Justice Foundation and the Legal Aid Society of Columbus where she protected homeowners from foreclosures during the housing crisis. Halbert was named project director […]
Paystub requirement would protect workers, improve access to credit
The simplest way workers can ensure their employers have paid them all they’re owed is to check their paystubs. But Ohio is among just nine states with no requirement that employers provide a pay statement to employees. Ohio Reps. Brigid Kelly and Nino Vitale want to change that with House Bill 137. A new report […]
Income-tax amendment would hurt Ohio
Senate Joint Resolution 3 could weaken state’s bond rating Policy Matters Ohio today called on members of the Senate Ways & Means Committee to reject Senate Joint Resolution 3, a proposed amendment to the state constitution. The amendment would require a two-thirds vote of both houses of the General Assembly to approve an increase in […]
Trump’s mean 2021 budget sticks it to Ohio public schools, Lordstown, seniors, people with low incomes and more
The Trump Administration released its proposed budget for 2021. The plan would increase poverty and inequality, take away health coverage and essential antipoverty services and cut funding for other core public programs and investments. Policy Matters Ohio Senior Project Director Wendy Patton released the following statement: “A budget proposal clarifies a president’s vision for the […]
Income-tax proposal: A bad deal for Ohioans
A resolution in the Ohio Senate proposes a constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly to approve an income-tax increase. Policy Matters Ohio Research Director Zach Schiller today made the following statement on the proposal: “Senate Joint Resolution 3 protects an upside-down tax system under which low-income Ohioans pay nearly twice […]
The Trump Administration’s Lose-Lose Medicaid Proposal
Medicaid expansion has improved access to care and saved lives, but the Trump Administration’s proposal to change its financial structure would cut funding and shift risk to the states. Senior Project Director Wendy Patton released the following statement: “The Trump Administration’s proposal to change the Medicaid financing structure to a block grant for the Medicaid […]
$13/hour minimum wage would help 1.4 million Ohioans
New analysis released today by Policy Matters Ohio shows that if Ohioans vote to increase the state’s minimum wage to $13 an hour by 2025, 1.4 million Ohioans will be better able to put food on the table, pay for rent and afford the basic costs of living. Ohio’s minimum wage is $8.70. It adjusts […]
Lawmakers can act fast to soften EdChoice’s blow
State legislators are scrambling to patch Ohio’s badly flawed EdChoice school voucher program by February 1, when the next voucher-application period opens to families. Given the looming deadline, it’s clear that Ohio public school districts need a quick, short-term fix. As policymakers craft amendments to attach to unrelated bills that can be heard and passed […]
SB 3 would remove hundreds of barriers for people convicted of minor drug possession
New analysis by Policy Matters Ohio shows Senate Bill 3 would help people with minor drug possession convictions by removing 268 legal barriers – known as collateral sanctions – to jobs and professional licensing. Last year, Senators John Eklund (R-Munson Township) and Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) introduced SB 3, which would reclassify minor drug possession from […]