Ohioans need protection from predatory land contracts
Policy Matters and ACTION testify in support of House Bill 103 Today Policy Matters Ohio and ACTION, a faith-based membership organization composed of 26 churches and civic groups in Youngstown and Mahoning County, appeared before the Ohio House Civil Justice Committee to express their support of House Bill 103, which would improve protections for consumers […]
House tax plan needs an overhaul
Cutting a big loophole makes sense, but benefit to lowest-income Ohioans is limited Policy Matters Ohio today released an analysis of the biggest provisions of the tax plan in the Ohio House budget bill, which calls for limiting an income-tax deduction for business owners, eliminating two tax brackets and reducing rates by 6.6%. It found […]
Policy Matters Ohio urges sentencing reform through a stronger Senate Bill 3
Policy Matters Ohio today released an analysis of Senate Bill 3, a new effort by the Ohio legislature to reform sentencing in our state’s justice system. The bill seeks to provide addiction treatment instead of incarceration to Ohioans charged with the possession of certain drugs. As introduced, SB 3 would reclassify some low-level drug offenses […]
Skimpy higher education support holds Ohio back
This weekend, thousands of promising Ohioans will walk across the stage to receive their college degrees. Many of them will face years of student loans payments. Others won’t be on the stage: the cost of tuition, room and board kept them from going to college in the first place. Ohio aims for 65 percent of […]
CoverMyMeds abatement not worth the cost
In total, Columbus schools will lose an estimated $35.5 million over 15 years due to a generous tax abatement package the city is awarding to software company, CoverMyMeds, according to Policy Matters Ohio. Tax abatements, a central part of state and local economic development strategy, eliminate all or part of an entity’s tax liability for […]
House budget’s smart tax break cuts shouldn’t go into misguided across-the-board rate cuts
The Ohio House today took a major positive step in limiting the costly, unproductive business income tax break. But it then missed a golden opportunity to make key investments the state needs by spending the additional revenue – and more – on an ill-advised, across-the-board income-tax cut that will do little for most of the […]
Statement on House budget bill
Cutting LLC Loophole is excellent, proceeds should be used differently Wendy Patton, Senior Project Director with Policy Matters Ohio issued this statement on the House substitute budget bill introduced Thursday: “We welcome the proposed limitations on the costly and ineffective business income deduction, often known as the LLC Loophole. This is a major, positive step […]
Six of Ohio’s 10 top jobs won’t support family of three
Policy Matters urges support for 10-point plan for working people New data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in 2018, six of Ohio’s 10 most common jobs paid wages so low that a family of three would need to use food assistance to make ends meet. Today, on the anniversary of organized […]
State budget should increase support for communities and children
Programs that help build strong communities haven’t been getting the investment they need to benefit all Ohioans. Between 2006 and 2018, local governments lost $1.4 billion a year, adjusted for inflation. Ohio provides so little funding for child care that many working parents can’t afford quality care for their children. In two budget bites released […]
Budget Bites: Support programs that support work
Education and training for SNAP recipients and Medicaid help Ohioans earning low wages stay in the workforce Policy Matters Ohio released two Budget Bites today that call on Ohio lawmakers to support working people by protecting funding for the state’s largest health insurance program and improving education and training programs for people who use food […]
State appropriation limit mires budget in recessionary conditions
An arbitrary spending cap the General Assembly imposed on itself over a dozen years ago shouldn’t stand in the way of needed state investment in public services today, Policy Matters Ohio said in a new report. In 2006, massive opposition from all over Ohio led proponents to withdraw a constitutional amendment that would have restricted […]
Coalition calls for refundable state EITC
Today on Tax Day, a coalition of organizations that advocate on behalf of Ohio’s working poor called on policymakers to improve Ohio’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) by making it refundable. The EITC boosts the income of working people who earn low wages. The federal credit is one of the nation’s most effective antipoverty programs. […]