Policy Matters statement: “proud to pay on tax day”
Monday April 15 is the deadline to file state and federal taxes. As Ohioans prepare to pay or to get their refund, Policy Matters Communications Director Caitlin Johnson releases the following statement: “April 15 should be hailed as a day Ohioans come together to invest in each other. By paying our taxes we’re helping prepare […]
With state bureau hobbled by cuts, cities should protect workers from wage theft
The bureau tasked with protecting working Ohioans’ wages oversees the state’s 5.5 million jobs with only six people to do it. This woefully inadequate oversight has given rise to a serious wage theft problem that goes unaddressed in Governor Mike DeWine’s budget proposal. With the state largely absent, it will be up to Ohio’s cities […]
DeWine’s budget long on vision, short on revenue
In 2017, Policy Matters launched its Budget Bite series to provide journalists, advocates, legislators and everyday Ohioans with easy to digest state budget analysis. Today, the group is releasing the first bite in this state budget cycle, focusing on Governor Mike DeWine’s 2020-2021 executive budget proposal. Governor DeWine makes some exciting proposals in his budget […]
Improved Transportation Budget still falls short
Today, after the Conference Committee reached an agreement regarding the Transportation Budget, Policy Matters Ohio Senior Researcher Amanda Woodrum issued the following statement: “We needed to raise revenue to make sure Ohioans are safe while they travel on our roads and bridges. It’s encouraging that lawmakers finally recognized this as well as the need to […]
Transit funding belongs in Transportation Budget
Conference committee compromise puts funds at risk in GRF In the 2010-11 state budget, legislators and the governor began moving transit funding to the Transportation budget from the General Revenue Fund, where annual allocations had been steadily shrinking, putting Ohio near the bottom among states in transit funding per capita. Since then, policymakers of both […]
Policy Matters calls on Ohio to trim, tighten or trash costly tax breaks
In just a few weeks most Ohioans will have filed their taxes. Few of them, however, will be able to avoid paying sales tax for a timeshare on a private jet. That’s just one of the unnecessary and unproductive state tax breaks Policy Matters Ohio says should be reined in or repealed. The state of […]
Senate Transportation Budget zeroes out public transit, slightly improves EITC
Last week, the Ohio Senate took a leap backwards by removing $100 million for public transit from the Transportation Budget allocated by the Ohio House of Representatives. They also took small steps to otherwise improve equity by expanding Ohio’s Earned Income Tax Credit. Governor Mike DeWine proposed increasing the gas tax to 18 cents per […]
Census citizenship question could cost Ohio
The potential inclusion of a citizenship status question in the 2020 census could intimidate hard to reach communities, lead to an undercount and potentially cost Ohio federal important funding, according to Policy Matters Outreach Director Daniel Ortiz. The Trump administration proposed including the controversial citizenship question last year. It would be the first time the […]
Ohio should invest in public infrastructure to build a strong economy
Right now, in Columbus, legislators are debating the merits of increasing Ohio’s gas tax to invest more in Ohio’s roads, bridges and public transit systems. In the long term, better roads and public transit strengthen Ohio’s economy and help workers be more productive by making it easier for them to get to their jobs. These […]
New Medicaid restrictions threaten health care for 315,000 Ohioans
Federal approval of work requirement waiver will reverse progress Federal approval today of the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s request to waive standard Medicaid rules and allow the state to impose rigid work requirements threatens health insurance coverage for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans covered under the Medicaid expansion. “This policy will erode the Medicaid expansion, […]
Welcome investment, more is needed
Policy Matters Ohio reacts to Gov. DeWine’s budget proposal Policy Matters Ohio welcomes Governor DeWine’s statement in presenting his executive budget proposal today that, “We’re saying in this budget, it’s time to invest.” The governor’s proposals to increase state support for a variety of programs, from children’s services to mental health, is a refreshing development. […]
Smart policy could have saved Lordstown
This past Wednesday, the last Chevy Cruze rolled off the assembly line at the General Motors (GM) Lordstown plant. Two days later, the plant went on “unallocated” status, leaving 1,600 Lordstown people out of a job. They are the latest of 4,500 workers displaced since GM cut third shift in January 2017, but they will […]