Ohio’s child care oversight is transparent and effective
Divisive claims of fraud are misleading and could jeopardize kids’ safety Ohio’s child care system faces real challenges—but widespread fraud is not one of them. Policymakers and advocates must address workforce shortages due to low pay, skyrocketing costs, and other issues to ensure families have affordable access to quality care. Recent misleading claims circulating online […]
Ohio minimum wage adjusts for inflation to $11.00
Approximately 103,800 Ohioans to see direct wage increase On January 1, 2026, Ohio’s minimum wage will increase by 30-cents to $11.00 per hour. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that approximately 103,800 Ohioans paid less than $11.00 will experience a direct wage increase, and 169,300 more Ohioans will likely see an increase in their wages as […]
Some Ohio employers pay CEOs hundreds of times more than the typical worker
Public policy can mitigate disparities in pay and power CEOs at 25 major corporate employers in Ohio were paid 254 times as much as their typical worker in 2024, with a median pay of $15,631,028 for the CEOs, compared to $60,917 in annual pay for their typical worker. The top 10 employers reported an even […]
Legislators let child care crisis fester
Inflation-adjusted state funding is less than in the previous budget Despite Ohio’s ongoing child care crisis and policy options that could address its root causes, the state legislature cut inflation-adjusted state funding for child care by $5.6 million over the biennium. That is among the findings of a new analysis from Policy Matters Ohio. “Many […]
Marketplace health insurance costs are skyrocketing
Virtual Town Hall with Policy Matters and Protect Our Care When: Thursday, December 11, 7:00 PMWhere: On Zoom Press: Register hereEveryone else: Register here Who: Vaishu Jawahar, Director of Policy Programs, Protect Our Care; and Hannah Halbert, Executive Director, Policy Matters Ohio Ohioans are experiencing sticker shock as they consider health insurance options for 2026, […]
Ohioans convince DeWine to maintain child labor protections
Bill would have put very young teens at risk, held down wages for adults, created headaches for businesses Today, Gov. DeWine vetoed Senate Bill 50, which would have extended working hours for 14- and 15-year-olds to 9pm on school nights, in violation of federal law. Policy Matters Ohio’s executive director, Hannah Halbert, issued the following […]
Senate goes 0 for 4 on property tax reform
Poorly targeted bills will do more damage to public schools The four property-tax bills approved or set for approval by the Ohio Senate today will damage public schools and public services across the state, without targeting aid to the many homeowners and renters who really need it. “Instead of constraining school districts and local governments […]
Likely headed to the Senate, HB 303 could lower electric bills and reduce outages
The Ohio House of Representatives is set to pass House Bill 303, which would establish a pilot program for community energy in Ohio. Policy Matters Ohio testified in favor of the bill. Policy Matters Climate & Sustainability Researcher Molly Bryden issued the following statement: “Community energy would bring broad economic benefits to the state, creating jobs […]
Federal budget fallout is just beginning
Report sets baseline for tracking long-term impacts of H.R. 1 Originally branded the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the Trump administration’s signature budget legislation (H.R. 1) is a complex attack on public services, including historically large cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). A new report from Policy Matters Ohio shows that legislators […]
SB 50 is bad for Ohio teens, workers, and businesses. Gov. DeWine can stop it
Bill would deregulate child labor A coalition of education advocates, labor organizations, and child welfare experts is calling on Governor Mike DeWine to veto Senate Bill 50, legislation that would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. during the school year. The bill, which has passed both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly, threatens […]
DeWine action on SNAP will help Ohioans, but it’s not enough
Food and health care should not be competing priorities Yesterday, Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order that will provide $25 million in emergency food assistance to cover a funding gap caused by the Trump administration’s decision to leave SNAP unfunded during the federal government shutdown. Policy Matters Ohio Executive Director Hannah Halbert issued the […]
Trans+ veterans under attack
Federal and state policies already harming Ohioans, with more to come Federal policies restricting the rights of trans+ people and veterans overlap with spending cuts driven by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), compounding the harm done to trans+ veterans. State legislators’ decision to use the Ohio budget to redefine sex throughout the Ohio […]