2018-2019 budget shortchanges Ohio students
From kindergarten to college, the 2018-2019 Ohio budget underfunds public education, forcing secondary schools to do more with less and universities and community colleges to charge some of the highest tuition in the nation. Policy Matters Ohio examines the state of Ohio’s K-through-college funding in three “Budget Bites” released today, and it’s disappointing. Funding for […]
GOP-Trump tax framework: Windfall for Ohio’s top 1%, little for the rest
A 50-state analysis of the GOP tax framework reveals the richest 1 percent of Ohio taxpayers would get a tax cut with an average value of $56,280 a year in 2018. Most other Ohioans would see modest benefit. Some would pay more. The analysis, done by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, is based […]
New federal payday lending rule protects consumers
After years of deliberation, research, stakeholder engagement and fielding more than 1 million comments, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced the final rule to regulate payday and car title lending today. The CFPB’s rule is a key first step to safeguard consumers from the worst business practices that leave borrowers spiraling in the “debt […]
Close that loophole, says Policy Matters Ohio
Legislators should end special treatment for some business owners The Ohio General Assembly should close a loophole in the tax law that allows many business owners to avoid state income tax on compensation they receive from their companies, Policy Matters Ohio said today. “The General Assembly should repeal the business income deduction,” said Research Director […]
Policy Matters testifies in defense of Ohio Debt Adjusters Act
In 2004, the Ohio legislature passed the Ohio Debt Adjusters Act to protect Ohioans from unscrupulous debt settlement companies that claim to help people get out of debt, but often end up harming them even more. Senate Bill 120 aims to roll back many of the ODA’s protections. Today Policy Matters Ohio submitted testimony to […]
Federal budget cuts could leave Ohio college students behind
For many Ohioans, college paves the way to the middle class. If President Trump and Congressional Republicans get their way, college could become more unaffordable and further out of reach for many Ohio students, according to a report from Policy Matters Ohio. Members of the House Budget Committee voted to slash $236 billion in mandatory […]
Tax break review committee should get to work
New Policy Matters report shows way forward After a long delay, Ohio’s legislative leaders finally appointed members of the state’s new Tax Expenditure Review Committee, but they still have not met to begin reviewing the state’s more than $9 billion in annual tax breaks. A new report from Policy Matters Ohio lays out a blueprint […]
Policy Matters opposes Graham-Cassidy bill in comments to Senate Finance Committee
Policy Matters Ohio submitted comments to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee’s hearing on the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson (CGHJ) health care bill today. The bill threatens health insurance for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans. The changes the bill makes to funding and consumer protections would limit the state’s ability to maintain its current level of insurance coverage, respond […]
Barrier to success: Wage gap holds Ohio women back
The gender wage gap is narrowing, but Ohio’s female workers still face significant barriers at work. In 1979 Ohio women made 61 percent of what men made compared to 82 percent today. With a median hourly wage of $15.52, women’s inflation-adjusted wages grew by 19 percent since then. The gains have nearly as much to […]
Census data: federal policies helping Ohioans get ahead
New data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau show that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and federal programs like food assistance and refundable tax credits for working families help keep Ohioans healthy and reduce barriers to getting ahead. The data show that the ACA helped reduce the number of Ohioans without health insurance by […]
SNAP cuts would hurt workers, children, state budget and economy
Low-paying industries are growing fast in Ohio, with eight of the state’s top 13 occupations paying median wages low enough for workers supporting a family of three to qualify for federal food aid. Ten percent of all Ohio workers — more than 500,000 people — participate in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). They work […]
Bi-partisan proposal aims to stabilize and improve ACA
A promising new bi-partisan health proposal from eight governors breaks with past Congressional Republicans’ harmful approaches. Instead, they hope to preserve and expand on coverage gains achieved under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by strengthening the ACA marketplaces and making health insurance more affordable for working families. The plan, spearheaded by Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) […]