Legacy on the line
Line-item veto lets DeWine decide what kind of Ohio he leaves behind House Bill 96, the state budget bill, has been sent to Governor DeWine for his review, line-item vetoes, and signature. Policy Matters Ohio Executive Director Hannah Halbert issued the following statement: “Yesterday, parents, teachers, childcare providers, and advocates for equitable taxation rallied outside […]
Ohio Senate would tighten tax breaks, give proceeds to the wealthy
Ohio’s 177 state tax breaks have never gotten the scrutiny that they deserve. Adding up to nearly $12 billion this fiscal year, they would amount to more than a quarter of the revenue the state does collect. As the conference committee of House and Senate legislators meet to hammer out a final state budget, it […]
A budget for Ohio’s millionaires
For most Ohioans, flat tax scheme is a flop The Ohio Senate has passed its state budget bill. Policy Matters Ohio Tax Policy Researcher Bailey Williams issued the following statement: “Every budget is a statement about who our lawmakers serve. The senate-passed version of the budget bill makes it clear that the wealthy and well-connected […]
Upside-down and backward
Senate gives a billion-dollar tax break to Ohioans earning six figures, underfunds schools by $2.74 billion, and leaves behind students with the most need The Ohio Senate’s budget proposal underfunds public schools by $2.74 billion over the next two years while stripping $1.1 billion from the state budget annually. It does so with a tax […]
Senate fumbles budget
Sub-bill includes a billion-dollar handout to Ohioans with 6-figure incomes Update (6/5/25): Where indicated, this release has been updated to include details about funding for public libraries. Yesterday, Ohio’s state Senate released its substitute budget bill. Policy Matters Ohio Executive Director Hannah Halbert released the following statement: “The defining characteristic of this budget is how […]
School district leaders sound the call for fair school funding
Leaders representing rural, suburban, small town, and big city school districts across Ohio are calling on the Ohio General Assembly to ensure all children can attend a public school that meets their needs and prepares them for success regardless of their ability or background. Across the state – from Medina County to Big Walnut to Cincinnati – districts have worked with […]
Narrowly-passed House budget bill guts health care and food assistance
This morning, the U.S. Congressional House passed — by a single vote — a federal budget that cuts health care and food assistance Ohioans depend on. The budget pays for tax cuts that most benefit the richest Americans by making the largest cuts in history to Medicaid and SNAP, alongside cuts to education and clean […]
Bipartisan tax & budget bill is a good deal for Ohioans
New, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Louis Blessing and Kent Smith should be immediately considered in the ongoing operating budget debate in the Ohio Senate. This bill, titled “A Good Deal for Ohio Act,” would modernize our tax code to put vital public resources into Ohio communities. The legislation would take two important steps to […]
Cap on districts’ reserve funding fails as tax relief, disrupts school budgets
A lose-lose proposal from the Ohio House New analysis from Policy Matters Ohio exposes the flawed reasoning behind a key component of the Ohio House’s school-funding plan. The proposal to tie school-district cash reserves to property tax reductions is neither effective nor responsible, says Bailey Williams, Policy Matters researcher and author of the brief. “There […]
Medicaid in schools provides vital services for students with IEPs and special needs
Federal Medicaid funding supports a crucial program for delivering special education services in Ohio: the state’s Medicaid School Program (MSP). As the state legislature considers a budget that would especially harm students who receive special education services, the MSP is a critical resource. Policy Matters Ohio has released a new brief describing how the MSP […]
Ohio’s economy fails working people
Most common Ohio jobs pay too little to get by Last year, eight of the 10 most common occupations in Ohio paid their median worker less than the cost of living for an Ohio family of three. Four paid so little that that family would qualify for and need food assistance. In seven of those […]
More vouchers, less accountability
House would increase public cash for private tuition and unregulated religious schools Ohio’s top politicians want to spend an additional $432 million on private school tuition over the next two years, including a new voucher for unregulated religious schools. A new brief from Policy Matters tracks the House’s proposals to increase spending on Ohio’s current […]