On June 15, 2026 Governor DeWine signed into law the 136th General Assembly’s capital budget, funding $3.7 billion in projects across Ohio’s 88 counties, including $600 million for school building assistance, $510 million for local infrastructure projects, and $346.5 million for improvements at behavioral health facilities. Ohio’s capital budget funds
Testimony to the Senate Energy Committee on HB 646 Chair Chavez, Ranking Member Smith and members of the Senate Energy Committee. My name is Molly Bryden and I am climate and sustainability researcher for Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute working to build a more vibrant, equitable, diverse,
Testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on HB 338 This text was originally published as commentary. It was subsequently submitted as opponent testimony for the committee hearing on June 9, 2026. In December 2024 Officer Andrew Lansing was killed while working overtime on Christmas morning alone in the center of
Testimony to the Senate Education Committee on HB 455 Good morning Chair Brenner, Vice Chair Blessing, Ranking Member Ingram, and members of the Senate Education committee. My name is Heather Smith and I am a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio, a non-partisan nonprofit think tank. Thank you for the opportunity
On-site power generation could do more harm than good As communities across Ohio wrestle with the impact of the state’s data center boom, “behind-the-meter” (BTM) energy generation requirements are often cited as a policy tool to keep the facilities from driving up costs for ratepayers and straining the electric grid.
Ohio schools depend on the real property tax. Some 247 of the state’s 606 districts[1] rely on the tax for at least 40% of their operating expenses. This is a key reason why the proposed property tax repeal, with no replacement revenue, is misguided and destructive. Policy Matters Ohio compared
Co-Chairs Holmes and Chavez, and members of the Select Committee on Data Centers, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony today. My name is Molly Bryden, and I am the Climate & Sustainability Researcher with Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit research institute working to build a more vibrant, equitable,
Testimony to the House Energy Committee on HB 706 Chairman Holmes, Vice-Chair Mathews, Ranking Member Rader, and members of the House Energy Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit proponent testimony on behalf of House Bill 706 (HB 706), which would prevent cost-shifting onto other ratepayers by establishing a
State requires parents and families to pay costs of confinement Ohio families of justice-involved children face the strain of both family separation and financial penalties that deepen racial and economic disparities and perpetuate cycles of poverty. Of the many counterproductive and unfair financial sanctions used by the justice system, youth
Testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on H.B. 296 Members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide interested party testimony on H.B. 296. My name is Ashley Braxton, and I am a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio — a nonprofit, non-partisan research institute working to create a
What are Scholarship Granting Organizations? Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) are nonprofit organizations that provide tuition scholarships to students in grades K-12. In Ohio, SGOs must allocate at least 50% of their program service expenses to K-12 student scholarships, prioritizing students from households with income under 300% of the federal poverty
Testimony to the House Local Government Committee on HB 695 Chair King, ranking member Sims and members of the committee: Thank you for the opportunity to present testimony on House Bill 695. I am Zach Schiller, research director of Policy Matters Ohio, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute with the mission of creating a
