Budget briefings
by Policy Matters Ohio on May 15th, 2013
May 15th, 2013 |
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Check this page for ongoing analysis of proposals and changes as the Ohio General Assembly debates a biennial budget for fiscal years 2014 and 2015.
Tax policy
Schiller testifies on tax reform, May 1st, 2013. The state needs revenue to make essential investments in Ohio’s future. Those who are able to pay should contribute the most. Neither of these things is true now.Schiller testifies on the Municipal Income Tax, May 1st, 2013.
A major effort to overhaul Ohio’s municipal income tax should reduce tax avoidance, guarantee a broad tax base, and ensure that those most able to pay are in fact doing so. Unfortunately, House Bill 5 does none of the above.
Ohio job growth trails nation since 2005 tax overhaul, April 25th, 2013.
From June 2005, when the tax-cut phase-in began, to March 2013, Ohio lost 4.4 percent of its jobs, while the U.S. as a whole added 1.2 percent. During this time, Ohio has seen the fourth-worst job growth among states, losing 238,000 jobs.
Income-tax cut would favor affluent Ohioans, April 22nd, 2013.
The top 1 percent of Ohio earners would receive an average reduction in taxes of $2,717 a year. The middle fifth of Ohio residents would get an average of $51. Those in the bottom fifth would see an average reduction of $3.
Budget policy
Survey shows: Ohio shrinks its schools, April 29, 2013. A large majority of Ohio school districts report that they have cut or frozen salaries and benefits, laid off staff, and cut back on classroom materials and supplies to deal with the loss of state funding since 2011. Students in many districts are facing larger class sizes, reduced course offerings, and an increase in “pay-to-play” requirements for extra-curricular activities. Overview of Ohio budget proposal, March 28, 2013 The windfall from Medicaid expansion, the slightly improved economy, and the state’s continued use of funds historically shared with local governments and schools all help fund a modest restoration under this proposal. But too much of the new money is being directed to income tax cuts that go primarily to the wealthiest. Local governments keep losing, February 25, 2013 Despite new revenues from casino gambling and an expanded sales tax, the administration’s budget proposal leaves local governments in the lurch. As the economy improves, we must restore the fiscal partnership between state and community.More research on Ohio budget policy in the 2014-15 biennial budget
Medicaid expansion
Medicaid Works: Good outcomes, good for Ohio, May 16, 2013 Ohio legislators have taken Medicaid expansion out of the budget, but keep talking about it. That’s good, because expanding Medicaid would be good for Ohio and good for Ohioans. In this issue brief, we look at studies of Medicaid quality. Mothers and Medicaid: Expanded health coverage would help Ohio families, May 13, 2013 Approving a budget that expands Medicaid to 153,000 low-income working women, and others, will help mothers and babies get healthier in Ohio. As a result, families, communities, and our economy will grow stronger. Medicaid expansion, March 28, 2013 Medicaid expansion represents a major investment in the health – and thus better opportunity for a productive life – for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans. Medicaid expansion would help 900,000 Ohioans, November 7, 2012 Failing to expand Medicaid would leave hundreds of thousands of struggling Ohioans out in the cold: too poor to afford insurance but not eligible for Medicaid. Ohio can’t afford to opt out of Medicaid expansion, September 13, 2012 Expanding Medicaid to cover more uninsured Ohioans would bring to Ohio $17.3 billion in new federal funds between 2014-19, while savings in the state would total between $1.1 billion and $2.3 billion. New federal funds could pay the annual wages of 50,000 health care workers in Ohio, boosting the state’s economy.The sequester
Sequestration cuts benefits to Ohio unemployed, April 30, 2013 Thousands of unemployed Ohioans will feel the effects of federal sequestration budget cuts through a reduction in their weekly unemployment compensation checks. Unemployed Ohioans are expected to see $25 million less in benefits between now and the end of the federal fiscal year Sept. 30. Sequester cuts begin: Housing, Head Start, economic development and air shows, April 15, 2013 Automatic cuts in federal funding are already being reported across the state, hitting everything from NASA to Head Start. As the General Assembly considers the state budget, ways in which the state can help stem the growing damage from federal budget cuts should be included in the debate. Damage from the sequester, February 27, 2013 The sequester will now cost Ohio about $187 million in federal funds this year.Selected media coverage
Communities struggling due to state cuts, May 5, 2013
In depth: Districts reach for budget axe, May 3, 2013
Zach Schiller talks tax policy on Sound of Ideas, April 15, 2013
Firetrucks, productive workers and strong communities, April 14, 2013
Businesses, critics react to Kasich plan to cut income taxes, April 7, 2013
Studies question tax-cut links to new jobs, February 17, 2013
Ohio’s proposed tax changes could mean higher tax bills for some, February 11, 2013
Liberal Think Tank Attacks Tax Hikes In Governor’s Proposed Budget, February 7, 2013
Governor Kasich’s New School Funding Plan, February 4, 2013
