Wendy Patton testifies today on school funding and tax policy
Posted July 18, 2012 in Press Releases
For immediate releaseContact Wendy Patton, 614.221.4505policymattersohio.org/school-funding-jul2012 Read the testimonyDownload press releaseWendy Patton, senior project director for Policy Matters Ohio, is presenting testimony in the Ohio House of Representatives today before the extended subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education.
The subcommittee is scheduled to hear recommendations and proposals involving school funding and tax policy at 1:30 p.m.
Patton's testimony documents the impact of Ohio tax policy on schools, which have seen a reduction of $1.8 billion during FY12-13 budget compared to the previous biennium.
- School districts were hit hard, with cuts to staffing, class-size increases, pay-to-play extra-curriculars, and reduced course offerings;
- $2.5 billion in revenue is lost each year to the 2005 tax overhaul;
- Income tax cuts are moving the state tax system in the wrong direction, as the income tax keeps the system fair and adequate;
- Low- and middle-income Ohioans pay a larger share of their incomes in state and local taxes than do high-income residents;
- An adequate severance tax on gas and oil should be used to build a better future for Ohio, in part through a stronger school funding system;
- $7 billion annually in unexamined tax breaks and loopholes should be scrutinized, and weighed against the important needs of Ohio's people.
Patton concludes: "A modern, fair state tax system is needed to generate revenue to support public education for Ohio’s families and children."