One step backward, one forward
Posted March 24, 2015 in Press Releases
Testimony opposes income tax cuts, favors bill to review tax breaks.
For immediate release
Contact: Zach Schiller, 216.361.9801
Policy Matters testifies on tax and budget issues
Policy Matters Ohio testified to lawmakers today that more income tax cuts would not be good for Ohio, but that a bill to create a permanent committee to review tax exemptions, credits and deductions is a worthy initiative. “More income-tax cuts are not the prescription for prosperity in Ohio,” Zach Schiller, research director, and Wendy Patton, senior project director, told the House Finance Committee. “Ohio would get a better return on investment by improving communities, building opportunities for children and creating the infrastructure needed by businesses and individuals alike.” In separate testimony prepared for the House Ways & Means Committee, Schiller urged support of House Bill 9 as “a first step toward providing the accountability for tax expenditures that Ohio needs.” The bill provides for review of the 128 existing exemptions, credits and deductions, as well as proposed new or modified tax breaks. Schiller noted several improvements that could be made to the bill, such as the addition of automatic sunsets for tax breaks, so they stay in place only if their worth is proven.
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Policy Matters Ohio is a nonprofit, nonpartisan state policy research institute
with offices in Cleveland and Columbus.