Posted on 01/12/16 by Zach Schiller (he/him) in Basic Needs + Unemployment Insurance
Zach Schiller and Hannah Halbert testify to the House Insurance Committee on House Bill 394.
Good morning, Chairman Hackett, Ranking Member Bishoff and members of the committee. My name is Zach Schiller and I am research director at Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with the mission of creating a more prosperous, equitable, sustainable and inclusive Ohio. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding House Bill 394.
The original bill was severely flawed because it was not a balanced package; all of the savings came from unemployed workers. It was not a true solvency package, as it came nowhere... read more
Posted on 12/23/15 by Wendy Patton in Education & Training
Ohio is underinvesting in higher education. We’re behind where we were during the recession, adjusting for inflation. We have not put enough into classroom instruction and operations. We spend $309 million less in this budget... read more
Posted on 12/11/15 by Michael Shields (he/him) in Energy
In a surprise reversal, staff at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio signed on last week to a settlement in utility giant FirstEnergy’s latest rate plan. The plan, which includes an arrangement to have Ohio... read more
Posted on 12/09/15 by Amelia Hayes
The affordability of childcare for low-income families is receiving deserved attention, but costs are so high that the ability to pay for high-quality care is a middle-class problem as well.
It’s good to see more focus... read more
Posted on 11/19/15 by Zach Schiller (he/him) in Basic Needs + Unemployment Insurance
A bill introduced recently in the Ohio House would reduce unemployment benefits in Ohio – and the ability of workers to qualify for them – so that Ohio’s unemployment program would become among the most... read more
Posted on 10/22/15 by Wendy Patton in Revenue & Budget
When it comes to making plans important to building a strong economy, Ohio has a short attention span.
Some states take a long-range view. When drawing up a state budget, for example, they include analysis of... read more
Posted on 09/16/15 by Hannah Halbert (she/her) in Work & Wages
Full-time employment has rebounded to pre-recession levels, but new census data shows wages are so low that 1.4 million more workers are living in poverty compared to 2007.
The data released today by the U.S. Census... read more
Posted on 09/14/15 by Kalitha Williams in Consumer Protection + Asset Building
More than ever, American families struggle to afford the basics, even though they’re working. Fortunately, Congress in 2009 expanded some tax credits that helped more of these working families. These credits bring billions of federal... read more