News from Policy Matters: Hungry for Justice
Posted February 27, 2017 in eNews
Budget Bites: Last week we launched Budget Bites to feed your appetite for smart policy. These short pieces compare Governor Kasich’s proposed 2018-2019 budget to what Ohio actually needs to thrive. Our first piece finds that the state starves local transit agencies who now face even bigger losses due to narrowing of the state sales tax base. The second one examines a costly tax break that if ended, could replenish many important programs. Hungry for more? We’ll be releasing a bite or two a week.
Don’t play with ACA: As Congress considers repealing the Affordable Care Act, we look closely at what the healthcare law does for people here at home. Ohioans are better off under the ACA, as Wendy Patton explained in an op-ed published in papers throughout Central Ohio. The Akron Beacon Journal cited our work in an editorial calling for Congress to preserve Medicaid expansion. Our national partner, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities released a report that shows how Congressional Republicans want to dismantle not only the ACA, but Medicaid as well. Governor Kasich has always taken a smart approach to this issue. He is now playing an important advisory role to Republicans in Congress and we’ll help keep him and other Ohio electeds informed about how Medicaid and the ACA help Ohio families.
A victory for workers: We joined allies across the state and nation to oppose the nomination of fast food CEO Andrew Puzder for Secretary of Labor. Our Hannah Halbert spoke press conference and explained what Puzder’s record of breaking labor laws could mean for the growing number of Central Ohioans working in the service industry who aren’t well protected by the state. The resistance worked, Puzder stepped down, and we’ll now give the replacement nominee, Alexander Acosta, close scrutiny.
There IS a free lunch: Join Policy Matters Ohio, Center for Community Solutions, Philanthropy Ohio, and the George Gund Foundation for a virtual budget and tax briefing from Robert Greenstein, president of Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: March 1, 11 a.m. at Idea Center at Playhouse Square. After Bob's presentation, our director Amy Hanauer and others will make opening remarks before opening discussion with you and other attendees about how to deliver a better federal budget to our families and communities. Register TODAY (so we know how many free lunches to have!): e-mail info@CommunitySolutions.com.
Last week our director Amy Hanauer spoke to students and grads of Neighborhood Leadership Institute of Greater Cleveland alongside Greg Brown of Policy Bridge. They pose here with NLI leaders Don Slocum and Kevin McDaniel.