DeWine misses chance to sign a true “People’s Budget”
Posted July 01, 2021 in Press Releases
Today, Gov. Mike DeWine signed the $74 billion 2022-23 state budget. Policy Matters Executive Director Hannah Halbert released the following statement:
“People from across Ohio called, wrote, and showed up to ask their elected representatives to pass a ‘People’s Budget’ that would put Ohio on a path toward an inclusive and vibrant recovery. We made a difference. More kids, no matter where they live or what they look like, will be able to get a world-class education at their local public school. New moms will have health coverage for a year after giving birth. More parents will be able to work knowing they can afford high quality child care for their kids.
“For all the positive changes Ohioans managed to wring out of their legislators through calls, townhalls, emails, and testimony, Gov. DeWine signed off on a budget that doubled down on division. Certain politicians hoped we’d turn the other way as they targeted women and our LGBTQ neighbors while they further enriched the wealthy few based on a disproven ‘trickle-down’ tax strategy. The tax changes in the budget will cost our communities more than $2 billion over two years — money that could be used to educate and care for our kids and keep our water clean. These decisions will have impacts far beyond the two-year budget.
“We joined many across the state in calling on DeWine to protect public schools and veto hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax giveaways for private, religious and for-profit schools. He didn’t. He also missed a chance to veto a provision that will allow charter schools — which include far too many poorly-performing, for-profit entities — to expand across the state. Teachers, students and parents succeeded in prompting a veto of provisions that would have loosened oversight and accountability of charter schools.
“Ohio can be a state that offers opportunity for all people. When we organize and advocate, we make change. The budget has passed, but the work is far from over.”
Read ITEP’s analysis of tax changes in the budget