Saturday Stats
Posted May 18, 2024 in eNews
4: Number of weeks we get the absolute pleasure of getting to know Halim Pratama, a visiting fellow from Indonesia through the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellow Program of the US Department of State. As a newly elected city council member in Malinau, Indonesia, Halim is spending the month of May in the Policy Matters Cleveland office learning more about how research and community engagement can be used as tools to create sustainable public policy. One of the highlights of Halim’s time with us has been spending the day in Columbus at the Day Without Childcare and experiencing how organizations in Ohio are joining forces to make childcare more affordable and to provide a living wage for providers.
Michael Shields, Zach Schiller, Michelle Unangst, Halim Pratama, Molly Bryden, Ben Stein, and Sybille Schomerus in our Cleveland office.
$9,697: Average annual cost for one infant’s child care in Ohio. That is why the Policy Matters team joined hundreds of parents, providers, and children across the country for the Day Without Childcare. The Ohio Statehouse rally was hosted by The Care Economy Organizing (CEO) Project, a grassroots organizing project focused on building power with women, especially women of color who work in the care economy. Budget & Health researcher Kathryn Poe was among the many powerful speakers who demanded our legislators invest in the state’s childcare system.
Large crowd of people on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse for the Day Without Childcare rally (5/13/24)
2026: The year One Fair Wage’s $15 minimum wage would into full effect if passed. In contrast, recently introduced legislation that would also raise the minimum wage to $15 wouldn’t be fully phased in until 2028. This difference in timing means that, under target inflation rates, the legislation would be worth about $0.60 less than the ballot measure. The ballot measure also ensures tipped, disabled, and youth workers are paid the same wage as everyone else. For more on these competing proposals, listen to Economist Michael Shields on Cincinnati Edition or read his latest press release.
$1,000: Amount families with children under 5 would receive as a fully-refundable tax credit if the Thriving Families Tax Credit included in HB 290 were to pass. Tax Policy Researcher Bailey Williams discussed this piece of legislation and more on the Ohio Association of Foodbanks’ podcast Just a Bite episode The CTC helps families.
5%: Share of income a qualifying household would pay in property taxes before the newly introduced circuit breaker in SB 271 would kick in. If a qualifying household’s tax bill exceeds this limit, they could receive up to $1,000 over that amount in the form of a refundable tax credit. Research Director Zach Schiller and Tax Policy Researcher Bailey Williams discuss the details in a recent press release.
550: Number of workers that the Central Ohio Worker’s Center (COWC) provided with a free, comprehensive Know Your Rights in the Workplace Handbook last year (download your free copy of the handbook here.) COWC educates and advocates for low-wage and immigrant workers, and was featured in a recent spotlight blog by Policy Matters' Operations Specialist and COWC board president Ali Smith.
Action items
Listen to the new episode of What’s Good Ohio?!: In “What’s Good with Childcare?” hosts Sarah and James talked with childcare provider Tarrezz Thompson and CEO Project director Tami Lunan about the childcare crisis and what is needed to make it work for all involved.
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