A roundup of happenings at Policy Matters Ohio…
#Nation’sWorst – Research Director Zach Schiller exposed an egregious assault on unemployment compensation that would make Ohio’s system one of the worst in the country in many ways, slashing benefits, hacking eligibility, and cutting employer taxes. Zach’s and researcher Hannah Halbert’s dogged reporting on House Bill 394 – the worst anti-worker bill (read more)
The latest e-news: Hashtags, hiring and more
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Schiller: Unemployment benefit cuts solve nothing
An op-ed on House Bill 394 in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
A bill in the Ohio House of Representatives would substantially cut unemployment benefits to jobless Ohioans and make it harder to qualify. Yet paradoxically, while these harsh steps are aimed at making our unemployment trust fund financially solid, the bill doesn’t come close to even meeting its own solvency target. (read more)
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Ohio should step up funding for kids, report says
Ohio is behind most states on funding preschool and childcare.
For immediate release
Contact: Wendy Patton, 614.221.4505
Full report
Download summary
Download release
Ohio is not investing enough in children, and as a result, children of low-income families here are less likely to be in publicly funded preschool or childcare than in other states. This makes it hard for (read more)
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Patton op-ed: Ohio won’t get ahead by standing still
Op-ed in The Toledo Blade calls for Ohio to invest in public services.
Ohio’s lack of investment in public services has left us running in place for 10 years, Senior Project Director Wendy Patton writes in The Toledo Blade.
Accounting for inflation, state spending through 2017 is at a lower level than it was a decade ago, when the (read more)
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Cincinnati anti-wage theft law is a model for Ohio
City ordinance will protect workers from employers that violate wage and hour laws.
For immediate release
Contact: Hannah Halbert, 614.221.4505
Hannah’s testimony
Download release
Cincinnati City Council today became the first in Ohio to pass an ordinance that will step up local enforcement of wage and hour laws. This will ensure that more Cincinnati workers are paid legally required (read more)
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The latest e-news: Pre-K, protecting workers and more
A roundup of happenings at Policy Matters Ohio…
The not-so-kid-friendly budget – Ohio increased its investment in early childhood education and childcare in the new budget, but the state still is far behind where it needs to be. Children of low-income families here are less likely to be enrolled in publicly funded preschool or childcare, our Wendy Patton reveals in (read more)
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Ohio’s GED system is broken, report finds
Number of Ohioans passing high school equivalency exam plummets after private company takes over.
For immediate release
Contact: Hannah Halbert, 614.221.4505
Full report
Download summary
Since PearsonVUE, the world’s largest private, for-profit education corporation, took-over the high school equivalency test known as the GED, the number of Ohioans attempting and passing the exam has plummeted, according a newly released (read more)
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Billions in tax breaks receive little scrutiny, report says
As tax breaks continue to grown, Ohio lawmakers fall short on review.
For immediate release
Contact: Wendy Patton, 614.221.4505
Full report
Download summary
Ohio lawmakers have increased spending on tax breaks, but fiscal oversight of billions of dollars in these tax exemptions, credits and deductions is lacking, a new report from Policy Matters Ohio says.
These “tax expenditures” will (read more)
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Start over on unemployment compensation bill
Lawmakers need bi-partisan, inclusive approach to fix system without punishing workers.
For immediate release
Contact: Hannah Halbert, 614.221.4505
Download statement
The Ohio Senate majority is rightly concerned about House Bill 394, the severely flawed bill to overhaul Ohio’s unemployment compensation system. The Columbus Dispatch reported that an “informal group” of Republican representatives and senators would meet to discuss the (read more)
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Ohio 2015 job growth total is totally uninspiring
January report and annual revisions confirm slow-growth trend.
For immediate release
Contact: Hannah Halbert, 614-221-4505
Download JobWatch
Revised jobs data released today underscored Ohio’s slow-growth trend, and January’s numbers suggest we are off to a sluggish 2016. The new data, released today by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services show that 2014 was a better year for (read more)
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A broken GED, tax breaks run amok, a fracking injustice: News from Policy Matters
A roundup of happenings at Policy Matters Ohio…
Epic fail – After the world’s largest private, for-profit education corporation took-over the high school equivalency test known as the GED, the number of Ohioans attempting and passing the exam has plummeted. Our workforce researcher Hannah Halbert detailed the shocking numbers in a recent report: The number of Ohioans passing the test (read more)
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Jobs growth mostly due to data revisions
Gains are hollow; Ohio is off to sluggish employment growth in 2016.
For immediate release
Contact: Hannah Halbert, 614.221.4505
Download JobWatch
Jobs data released today suggest that Ohio had a banner month in February, gaining more than 12,400 jobs. Unfortunately, the gain is largely due to a large downward revision of January’s job total. Considering these changes, Ohio is (read more)
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More accountability needed for Ohio tax breaks
Nearly $9 billion in tax breaks deserve same scrutiny as budget spending, Policy Matters testifies to committee.
For immediate release
Contact: Zach Schiller, 216.361.9801
Zach’s testimony
Ohio’s 128 tax exemptions, credits and deductions – known as “tax expenditures” – add up to nearly $9 billion a year in foregone revenue, roughly the same amount as what we spend on (read more)
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Regulators allow FirstEnergy bailout; consumers stuck with bill
Agreement to subsidize inefficient power plants forces consumers to buy more expensive power.
For immediate release
Contact: Michael Shields, 330.906.2062
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio today voted to allow corporate subsidies for utility giants FirstEnergy and American Electric Power that are projected to cost Ohio electric users billions of dollars over the next eight years.
The AEP deal commits (read more)
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Investing in childcare and pre-k would help families
Economic Policy Institute shows families struggle to afford quality care.
For immediate release
Contact: Michael Shields, 216.361.9801
Read the report
Download press release
Ambitious national investment in early childhood care and education would alleviate financial hardships for families and build a foundation for children to succeed in school and their future careers, the Economic Policy Institute says in a (read more)
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Jobs jump in March
Job gains push Ohio closer to the 12-month national average.
For immediate release
Contact: Hannah Halbert, 614.221.4505
Download JobWatch
Jobs data released today suggest that Ohio had a large job gain in March, adding 18,300 jobs. This increase makes Ohio’s 12-month job growth rate (1.8 percent) only slightly below the national average (2.0 percent). This is positive news, as (read more)
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‘Healthy Ohio’ plan a dangerous prescription
Ohio proposal would create barriers to health care, Policy Matters testifies.
For immediate release
Contact: Wendy Patton, 614.582.0048
Download release
Wendy’s testimony
Changes Ohio is seeking in the Medicaid program would cause thousands to lose their health care and hurt the financial stability of hospitals, Wendy Patton, Policy Matters senior project director, said in prepared testimony today.
The “Healthy (read more)
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Class of 2016: Labor market still weak for young grads
Post-recession era marked by unemployment, underemployment and stagnant wages for young people.
For immediate release
Contact: Amy Hanauer, 216.361.9801
Full report
Download release
The Great Recession had lasting effects on employment for today’s young adults, according to a report released today by the Economic Policy Institute. Authors Teresa Kroeger, Tanyell Cooke and Elise Gould find that the recession and (read more)
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Proposed tax break for coins should be scratched
Kasich had vetoed the measure in 2013, calling it preferential treatment.
For immediate release
Contact Zach Schiller, 216.361.9801
Download release
Zach’s testimony
An Ohio bill that would reinstate a sales-tax exemption for investments in coins and precious metals is a special-interest tax break that has no place in the state tax code, according to testimony today by Policy (read more)
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Tax inequity, job growth and a Medicaid setback: News from Policy Matters
A roundup of happenings at Policy Matters Ohio…
Saturday night live – When the Federal Reserve Bank raises interest rates, it often means hiring goes down, wages grow more slowly, and unemployment goes up. There are times when doing so still makes sense but is now one of them? Come to an event next Saturday night (yes, we know) to (read more)
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