Policy Matters Ohio
Report: Ohio’s CEOs take home nearly 400 times typical employee
The CEOs of some of Ohio’s biggest companies saw big paydays, much bigger than their employees, according to a report by an Ohio-based think tank. An analysis found that of the 54 large state employers who file reports under the federal Securities and Exchange Commission, average pay for CEOs was up to $21.7 million in […]
Ohio voters support higher tax rates for high incomes, state corporate tax
A new survey shows support from likely Ohio voters for more taxes on richer residents, a higher minimum wage, and renewal of the child tax credit. The survey, conducted in September through a partnership between Ohio thinktank Policy Matters Ohio and California-based polling firm Data for Progress, showed 71% of the nearly 1,400 Ohio voters […]
Report: Multiple options to bring child tax credit benefits to Ohioans
In a new analysis, an Ohio think tank urges more investment in child tax credits, and sees at least two ways to do so and increase economic security for thousands of families across the state. Advocates have consistently pushed to return to the pandemic-era federal child tax credit, and in a new report, Policy Matters […]
Ohio state Sen. Fedor offers bill extending unemployment to lower wage workers
State Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, has introduced legislation to lower the income thresholds for claiming unemployment. The shift would make it easier for part-time and underemployed workers to receive benefits if they lose their jobs. Under current law, workers must make almost $6,000 and be employed for at least 20 weeks out of the year […]
Ohio CEOs paid well as employee wages have dipped
Using data from the Ohio Department of Development and Fortune 500 listings, a report from an Ohio policy thinktank found significant pay disparities between state CEOs and their employees. The main finding of the study conducted by Policy Matters Ohio showed the median pay of a chief executive officer in 54 of Ohio’s 100 largest […]
Child care an ‘economic issue,’ advocates say
Child care has been brought up more and more with the pandemic causing shortages in services and employment losses preventing families from being able to afford it. Child care and early childhood education in the state and country is more and more vital, according to a new study by Groundwork Ohio. The public policy research […]
Ohio House passes state budget; here’s what to know
Ohio took a step closer toward a constitutional school funding model with the passage Wednesday of a two-year operating budget in the Ohio House of Representatives, a sweeping bill that also proposes an across-the-board income tax cut, a broadband internet expansion plan and more spending to aid businesses struggling from the pandemic. The House passed […]
GOP lawmakers seek to repeal tax on Ohio businesses
Some Republican lawmakers want to do away with an Ohio business tax that helps to fund state services. A new bill proposes to repeal Ohio’s “commercial activity tax” (CAT for short) by phasing it out over the next five years. This tax is levied on businesses with over $150,000 in yearly taxable gross receipts — […]
Ohio bill slashing “regulatory restrictions” by 30% has watchdog, fire official worried
A bill making its way through the Ohio Senate would require the state to slash almost a third of all state rules based on whether they contain certain words. While supporters say the bill, sponsored by Sens. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, and Kristina Roegner, R-Hudson, will cut business-suffocating red tape, opponents say it’s an arbitrary, simple-minded […]
Cleveland debate: Fact checking claims from Trump, Biden
President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden squared off in their first General Election debate in Cleveland on Tuesday night. There were plenty of fireworks throughout the night, most coming from the debate stage and not from Progressive Field three miles away. (Sorry, Indians fans.) Here is a look at several claims with […]
Feds release unemployment guidance, could be a long time before supplements reach Ohioans
As promised, the U.S. Department of Labor last week released guidance to the states on how it will disburse money to supplement unemployment checks. But it’s far from clear when — or whether — hundreds of thousands of out-of-work Ohioans will see those funds. A $600-a-week federal supplement had been credited with keeping millions of […]
Extra $600/wk in unemployment benefits must not be allowed to expire
For working people who have been laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment support from the federal government has been a lifeline — helping them keep food on the table and a roof over their head. It’s kept people spending money — supporting the state and local economy, too. As the number of coronavirus cases […]