Ohio employers added 5,400 jobs in July. The state’s unemployment rate ticked up 0.1 percentage points to 5.0%, after holding at 4.9% for three consecutive months – among the worst rates in the U.S. Inflation hovered at 2.7%, no change from June. The takeaway: Ohio saw job growth for a second month in a row, […]| Policy Matters Ohio
$600M: Amount of Ohioans’ tax dollars already paid to Intel as part of the chip-maker’s contract with the state — in return for which we were promised two massive, job-creating factories in New Albany. We’ve already given Intel that money, and promised them more, plus infrastructure investments to help them out. But Intel just keeps […] The post Saturday Stats appeared first on Policy Matters Ohio.| Policy Matters Ohio
This piece originally appeared on Cleveland.com on July 27, 2025 Ohio is about to begin its second annual expanded Sales Tax Holiday. This holiday has been panned by experts across the political spectrum. The conservative Tax Foundation and the progressive Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy describe sales tax holidays as ineffective drains on public […] The post Everyday Ohioans should not settle for sales tax holiday crumbs appeared first on Policy Matters Ohio.| Policy Matters Ohio
Expanding and sustaining non-police crisis response critical to public safety and trust On July 28, Policy Matters Ohio, REACH, members of the CareforCLE Coalition, and other local stakeholders sent a letter to the office of Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb urging him to reaffirm his commitment to non-police crisis response by supporting Tanisha’s Law. Named for […] The post Policy Matters, 16 partners call on Mayor Bibb to support Tanisha’s Law appeared first on Policy Matters Ohio.| Policy Matters Ohio
1 of 3: Number of Governor DeWine’s property-tax line-item vetoes that the Ohio House was able to muster the votes to override, out of those they initially targeted. On July 21, the House overrode the veto of Item 66, which eliminates replacement and emergency levies currently allowed under Ohio law, from the biennial operating budget […] The post Saturday Stats appeared first on Policy Matters Ohio.| Policy Matters Ohio
House makes it harder for public schools to raise funds locally Today, the Ohio House of Representatives continued their crusade against public education by overriding Gov. DeWine’s line-item veto of a property-tax measure included in the state operating budget that was passed last month. Of three vetoes targeted for override, House leadership was only able […] The post Another loss for Ohio schools appeared first on Policy Matters Ohio.| Policy Matters Ohio
Ohio employers gained 10,400 jobs in June. This is a return to trend, following job losses in May. Statewide unemployment remained unchanged at 4.9%, 0.8 percentage points higher than the national rate in June. At the same time, inflation ticked up for the second month in a row after falling for several consecutive months, rising […] The post Ohio unemployment holds steady despite reported job gains appeared first on Policy Matters Ohio.| Policy Matters Ohio
$60B: Cost of the two-year state operating budget, H.B. 96, signed into law by Gov. DeWine on July 1. The bill includes massive tax cuts for the wealthy that will require deep cuts to public services that benefit everyone. Ohio’s wealthiest 20% of households will reap nearly all the benefits of a flat, 2.75% income […] The post Saturday Stats appeared first on Policy Matters Ohio.| Policy Matters Ohio
Still time to shut it down in the House Today, the Senate passed the federal budget mega-bill by the narrowest margin possible. It’s telling that the last hold-out vote, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), did not switch to a Yes until she had secured special carve-outs to lessen the bill’s impact on her state. That’s because […]| Policy Matters Ohio
Ohio legislators sent a budget to Gov. DeWine that gives a billion-dollar annual tax break to Ohioans earning six figures. This tax cut is possible, in part, because the legislature is underfunding schools by $2.86 billion, as compared to the amount the Fair School Funding plan says schools need to provide an adequate education, regardless […]| Policy Matters Ohio
19: Line items in the final version of the state budget bill that we recommend Gov. DeWine veto. First among them is the budget-busting $1.1B flax-tax proposal that would primarily benefit the wealthiest households in the state, and do nothing for those making less than $100K a year. The governor is expected to sign the […]| Policy Matters Ohio