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Published June 10, 2023 in eNews
Numerical news from Policy Matters
15,000: When the Ohio House included a proposal in its budget bill that would have helped 15,000 children receive child care, we saw it as an all-too-rare example of lawmakers making good use of public resources. State Senate leadership cut that proposal. They also removed measures that would help more pregnant women afford health care and ensure babies, infants and children have ongoing health coverage. They even cut funding for food banks and school cafeterias. The whole thing it’s just cruel. Click here to tell your lawmakers to oppose and pass the People’s Budget instead.
90%: The Senate leadership budget also includes a proposal to dramatically increase public money sent to private schools through tuition vouchers. Although 90% of Ohio children attend public schools, the Senate wants to spend nearly $1 billion next year, and Above one billion the following year, to subsidize private school tuition for even the wealthiest families in Ohio. In a new blog post by her, Tanisha Pruitt, PhD, reminds us why public dollars belong in public schools.
280: As of this writing, 280 Cleveland residents have signed our petition to reduce armed police deployment to nonviolent situations by bringing Care Response to Cleveland. Public Safety Fellow Bree Easterling collaborated with REACH NEO’s Elaine Schleiffer in a recent op-ed for Cleveland.com, explaining Care Response and how it will create better outcomes for people experiencing behavioral health crises.
12 weeks: When an Ohioan is made redundant, they are eligible for 26 weeks of unemployment benefits to make up the gap until they find work. That money circulates rapidly through the economy as laid-off workers buy groceries and other necessities. It also allows them to seek employment that matches their abilities, rather than taking any job that is immediately available. But a new bill (SB 116) would cut unemployment benefits to the maximum on a sliding scale that changes according to the unemployment rate. That scale is so out of control that unemployment benefits would be limited to 12 weeks this year, even if we were plunged into a recession, in which case half of jobless Ohioans would run out of benefits before they can return to work.
$4.9 billion: …Oh, and the SB 116 cut to unemployment benefits? It would mostly be used to pay for $4.9 billion in corporate tax cuts, a 31% reduction.
8-1: Score another Guardians win for fair work! In an eight-to-one vote, the Cuyahoga County Board approved an ordinance — backed by the Guardians — to prevent the county from doing business with employers who rob their workers. It’s another victory for workers, after the Cleveland City Council passed its own wage theft law, for which the Guardians also led the charge. The momentum has been building since 2020, when even the Columbus City Council took a stand against unscrupulous employers, with encouragement from our friends at the Central Ohio Worker Center.
Action Items:
- Send a letter to your lawmakers urging them to reject the Senate leadership’s budget proposal and pass a People’s Budget instead.
- Sign the petition to bring Care Response to Cleveland.
- Learn the best ways to talk about honest and inclusive education in this interactive workshop with Honesty for Ohio Education, School Board School, Race Forward/HEAL Together, LEAD Ohio and Local Progress. thu. June 15, 18-19:30 on Zoom. Registration is required.
- Join the New Leaders Council Columbus for their annual fundraiser in recognition of the progressive leaders shaping the future of Columbus. Tue. June 20, 6:00 PM, Marvin’s Restaurant & Lounge, 460 S. Front St., Columbus. Buy tickets here.
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