Latest news with #OhioGeneralAssembly
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Ohio bill would hold adults more accountable for underage drinking
Jun. 10—A bill in the Ohio General Assembly aims to curb underage drinking by making it easier to prosecute adults who make alcohol available to minors by changing only one word in Ohio law. House Bill 19 is sponsored by state Reps. Adam C. Bird, R-New Richmond, and Josh Williams, R-Sylvania Twp. It's currently before to the House Judiciary Committee. The bill would change the word "knowingly" within the Ohio Revised Code to "recklessly." "(State law) states that parents cannot 'knowingly' provide alcohol to minors," Bird states in written testimony. "We believe that this standard should be changed to 'recklessly'. By changing this one word, these parents will no longer be able to stock a fridge full of alcohol for the party and then hide behind the plausible deniability of 'not knowing' the kids got into it. This will better allow prosecutors to go after parents who host these co-ed teenage drinking parties and then turn a blind eye to what goes on when they've left the room." Bird adds in his testimony that a resident from his district knows of nine girls in one school year who woke up from a drinking party with a boy on top of them. "Co-ed teenage drinking parties have always been prevalent but recently they seem to be growing in number, intensity, and can often lead to sexual assault," Bird said. "Sexual assault in these circumstances occur because of the mixture of alcohol, genders, and lack of supervision by adults." Underage drinking has been on the decline in Montgomery County for the past 10 years, according to Tristyn Ball, director of prevention and early intervention with Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services. She and her team found that the underage use of vaping devices is much more prevalent than underage drinking at the moment. This is complemented by a 2023 survey conducted by the ADAMHS Board that states 6% of 3,800 students in grades 7-12 drank one or more alcoholic beverages within the past 30 days. "(That) doesn't sound like a lot, but when you look at the 75,000 students that are in Montgomery County, that's a little higher than I want to see," Ball says. "When we look at young people's perceived risk of drinking, we have almost a third of Montgomery County students that saw little to no risk drinking a couple times a week so that's definitely a measure we want to focus on." In regards to H.B. 19, Ball sees no reason that the bill shouldn't pass, but predicted possible pushback. "I think this is definitely a step in the right direction of closing some of those loopholes," Ball says. "I don't foresee any reason that people in the behavioral health field wouldn't support this. I think politically, I can see the public getting hung up on the terminology and the ambiguity of that. How do you quantify 'recklessly' versus 'knowingly.' Also, it's an additional restriction, so I feel like there could be some pushback on that as well. Other than that, I don't feel like this is an incredibly controversial bill that I see a lot of issues with." If the bill does does pass, Ball believes it will be crucial to educate the community on what's changing and what that change means.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DeWine announces extended Ohio Sales Tax Holiday
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Families will be able to save even more money during Ohio's tax-free shopping period. Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly have once again expanded the Ohio Sales Tax Holiday to a full two weeks. Retail store opens in former Trotwood Big Lots The 2025 Sales Tax Holiday will run from Friday, Aug. 1 to Thursday, Aug. 14. This allows families to save money on school supplies and other general necessities. During this time period, shoppers can make qualifying purchases in-store and online without paying state sales tax. In 2024, the state of Ohio extended the three-day tax-free weekend to a full 10 days, and expanded to include a wider range of items up to $500, rather than be limited to just school supplies. 'Ohio's sales tax holiday is a practical way we can help working families keep more of their hard-earned dollars,' said Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Matt Huffman. 'Whether it's back-to-school shopping or everyday essentials, this is an opportunity for Ohioans to get more value for their money.' The tax exemption does not apply to services or to purchases of motor vehicles, watercraft, outboard motors, alcohol, tobacco, vapor products or any item containing marijuana. To learn more, visit the Ohio Department of Taxation's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New guidelines proposed for pharmacy benefit managers included in state budget
Apr. 25—After legislation that would have regulated pharmacy benefit managers failed in last year's Ohio General Assembly, new guidelines are being proposed in the state budget bill. "Pharmacists believe that PBMs can provide significant value to our health care system," said Jeff Bates, dean and professor of pharmacy practice at Cedarville's School of Pharmacy. "They must embrace, however, approaches that are fully transparent and fair. Accountability is key in this space." PBMs are companies that often work with large employers, health insurers and/or other payers for health care to help to manage prescription drug benefits, Bates said. In negotiating on behalf of those clients, PBMs influence how much drugs cost through negotiating rebates with the drug manufacturers and they can also set the reimbursement rates for pharmacies, the Ohio Pharmacists Association says. Whether or not to regulate Those looking to impose regulations on PBMs are concerned unregulated PBMs are contributing to growing pharmacy closures, which can impact access to health care. Opponents say imposing certain requirements for PBMs could raise health care and prescription prices. The provisions for PBMs the Ohio House approved in the state budget bill for fiscal year 2026-2027 are similar to regulations included in H.B. 505, or the Community Pharmacy Protection Act, which failed to make it out of committee in the last Ohio General Assembly. Some of the provisions recently approved by the House include: — PBMs would be required to reimburse Ohio-incorporated pharmacies that dispense a drug product for the "actual acquisition cost," i.e., the amount paid to the drug wholesaler, plus a minimum dispensing fee determined by the Superintendent of Insurance. — PBMs would be prohibited from reimbursing an Ohio pharmacy less than the amount the PBMs reimburse their affiliated pharmacies for providing the same drug product. — An Ohio pharmacy would be allowed to decline to provide a drug product if the pharmacy would be reimbursed less than the required amount. — PBMs would be prohibited from retaliating against Ohio pharmacies in regard to these rules. "The problem that's being resolved here is PBMs are both the price maker and the price taker," said David Burke, executive director of the Ohio Pharmacists Association, saying these are anti-competitive business practices. PBMs set both the contractual cost of how much drugs cost for a pharmacist to stock and then what a pharmacist is paid when they sell the drugs to a customer, Burke said. "The amendment sets an actuarial rate on both drugs and pharmacy services," Burke said. "...This is the exact same policy that Ohio Medicaid implemented several years ago with a single PBM, where it wanted to actually reimburse pharmacists at-cost for drugs and pay them at-cost for dispensing those drugs." A minimum dispensing fee A minimum dispensing fee is a measure to try to bridge the gap between what PBMs reimburse the pharmacies they own versus the reimbursements paid to independent pharmacies, proponents say. In one analysis, chain pharmacies were paid $46.87 on average for dispensing a 90-day supply of atorvastatin, a drug for treating high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while an independent pharmacy was paid $1.90, according to the American Pharmacy Cooperative. Mandating dispensing fees could increase costs for consumers, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce says. "It was a bit of a surprise to see that make it into the budget," said Molly Mottram, director of health care policy at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. A dispensing fee would be estimated anywhere between $10 to $15 in addition per prescription, Mottram said. "We can't make the assumption that PBMs are going to absorb those costs," , Mottram said. The chamber is concerned PBMs would to shift the dispensing fee costs down to employers. "Then that's going to shift down to the employee through cost of increasing premiums, deductibles and whatnot," Mottram said. The dispensing fee could help small pharmacies, but it risks higher overall costs that could adversely hurt state finances and consumers, said Rea Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at the Buckeye Institute. "It would do this by mandating minimum dispensing fees while restricting PBMs' reimbursement flexibility," Hederman said. By contrast, reforms that boost transparency and competition could benefit consumers and businesses, he said. "Ultimately, there is a trade-off between helping one group of businesses and keeping overall pharmacy costs down for everyone," Hederman said. "We understand that pharmacy closures unfortunately happen but blaming PBMs is not based on facts. PBMs recognize the vital role pharmacies play in creating access to prescription drugs for patients," the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association said in a statement.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republican plan would destroy Ohio's cherished libraries
I have had a library card since I first learned to write out my name, proudly carrying home my four books and anticipating a return trip. As a young mom, trips to the library for story hour, passing rainy days and yes, looking for guides on raising children were all a part of family life. Summer reading programs are a family tradition. My family has called on our libraries to learn computer skills, job seeking help, applying to college. I have tutored adult learners at the library, attended lectures and social meetings. Borrowing media of all types continues to be part of my life. More: Lawmakers propose $45M in cuts to Ohio libraries in state budget plan Millions of Ohioans share similar experiences. Libraries are the hallmark of democracy, providing services to all without asking the price of admission. Services that today's libraries provide were not even thought of a generation ago. The Ohio House proposed budget includes cuts to our community libraries. This monumental mistake goes against everything Ohioans value. It may save a few dollars but would impoverish communities and our State. The Ohio General Assembly must not use the budget to destroy our public libraries. Joy Bishop, Washington Court House Is corporate greed already infecting our government services? I was on the phone for two hours a few days ago trying to get answers from Social Security. 'Your call is important to us, please be patient.' Then, it was interrupted by a live person asking: 'Would you like to see if you qualify for a free emergency button to get immediate assistance in case of a fall?' I don't have a need for one, but I thought it would be good to have one that I could show to other residents of my retirement home. So, I answered 'yes.' What followed was about 20+ minutes of questions from this young lady, (age, health, physical condition, etc.) concluding with the declaration that, 'You are qualified to receive this free life-saving appliance.' This was followed with: 'Your only obligation is to pay the monthly service fee of $49!' I said: 'No, thank you,' and hung up! I was astonished — this sort of a trick on a government phone call? Is this something new, or have I just escaped this sort of commercial abuse until now? Michael Greenman, Columbus Congratulations on making it through another Ohio winter! As we move into the warmer months, I'm paying extra attention to applying my sunscreen in the morning — and as a pediatrician, I'm also taking the time to remind my patients' families to do the same. Everyone benefits from wearing sunscreen no matter the age or skin tone. While the incidence of skin cancer is relatively low in the pediatric population, it has been increasing over time. We also know that a significant amount of a person's lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18, making sun protection in childhood extra important. There are many actions that can decrease this UV exposure and potential negative effects of too much sun. Applying at least 30 SPF sunscreen every day, even on cloudy days, is one of the best. Make it part of the morning routine, find combination moisturizers/sunscreens — anything that can be done to make it a consistent part of life. You can also consider wearing sun-protective clothing and minimizing the amount of time spent in peak sun exposure. Maria Jose Guerrero, Columbus This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Cuts to Ohio libraries would go against all we stand for | Letters
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Axe the tax? Should Ohio eliminate the individual income tax?
Apr. 5—LIMA — It is a phrase that almost everyone has heard: the only two constants in life are death and taxes. However, while paying a tax for goods is nothing new, as events like the Boston Tea Party show, taxation on individual income has a somewhat shorter history going back to the ratification of the 16th Amendment on Feb. 3, 1913 and a prior 10-year period in the 1860s when a tax on income helped pay for expenses related to the Civil War. While Americans have grown accustomed to income taxes, particularly at the federal level, states like Florida, Texas, Tennessee and others, now including Mississippi, do not collect individual income taxes at the state level. In a statement, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves promoted this move as a means not only for residents to keep more of what they earn but also as a way to attract new residents and new investment. "Mississippi has the potential to be a magnet for opportunity, for investment, for talent — and for families looking to build a better life," he said in the statement. When it comes to Ohio, the Tax Foundation, a research firm that analyzes tax policy nationwide, rated Ohio 35th in the nation for state tax competitiveness, giving the state a lower rating for its corporate gross receipts tax and higher local tax levels. Could eliminating the state individual income tax benefit Ohio? Some say it is time for a change One person who has broached this idea is Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has made it a talking point in his campaign. "We will eliminate the income tax in Ohio & it turns out most people in our state vehemently agree," he said in an April 1 post on X. It's your money, not the government's. We will eliminate the income tax in Ohio & it turns out most people in our state vehemently agree. — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) April 2, 2025 Legislators in the Ohio General Assembly have also tried to make this a reality, with Reps. Adam Mathews, R-Lebanon, and Brian Lampton, R-Beavercreek, introducing House Bill 386 in January 2024, which aimed to eliminate both the individual income tax and the 0.26-percent Commercial Activity Tax. That bill only got as far as the House Ways and Means Committee during the 2023-2024 session. A new bill, House Bill 30, also sponsored by Mathews and Lampton, would, over two years, reduce the state's progressive tax rates of 2.75 percent and 3.5 percent to a flat tax of 2.75 percent for all earners of more than $27,350. This bill, introduced on Feb. 3, has also been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee for review. Bluffton University economics professor Jonathan Andreas sees the idea of fairness as a potentially compelling argument when it comes to a flat tax. "Most Americans like a progressive income tax because most of us are like, 'Hey, I'm not rich, and it's harder for me to pay, say, 20 percent of my income than it would for Bill Gates to pay 30 percent of his income,'" he said. "But there's a pretty significant group, higher earners especially, that feel like a flat tax would be the most fair because they don't feel like they get a fair shake if they are paying a higher percentage than middle class people, and so there is a fairness argument." But at what cost? Is it feasible? When it comes to that original axiom of the inevitability of death and taxes, Ohio Northern University College of Business Administration Dean John Navin would refute that claim, at least when it comes to individual income taxes. "The question is, can you get rid of it? The answer is, absolutely," he said. "You can get rid of any tax you have, but you have to decide: do you want to replace the revenue or can you afford to have a budget that is smaller?" According to the Ohio Legislative Budget Office, the state's combined state and local tax revenue in fiscal year 2021 totaled $62.85 billion, with 26 percent, or just over $16.34 billion, coming through individual income taxes. Only sales tax revenue (40 percent) and property tax revenue (29 percent) were higher sources of tax revenue for the state. If the state's portion of that $16.34 billion in tax revenue were to be eliminated, the state would have to find that revenue using other means, Navin said. "Either we could raise the sales tax and the use tax, and that's certainly an option, or you could raise corporate income tax," he said. "While it's an option, it's not one that's appealing if your goal is to increase businesses in the state of Ohio." Navin also looked at the situations of some of the no-income-tax states like Florida and Texas, situations that may not apply as well to Ohio. "In the case of Florida, it's pretty obvious how Florida gets its money with tourism taxes," he said. "Sales tax and use tax in Florida are huge. Texas is oil and gas [production] tax, so they don't have to have a state income tax. Alaska has the same natural resource tax with oil, for the most part." Are things really that bad? Could the problem lie elsewhere? When asked about the potential for the elimination of individual income tax in Ohio, House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, began his answer by noting there are already people in the state who pay no income tax. Along with individuals making less than $27,350 and pay no income tax, for small business owners who file "single" or "married filing jointly" returns, the state will not charge income tax on the first $250,000 of business income. "So when you think about small businesses in downtown Lima and what they generate as a sole proprietor or as an LLC, most of those folks are paying zero income tax now," he said. "So that's not a flat tax. It's even better." Huffman also noted that for those promoting a flat tax alternative, issues like the business income deduction will have to be considered, since such a move could inadvertently increase taxes for some rather than reduce them. "Two things are going to happen if you either lower the income tax to 2.75 percent or eliminate the tax," he said. "Especially if you eliminate the tax, either there are going to be services that you don't provide or some other taxes or going to go up, or a combination of the two." When asked about the state's current tax policy, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said that the state has already taken strong measures to reduce the tax burden on residents, reducing the number of tax brackets from as many as eight down to just two today. "It's the lowest it's been in 50 years in the state of Ohio, so we're very competitive with other states," he said. "And I've never seen a company that looks at Ohio and comes in and says to me, 'Well, Gov. DeWine, we'd love to come to your state, but your income tax is too high.' It's just not an issue anymore." The more pressing issue, he said, centers around property taxes, which have risen rapidly as property values have risen with equal speed. "When you have a reappraisement for your house that you've been living in for 30 or 40 years and you've paid it off but now you're 70 years old and seeing the real estate tax go up and you're on a fixed income, that's pretty tough," DeWine said. "So I think that's where the real focus is." Huffman also pointed to another factor that could be overlooked: local income taxes and levies. "Ohio is the most expensive local government state in the United States," he said. "We have over 6,000 local taxing districts between school districts, cities, villages, townships, counties, the local sewer levy, the fire levy, whatever those things are. Ohio is the 13th highest-taxed state when you consider all taxes, state and local, but when you consider just states, we're in the 30s. So the state tax burden is already pretty competitive." Huffman pointed to efforts in the statehouse to alleviate this burden, but he noted that this is a decision that the voters have to make in their own localities. "One of the things we're doing in this budget that's about to come out is that school districts — many of them, not all of them, but many of them — have more money than they can spend," he said. "So we're going to say in this budget that if you have extra money, you need to reduce the real estate taxes of the people who pay the following year, so we're getting immediate relief." Featured Local Savings
