Latest news with #R-Napoleon
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Child care programs take hits in Ohio Senate budget, even a Republican-supported one
Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, speaks at the Ohio Senate Republican Budget Press Conference. Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, stands in the background. (Photo by Morgan Trau, WEWS.) The Ohio Senate-approved budget keeps eligibility for state-supported child care at levels that state leaders and advocates say is one of the worst in the country, and eliminates a cost-sharing model for child care that was supported by Republicans in both chambers. Eligibility for Publicly Funded Child Care wasn't increased in the Ohio Senate proposal as advocates had urged, maintaining the state eligibility of 145% of the federal poverty level. That level leaves Ohio at what Ohio Department of Children and Youth Director Kara Wente, along with advocates like Policy Matters Ohio, said was one of the lowest eligibility levels in the country. To even get to the middle of rankings on child care eligibility, Heather Smith, a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio, said the state would need to jump their eligibility level to 225%, far above what advocates requested, which was an increase to 160%. One thing that made it to the Senate proposal at the urging of advocates was a provision that calculates payments for Publicly Funded Child Care based on enrollment numbers rather than attendance. Child care workers and leaders said the method would create more consistency in payments and would be 'critical' for parents and providers. The budget eliminates a Republican-supported measure added in the House version called the Child Care Cred Program, which would create a cost-sharing model for child care, in which employers, eligible employees, and the state all pay a portion of the cost of child care. In the most recent discussions on the model, the state would pay 20%, and employers and employees would put in 40% each. The measure came from bills in both chambers of the Ohio legislature, the GOP sponsors of which pushed the model as a way to address a state child care sector that has long been considered inaccessible, unaffordable, and without the adequate (and adequately paid) workforce to stand up to the demand. Policy Matters actually supported taking the model out of the budget, citing 'lackluster results' from comparable programs in other states. Smith said the funding 'would have a greater impact' if it was directed toward Ohio Senate Bill 177, a GOP-led bill that would create a pilot program to allow child care staff members to have Publicly Funded Child Care for free. 'This program would stabilize the sector while creating an additional 6,000 to 18,000 spots in child care facilities,' according to Smith. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Child Care Choice Voucher program, which Republican Gov. Mike DeWine praised as an important part of the state's support for parents and the child care sector, stayed in the Senate-passed budget with eligibility at 200% of the federal poverty line to receive subsidies for child care services. But the budget took out language regarding Step Up to Quality, a set of state standards for licensed child care providers, and Smith said the payment rates for the voucher program 'are not sufficient for providers.' The voucher program would receive $25 million less over the next two years than was proposed in DeWine's executive budget. While he asked for $75 million in 2026 and $150 million in 2027, the Senate kept the House's amounts, at $100 million in each fiscal year. Early childhood education advocacy group Groundwork Ohio said the Senate proposal 'fails to meet the moment.' 'Ohio families are doing everything right,' said Lynanne Gutierrez, president and CEO of Groundwork Ohio, in testimony to the Senate Finance Committee before the proposal was passed. 'They're working hard, raising kids and keeping our economy moving. They deserve a budget that recognizes their contribution and meets them with the support they need.' Gutierrez and Groundwork pushed for restoration of the Child Tax Credit as well, which would have provided up to $1,000 per child ages 0 to 6. The credit had the support of state organizations and individuals, along with economic experts who said the credit would boost the state's financial health. Republican legislative leaders pushed back on the tax credit, partly because the money for the credit would have come from tobacco taxes, which legislative leaders said was a fading source of revenue. A Child Care Recruitment and Mentorship Grant Program was kept from the House provision, to 'help increase the number of licensed child care providers in Ohio and to assist recited entities and individuals.' The budget proposal includes $1.75 million in fiscal year 2026 and $1 million in 2027 for the program. Another grant program that survived to the Senate budget was the Early Childhood Education Grant Program, to 'support and invest in Ohio's early learning and development programs,' including licensed child care centers, licensed family child care homes and licensed preschools. The Ohio House and Ohio Senate are now working in closed-door discussions to combine their two versions into a final budget draft, set to be sent to the governor for signature, and possible line-item vetoes, by July 1. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Would you live in Ohio for 3 years for $20,000 in college aid?
(Stock photo via Getty Images) Ohio Republican state senators are proposing $20,000 to top high school students to stay in state for their higher education — but there's a catch: You have to stay in Ohio for three years after graduating from college. Senior year of high school is all about decisions, ones that 17-year-old Michelle Huang is getting ready to make. 'Everyone around me is working on applying; everyone's thinking about college,' Huang said. 'It's on the top of our minds right now.' And like a lot of students, where she goes could be chosen in part by how much financial aid she gets — which Ohio Statehouse leaders are trying to address. 'We wanted to keep our best and brightest in Ohio,' Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, said. The Governor's Merit Scholarship was passed in the Ohio House budget. Already existing, this language would extend the proposal that gives the top 5% of each graduating high school class $5,000 a year to attend a public or private school in Ohio. But the Ohio Senate made some changes in their proposal, reducing the scholarship to the top 2% of students. McColley explains that now — that money has strings attached. 'If we want to keep them in Ohio, we should actually require them to stay in Ohio post-graduation,' the Senate president said. The scholarship recipients would be required to stay in Ohio after graduation for three years. If they didn't? 'There would be an expectation that that person would have to pay back a portion or all of the aid that they received,' McColley said. Both House GOP and Democratic leaders question how this would be enforceable. 'I assume we're not going to go across the state line to Detroit and try to drag somebody back,' Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman said, noting that it would be nearly 'impossible to implement.' This is also disappointing for Huang, who already had doubts about staying within Ohio. She is only planning to apply to one school in Ohio, she said. 'After Ohio Senate Bill 1, I think a lot of us are really, really considering going out of state for school,' the rising senior said. High school students reconsidering applying to Ohio universities due to new higher education law S.B. 1 was signed into law by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine earlier this year. The new law bans diversity efforts, prohibits faculty strikes, and regulates classroom discussion of 'controversial' topics, among other things. The law applies to public universities and community colleges and is set to take effect this month. The elimination of DEI would mean no diversity offices, trainings or scholarships — including ones that Huang was hoping for. 'There are programs and there are topics that we'd be able to learn about and discuss about in other schools that we would otherwise not be able to here in Ohio,' she said. There are other ways that the state could retain graduates, she added. 'I think that the legislators should make sure that we're protecting the interests of young people by not writing bills that are upending our education system,' the high schooler said. The Ohio Senate passed its version of the state budget on Wednesday. The Ohio House and Senate will need to pass a compromise budget bill by July 1. Click here to learn more about the House's passed budget. Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on X and Facebook. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio Senate, House each passed their ideal budget; What's next?
Jun. 11—An Ohio Senate vote this week finalized its two-year state spending plan that would, among many other things, create a flat 2.75% income tax; push funds to higher performing school districts; and use Ohioans' unclaimed funds to partially fund a new Cleveland Browns stadium. The 23-to-10 Senate vote Wednesday and the subsequent 84-to-1 House vote not to concur with the Senate's changes set up a so-called conference committee — a negotiation between hand-picked members of each chamber that caps off nearly every operating budget process. "This is tradition with budgets with limited exceptions," Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, told this outlet. "It's usually just the standard process of getting together, working out the differences and figuring out where we're going to end up for the final version." Whatever compromise the GOP-dominated House and Senate chambers agree on then has to be sent to Ohio's Republican governor, who wields line-item veto power and can cross out provisions he doesn't like. Most of the negotiation happens behind closed doors and out of public view, but the major points of contention heading into this conference committee are fairly obvious. Highlights from the Senate's now-confirmed plan compared to the House's plan include: — Creating a flat, 2.75% income tax rate for all Ohioans who earn more than $26,050 annually. The proposal eliminates Ohio's highest tax bracket for earners pulling over $100,000 per year, eliminating over a billion dollars in state tax revenue over a two-year period. — Expanding access to Ohio's "homestead exemption" property tax relief program by increasing the income threshold from $40,000 to $42,000 and allowing slightly more of a qualifying participants' home value to be tax exempt. — Granting county budget commissions the authority to reduce property tax millage "if the commission finds it reasonably necessary or prudent to avoid unnecessary, excessive, or unneeded property tax collections." — Eliminating replacement and substitute property tax levies. — Capping a school district's financial reserves at 50% of the prior year's operating expenses, as opposed to the House-proposed 30% carryover cap. General funds in excess of that 50% cap would then be portioned back out to the property taxpayers of that district. — Directing $600 million of the state's $3.7 billion in unclaimed funds to the Cleveland Browns' new stadium project instead of issuing public bonds as the House proposed. — Requiring school boards to obtain a 2/3 vote from members before putting a property tax levy on the ballot. — Adding $633.9 million more to the state's K-12 public schools than the current biennium, phased in largely through new "performance-based" incentives that will reward high-performing and improving districts with more cash. — Establishing a $100 million set-aside to potentially withhold from state universities that do not come under compliance of the newly-passed Senate Bill 1, which eliminates university-sanctioned diversity, equity and inclusion programs on public campuses. Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, told reporters Wednesday that the Senate's school funding plan and flat tax rate will likely be central points of internal discussion as his caucus prepares for negotiations. "We'll have the next two-plus weeks to deal with it," Huffman said. "Our staff and some of the leadership and other folks are set to spend the weekend reviewing these items, so I think there's already discussions going on among a variety of people in different areas about what we may do." But, Huffman said he overall believes that the House and the Senate aren't too far apart on the big stuff — he likes the idea of a flat tax, he's framed the Senate's idea on using unclaimed funds to help the Browns as clever — but pointed to "a lot of very basic policy differences" within the disparate proposals. When asked about his non-negotiables, McColley said he didn't want to reveal too much. "But we're firm believers in some of the big items. The flat tax is something that we feel pretty strongly about," McColley said. "That would be something we're pretty committed to, hopefully we don't get a lot of push back. But other than that, we'll let the process play out." Asked about his non-negotiables, Huffman told reporters, "I'd like to tell you that there is nothing that's non-negotiable, even if somebody says it's non-negotiable."
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio Senate GOP moves to give wealthiest Ohioans tax cut
Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, speaks at the Ohio Senate Republican Budget Press Conference. Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, stands in the background. Photo: Morgan Trau, WEWS Ohio Republican senators have proposed a flat income tax for the state's top earners, which would result in a projected $1 billion loss in the general revenue fund. Bailey Williams is like the average Ohioan — earning less than six figures a year. According to census data, the median income in the state is about $68,000. He's worried about the Senate's newly proposed state budget. 'The services that made me who I am today, public education made me who I am today. I worry about those opportunities being there for my younger siblings,' Williams said. He is also a researcher with the nonpartisan organization Policy Matters Ohio and is evaluating a budget provision — one that creates a flat income tax of 2.75%. There are three income tax brackets in Ohio. Those making up to $26,000 do not need to pay state income tax. Ohioans earning between $26,000 and $100,000 pay a tax of 2.75%. Those making more than $100,000 have to pay 3.5%. Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) said that the highest earners in the state will have their income tax payment reduced to 2.75%. 'Every tax cut we do in the future will involve every single person equally, on a percentage basis,' McColley said. State data reveals that this could result in a loss of about $1.1 billion in the General Revenue Fund. How would Ohio make up the deficit from the tax? 'One of two ways,' Williams said. 'We're going to see increases in regressive taxes, most likely the sales tax, or we have to make do with less — less government services.' Many cuts for programs that benefit lower-income families have already been proposed in the budget. Funding for schools, Medicaid, libraries, lead abatement, food banks and child care face funding decreases from the current status or from the governor's budget. When McColley was asked how he defends cuts to Medicaid, lead poisoning prevention and child care while allowing a lower tax rate for wealthier Ohioans, he said the 'growth in Medicaid spending has been exponential.' According to the Legislative Service Commission, a nonpartisan agency that works with the legislature, the proposed budget would result in a 4% decrease in spending, with billions of dollars in cuts. He said that there was already an 'awful lot' of lead program funding and said that they were keeping child care the same as before. However, the budget would cut the governor's proposal of offering Publicly Funded Child Care to families earning up to 160% of the federal poverty level, keeping it at the current 145% threshold. 'No multimillionaire needs a $10,000 tax cut bankrolled by cutting lead abatement or Medicaid,' Williams said. McColley said the elimination of 11% of the state's income tax revenue would not actually impact funding because he predicts companies will move to Ohio to take advantage of that lower tax rate. 'A lower tax burden has had a positive economic development and brought more jobs to the state,' McColley said. 'It's brought more investment in the state.' The budget will continue to be heard, and a final version will need to be agreed upon by the Senate and House by the end of June. Click here to learn more about the House's passed budget. Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Senate budget alters the Governor's Merit Scholarship, ties funds to Senate Bill 1 compliance
College students graduating. Getty Images. The Ohio Senate's version of the state's two-year budget would reduce the number of students who would be eligible to receive the Governor's Merit Scholarship and it would come with strings attached. The Governor's Merit Scholarship currently awards the top 5% of each high school graduating class a $5,000 scholarship each year to attend an Ohio college or university. The Senate's version of the budget would reduce it to the top 2% of each high school starting with the 2027 fiscal year. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Senate also added a provision requiring students who receive the scholarship to stay in Ohio for three years immediately after graduation. Students attending graduate school would be an exception, but the expectation would remain that they would come back to Ohio for three years after graduate school, said Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon. 'Part of the reasoning for that is we want to keep our best and brightest in Ohio,' McColley said. 'It stands to reason that if we want to keep them in Ohio, we should actually require them to stay in Ohio post-graduation.' If a student who received the Governor's Merit Scholarship moved out of the state within those three years after graduating, they would have to pay back a portion of the aid they received, McColley said. 'We do want some teeth to that,' he said. Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said the three-year requirement would be almost impossible to implement. 'I think it would be extraordinarily difficult to police saying you must stay in Ohio for three years,' Huffman said. 'I suppose we can try to penalize them and all that.' Todd Jones, president and general counsel of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio (AICUO), said he is open to the state's three year retention after graduation. 'We're very sympathetic to the need of the state to help retain people in Ohio who are getting financial assistance,' he said. 'We wouldn't oppose it not being there, but it's certainly a judgment call for the legislature to make on that, and we're sympathetic to their desire to keep folks in Ohio.' The Senate's version of the budget eliminated provisions the Ohio House added regarding additional requirements for private colleges to continue to participate in the Governor's Merit Scholarship. The House had added language to the budget that would have required private colleges to comply with parts of Senate Bill 1 — Ohio's new higher education law that bans diversity and inclusion efforts and regulates classroom discussion, among other things. Jones was happy that was nixed from the budget. 'It's important that we retain students in Ohio and keep our best and brightest here,' Jones said. The Senate decided to take that language out of the budget after hearing concerns from many private universities, McColley said. The Governor's Merit Scholarship was enacted through the last state budget two years ago and 76% of the state's 6,250 eligible students from the class of 2024 accepted the scholarship. Eighty-seven percent of Ohio students accepted the scholarship in its second year and 11 rural counties had a 100% acceptance rate. The Senate's version of the budget trims how much money is allocated to the scholarships. It keeps it at $47 million for fiscal year 2026, but reduces it to $56.4 million in fiscal year 2027. Gov. Mike DeWine's and the House's version of the budget allocated $70 million for fiscal year 2027. The Senate's version of the budget ties a portion of the State Share of Instruction to compliance with Senate Bill 1. 'We wanted to make sure that everybody at the university level was following through with the conditions and regulations in Senate Bill 1,' said Ohio Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland. 'We have the ability to decide how we're going to fund things. … If they are viewed as in compliance, nothing will be withheld from their SSI share, which would be their normal proportion of the SSI dollars.' Huffman said he supports tying a portion of the State Share of Instruction to compliance with S.B. 1. 'If the universities aren't going to apply state law then there needs to be some incentive to make sure that they do,' he said. House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, is against tying State Share of Instruction to compliance with S.B. 1. 'I firmly oppose S.B. 1, so tying more compliance to S.B. 1, which I think is an extremely flawed piece of legislation, obviously we oppose that portion,' she said. Senate Minority Leader Nickie J. Antonio, D-Lakewood, said she thinks the provision is outrageous. 'It's also following the pattern that we're seeing at the national level of intimidation and bullying, frankly, telling people that if you don't comply with what we say, then we'll just punish you and we'll withhold money,' she said. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
