The following article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published on News5Cleveland.com under a content-sharing agreement.
While Ohio Democrats and Republicans praised parts of Gov. Mike DeWine’s state of the state speech, the two parties have differing views of the governor’s child tax credit proposal.
Ohio Democrats applauded in the House chamber when DeWine talked about his budget proposal to create up to $1,000 in child tax credits for parents with children younger than seven during his State of the State address on Wednesday.
“We know that getting those funds into our local communities makes all the difference in the world for the families as well as our communities,” said Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie J. Antonio, D-Lakewood.
Antonio also said she hopes to see the eligibility threshold for publicly funded child care increase to at least 300%. DeWine’s proposal cuts off eligibility at 200% of the federal poverty line.
Despite their praise, Ohio Democrats criticized DeWine for not talking more about the child care crisis, the housing crisis and the cost of living crisis.
“Every day, our offices are receiving calls from parents struggling with the high cost of quality child care, which means parents are buying fewer groceries, delaying paying utility bills sometimes and medical bills, and struggling to keep a roof over their head,” Antonio said. “Rising property values are forcing seniors out of their homes.”
The child tax credit the governor has proposed would be funded by increasing cigarette taxes from $1.60 per pack to $3.10, but Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, is hesitant about an increase in that area.
“You have to be careful about basing any spending, historically or long-term spending, on a cigarette tax because it’s going to be a declining source of revenue,” he said. “I would suggest that if the cigarette tax were increased even more than what it is, it’s probably going to be an even more rapidly declining source of revenue.”
McColley, however, was quick to point out he supports family policies.
“But at the same time, we also, generally speaking across the board, have to be aware that every tax credit that we introduce, or every tax deduction that we introduce makes it harder for us to get to our ultimate goal, that being eliminating the income tax or having a flat income tax in the state of Ohio,” he said.
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said he doesn’t think income tax credits for many Ohioans is “really the way to go.”
“I think some of the other things the governor has proposed, especially regarding child care, we have been careful about what we’re doing here,” he said. “I guess I’d like to see some modeling on whether this particular tax credit would really promote the ability of people to have children.”
Ohio Democrats took the opportunity after the state of the state address to discuss school funding.
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“If we truly want to invest in our children, we should fully fund the fair school funding (plan),” Antonio said.
The governor’s version of the state budget for the next two years would decrease funding for traditional public schools by 0.9%, according to a Fair School Funding Plan workgroup analysis. Voucher programs including the EdChoice private school program would see a 15.8% increase.
The Ohio House is currently working on making changes to the budget and will send it over to the Ohio Senate. It must be signed into law by DeWine by July 1.
Democrats also took the opportunity to criticize Senate Bill 1 — a massive higher education bill that would, among other things, ban diversity and inclusion efforts, prohibit faculty from striking, limit scholarships and restrict classroom discussion.
“Instead of taking any meaningful action to invest in our kids or lower property taxes, the legislature, through Senate Bill 1, has prioritized an egregious attack and plan to dismantle our world renowned institutions of higher learning,” Antonio said.
Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, said she wants more Ohio students to stay in the state for college and wants college to be more affordable.
“Let me be super clear: what the Republicans have put forward and what we’re debating right now in S.B. 1 does none of that,” she said. “It is a distraction from what the real issues in higher education are right now in the state of Ohio.
Even though DeWine didn’t talk much about the federal government during his speech, Russo said the federal government is not living up to basic principles in the U.S. Constitution.
“The domino effect of that failure is being felt right here in Ohio,” she said. “Federal programs that provide critical services that many Ohioans rely on are under attack. They are real, tangible cuts to working families, to our veterans, to our seniors and children across our state.”
