Policy Matters Ohio
09/14/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/13/2024 11:36
Saturday Stats
Saturday Stats
Posted September 14, 2024 in eNews
$2,112: Per-pupil funding provided by the state for students in Upper Arlington's public schools last school year.
$8,408: Per-pupil value of a private-school tuition voucher provided by the state through the publicly-funded EdChoice Expansion program for a student in grades 9-12. Summer intern and UA schools alum Elena Reim digs into that disparity and explains why Ohio should keep public money in our public schools in a new blog post arguing for the end of EdChoice vouchers.
$1.1B: Total amount allocated by Ohio to fund childcare in 2024. Understanding where that money comes from is an important part of advocating for how it's spent. And considering how well childcare leaders have made their voices heard even in the budget off-season, we expect a lot of action in the coming year as the legislature makes the budget for FY2025-26. That's why researchers Kathryn Poe and Bailey Williams are undertaking a two-part analysis of how Ohio (under)funds childcare. Part 1 is out now-Look for part 2 in October.
$4.98:Difference in hourly wages between the typical male and typical female workers in Ohio last year. That's despite recent wage growth across genders, because men's median wage increased faster. That's another tidbit from our annual State of Working Ohio (SOWO) report. (We included a few in the previous issue of Saturday Stats, but couldn't resist sharing another.) SOWO's lead author, Executive Director Hannah Halbert, recently joined a panel of experts at the Columbus Metropolitan Club to discuss gender disparities in Ohio and policies to help close the gap.
Watchlist
With the legislature out of session, there's been little visible movement on the bills we're tracking. Still, the best action you can take is to call or email your state legislators and tell them to support, oppose, or amend the bills on our Watchlist.
Action items
Join researcher Bailey Williams (and PMO's founding Executive Director, Amy Hanauer!) at the City Club of Cleveland this Friday, Sept. 20 at 11:00 for "What's At Stake? Examining Taxation in Ohio and the Nation." If you're attending in person, use code ADVOCACY for discounted tickets! You can also watch live at the link above.
Listen to Season 3, Episode 2 of What's Good Ohio?!, "What's Good with Redistricting, Part 2." James Hayes and our own Sarah Rodenberg speak with Sam Gresham and Deidra Reese about keeping up the momentum on redistricting now that the Citizens Not Politicians amendment has officially made the November ballot.
Stand with Action for the Climate Emergency against utility giant AEP for their interference in Ohio politics and efforts to block community solar bills that would benefit all Ohioans. Tuesday, Sept. 21 at noon at AEP offices in Columbus. Check out ACE's event page for details and to sign up for more info.
Attend the 27th Annual MetroHealth Spinal Cord Injury Forum: Join members of the SCI community and MetroHealth team members for a day of sessions, including Keynote Speaker, Joci Scott from the LA Rollettes Wheelchair Dance Team, and vendors/organizations serving the spinal cord injury community. Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9 am-3 pm. Check out United Spinal Association's Northeast Ohio Chapter for details and registration (in-person or online).