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On Wednesday March 12, Budget Director Keen and invited cabinet level officials to present alongside him for the Mid-Budget Review (MBR). Keen described cost savings from restructuring of state debt and minor new investments – primarily designating funds within departments for specific projects. The major component of the bill is a $2.1 billion tax over 3 years that will primarily benefit the wealthiest Ohioans. While the plan raises new revenue in some good ways to pay for the tax cut, Ohio does not need anymore income tax cuts that have not worked for Ohioans.
Cutting Words, Akron Beacon Journal Highlights the need for public investments over more failed tax cuts.
Serving a Bigger Vision, Columbus Dispatch Editorial Board Ignores the critiques of tax cuts and continues to believe that they will bring more jobs.
Oil and Gas Drillers once Again Protest Kasich Tax Hike, WKSU Drillers don’t approve of the Governor’s 2.75% proposal for a severance tax – especially alongside the CAT increase. It is important to remember that 80% of this revenue is used to offset an income tax cut – primarily benefiting the wealthiest Ohioans.
Kasich’s Proposal provides much to discuss, Columbus Dispatch Provides a quick list of some of the small policy changes that are the bulk of the actual bill. Most of these items are nominally related to an actual budget.
Batchelder leery of Fracking Tax Hike, Columbus Dispatch Speaker Batchelder indicates caucus support for a cigarette tax increase, some support for the increase in the Commercial Activity Tax, and he has little support for an increase in the severance tax. He predicts more than 11 bills and is unsure whether the House will finish work by April 10th spring break.
Proposed tobacco tax hike debated by groups, Akron Beacon Journal Chairman McClain says that the MBR may be divided up into as many as 15 bills.
Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform finds Gov. John Kasich’s tax plan ‘less than inspiring’, Plain Dealer, Norquist is against tax increases to pay for income tax cuts. He would rather cut the income tax and cut services immediately instead of waiting for the unsustainable revenue to fall.
Kasich Defends Cigarette tax, Dayton Daily News Kasich says that the money for an income tax cut has to come from somewhere. ‘And if you cannot get them done right away, that’s fine.’ Ohioans need to ask, why do we need to cut the income tax anyways?
Kasich’s Tax Plan Faces Tough Legislative Test, Toledo Blade Rep. Terhar asks what it would take to keep the tax cut but lose the tax increases during a hearing on Wednesday – indicating a possible tepid reception in the House for this proposal. Senate President Faber draws distinctions on how the Commercial Activity Tax impacts different businesses.
With Kasich’s MBR, tax policies are front and center in race for governor: Ohio Politics Roundup, Plain Dealer, An overview and compilation of the tax plan proposed. “Let the Debate begin”
