Ohio lawmakers began cutting income taxes in 2005, and Republicans hope to continue this year with a flat 2.75% income tax created by House Bill 1.
Conservatives argue that lower income taxes help drive economic prosperity. But does it work?
In a deep dive, reporter Lucas Daprile found that the impact of Ohio’s income tax cuts on the state economy overall has been minimal.
In the early 2000s, Ohio’s median income was similar to the country as a whole and the poverty rate was slightly lower than the national average.
After rounds of tax cuts – plus the Great Recession and the COVID pandemic -- Ohio’s poverty rate is above average and the median income for 2019-2021, was just under $64,981, nearly $7,000 less than the national median.
There’s no definitive answer, but as a result of tax changes since 2005, the bottom 20% of earners are paying $164 more per year in taxes, while the richest 1% are paying $50,716 less.
-Laura |
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Besides creating a flat 2.75% income tax rate, House Bill 1, would also cut corporate property taxes and increase residential/agricultural property taxes, while decreasing government funding for schools, parks, libraries and local governments. (cleveland.com file photo) |
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Tax cuts: Since Ohio has been cutting income taxes for the better part of 20 years, Lucas Daprile examines whether Ohio’s income tax cuts have benefitted Ohioans. Tax reform is a politically charged issue, with conservatives saying lower income taxes help drive economic prosperity, and progressives saying tax cuts have functioned as handouts to the rich, while defunding crucial public services Crime solving: How to solve a car jacking? Connecting one crime to another posed a dizzying challenge for any single law enforcement officer in Cuyahoga County. But the Crime Strategies Unit allows prosecutors and detectives from different jurisdictions to collect evidence in tandem, starting on Day 1 of an investigation, reports John Tucker. Such complex cases often focus on broader trends and pattern crimes, possibly committed by single suspects or crews across municipalities. Federal cases: Federal prosecutors passed up handling two major cases in Cuyahoga County: allegations of civil-rights abuses and brutality by more than a dozen East Cleveland police officers and a largescale fraud investigation into cryptocurrency kiosk owners operating in 36 states. The two carry the hallmarks of typical prosecutions by U.S. attorneys — complicated cases and widespread reach backed by technical expertise of the FBI and other federal agencies. Instead, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley took the cases. Why? Adam Ferrise reports it’s in part because the federal office lacks a Senate-confirmed leader for the longest stretch in the office’s 166-year history.
Today in Ohio: Protesters are threatening to bring guns to an April 1 drag brunch at Element 41 in Chardon, meant to benefit a local family who lost a mother and breadwinner. We’re talking the Proud Boys and other groups planning to come to Geauga County to intimidate attendees on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour podcast. |
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Voter database: Secretary of State Frank LaRose has followed through on his threat to withdraw Ohio from a multi-state voter information database, saying the states who run the organization rejected some of his proposed reforms to address conservative criticism. Jeremy Pelzer reports LaRose has been a prominent advocate of the bipartisan Electronic Registration Information Center, and one of his top deputies chaired the organization last year. But now, LaRose, a potential 2024 U.S. Senate candidate, has said he’s given up his attempts to “save” ERIC from potential demise, and his office is now downplaying the organization’s usefulness in helping to stop voter fraud in Ohio. Tom Patton: The Cuyahoga County Republican Party on Thursday voted to kick state Rep. Tom Patton off two party committees and refused to endorse him in the next election for backing state Rep. Jason Stephens for House speaker after claiming to a conservative leader that he wouldn’t do so. Jeremy Pelzer reports it’s the harshest punishment meted out to date from a county party to a House Republican who supported Stephens.
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Drag brunch: The Proud Boys are circulating notices encouraging people to protest a charity drag brunch, Saturday, April 1, at Element 41 restaurant on Chardon Square. Paris Wolfe reports the Community Church of Chesterland also is hosting a drag story hour.
County laws: Cuyahoga County waited eight years to pass its first countywide ordinance. Since 2018, two issues of regional importance have compelled council members to act, and they’re now considering a third, signaling that this may become a more common occurrence, reports Kaitlin Durbin.
Train traffic: How much freight traffic actually crosses Cuyahoga County, the most densely populated county in Ohio with more than 1.2 million people - many of them living close to numerous rail lines? Railroads are tight-lipped with information, and A train map of Cuyahoga County looks like something a 4-year-old created on an Etch-a-Sketch. But Pete Krouse estimates the volume with what little information is available.
HR director: Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne announced Friday that he is appointing Sarah Nemastil as director of the Department of Human Resources, pending council’s approval. Kaitlin Durbin reports Nemastil currently serves as the administrator of human resources for the sheriff’s department and previously served as an assistant county law director, specializing in labor and employment issues. |
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Electricity increase: Northeast Ohioans will see pricier electricity bills starting in June now that the cost of power for some FirstEnergy customers has almost doubled. Sean McDonnell reports the base price for customers in FirstEnergy territories will be 10.2 cents per kilowatt hour, up 93% from the 5.3 cents per kilowatt hour customers are currently paying. Want relief? The Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council, which buys electricity on behalf of residents across Greater Cleveland and much of Ohio, said Friday that it will start automatically enrolling customers in June, resulting in significant savings.
Unemployment: Ohio’s economy saw some positive signs in the latest employment numbers and has recovered most of the jobs it lost during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Sean McDonnell. The state’s unemployment rate was 3.9% in February, down from 4% in January.
Holland trucking: Kansas-based Yellow Corp. freight company is closing trucking terminals in Green and near Cincinnati, which could result in 250 employees being laid off, reports Sean McDonnell.
COVID map: Cuyahoga County and most of its surrounding counties were green for low COVID-19 spread on the latest U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map, reports Julie Washington. |
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Police commission: In a semi-annual report, Cleveland’s consent decree police monitoring team said the city and police officials mishandled two issues: the investigation of a police officer’s shooting by her partner and the reinstatement of an officer who lied about being drunk when he crashed his car into a bus while off-duty, reports Adam Ferrise.
Dollar stores: A Cleveland man robbed four dollar stores and a bank in a four-day span, according to federal prosecutors. Reginald Wimberly Jr., 23, is charged in a seven-count indictment in federal court with interfering with commerce by robbery, gun possession and bank robbery, reports Adam Ferrise. |
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Women of rock: Of the 949 people inducted into the Rock Hall since 1986, just 80 are women, writes Malcolm X Abram. Put another way, that means that 91.6 percent of the Rock Hall inductees are men and just 8.4 percent are women. Not a good look for an institution that exists in a world in which 50 percent of the people on the planet are women.
Florida railroad: Brightline, the private passenger railroad that started service in South Florida in 2018, is expected to expand to Orlando in the coming months, reports Susan Glaser. The train currently connects travelers in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach along Florida’s southeast coast.
Dame Drummer: Drummer, a singer-songwriter and producer, is returning to his native Cleveland Tuesday for a homecoming at The Grog Shop and the B Side Lounge. Malcolm X Abram reports on the award-winning filmmaker who will be hosting a special screening of his award-winning “docu-musical,” “Black Daddy: The Movie.”
John Mayer: At 45, John Mayer seems to have grown quite comfortable with all of his current and past selves, and at his two-hour solo acoustic show at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday night, all the Mayers came together for a fun and musically satisfying two-hour trip through his back catalog, reports Malcolm X Abram.
House of the Week: Located in a gated community surrounding a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and country club, 735 Hardwick Dr. offers resort-style living year-round with impressive amenities and a luxurious design made for entertaining. Joey Morona reports the $3.2 million house was built in 1997 on more than two-and-a-half acres and encompasses nearly 17,000 square feet of living space, including an indoor pool. |
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Strong winds knock out power for over 100,000 Read more Ohio church set to host drag story hour vandalized Read more |
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