Ohio legislators who support a flat 2.75% state income tax aim to simplify Ohio’s system and increase consumer spending by putting money back in taxpayers’ pockets. The vast majority of tax savings would flow to wealthy and middle-class families. (A taxpayer making $75,000 per year would pay $140 less in annual state income tax under the bill, while residents making $500,000 annually would save $5,209.) That’s by design, to encourage upper middle class and wealthy families to live, work and pay taxes in Ohio. But the tax cuts add up to a $1.2 billion loss for local governments, which include the libraries, park systems and schools we depend on every day. For example, the beloved Cleveland Metroparks would lose $100 million or so over the next decade. As a result, likely they would ask voters to raise property taxes or cut back on park improvements. - Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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House Bill 1 would create a flat income tax rate for the state, setting it at 2.75% for all earners. |
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Tax effects: Ohio Republicans are considering a bill that would cut income and property taxes at the expense of funding for schools, libraries and parks, potentially undermining institutions local voters have overwhelmingly supported through levy approvals, reports Lucas Daprile. Medical change: For decades, race has been used in diagnostic tools and medical guidelines as a stand-in to address health disparities between white patients and minority patients. Not surprisingly, these race-based clinical algorithms primarily benefit white patients, reports Gretchen Cuda Kroen. In the last several years, various groups of physicians have begun calling attention to the ways that race is embedded into the practice of medicine, highlighting its potential for harm and calling for change. MetroHealth audit: An independent audit has found that former MetroHealth CEO Dr. Akram Boutros circumvented rules to pay himself $1.9 million in unauthorized bonuses and took deliberate steps to keep the board from finding out. Julie Washington reports that according to the audit, Boutros failed multiple times to disclose his supplemental bonuses to the board, compensation consultants and other parties. Today in Ohio: Different aspects of ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder’s testimony crumbled under cross examination from federal prosecutors Thursday. We’re talking about Householder’s explanations, including metadata on photos being wrong, on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Racketeering: During the six-week trial of former House Speaker Larry Householder and former state Republican Party chairman Matt Borges, federal prosecutors used a law initially created to fight violent mobsters to shine a bright spotlight on Generation Now, the so-called “dark money” nonprofit that prosecutors say funneled the bribes. Adam Ferrise reports the case represents the first time in Ohio -- and maybe the country -- the racketeering charge has been used to charge a 501(c)(4) organization. Householder trial: The corruption trial of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and ex-Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges is set to wrap up in the coming days after six weeks of hearings, arguments, delays and even occasional arguments with the judge. Even though the jury in the case hasn’t yet issued a verdict, the trial has already publicly revealed major details about how Householder, FirstEnergy, and others secured the passage of the controversial House Bill 6 energy law, and it’s shone a bright light on how Ohio’s political system works behind the scenes. Jeremy Pelzer breaks down the trial, day by day. East Palestine: The most common symptoms among East Palestine residents who completed a health assessment after the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment include headaches, anxiety, coughing, fatigue/tiredness, and irritation, pain or burning of skin, reports Laura Hancock. |
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Cuyahoga railroad: The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad has temporarily suspended all operations over concerns about land erosion, reports Peter Krouse. The railroad, along with the National Park Service, announced the suspension Friday, the same day it had hoped to resume regular operations with the aid of an “advanced stability monitoring system.” West Side Market: The board of the Cleveland Public Market Corp. – a new non-profit corporation to manage the West Side Market – held its first meeting Thursday as the city transfers management of the iconic destination, reports Paris Wolfe. No-meat Friday: For the Cleveland Guardians’ home opener on Friday, April 7, know this: The Diocese of Cleveland is not offering dispensation for those who abstain from eating meat on Fridays, reports Marc Bona. The date is Good Friday. Springfield derailment: A Norfolk Southern train derailed in the western Ohio city of Springfield on Saturday, with 20 to 30 cars reported off the tracks, but railroad officials said none involved hazardous materials. Residents within 1,000 feet of the derailment were asked by Clark County Emergency Management Agency officials to shelter in place out of precaution. |
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Theater closings: When Regal Montrose Movies Stadium 12 closed in early February, it became the fourth movie theater in the region to close since the start of 2023 and the 10th since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Joey Morona reports that while theaters aren’t doing as well as they were during the cineplex boom of the late 1990s or 2018, when Hollywood set a domestic box office record of $11.8 billion, the industry is far from dying. Sports gambling: With more than $1 billion worth of bets placed in just a month, the first look at Ohio’s new sports gambling market made a lot of eyebrows perk up. But what does that big number, and others released so far, actually tell us about the future of sports betting? Sean McDonnell reports all those bets translated into about $200 million in taxable revenue for the betting companies, or about $21 million in taxes to the state. Heart disease patients: A study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine has some good news for heart disease patients who can’t tolerate the class of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins: They now have a safe, effective alternative without the side-effects. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports that would help a subset of patients who develop muscle pain that is so severe, they eventually stop taking their medication. Girl Scout cookies: If you’re looking for the Girl Scouts' new Raspberry Rally cookie — a raspberry-flavored cookie smothered in a chocolaty coating — you’re out of luck. The online-only addition to the cookie line sold out early, reports Paris Wolfe. To the dismay of the Girl Schools of the USA, some folks are offering Raspberry Rally boxes on the black market. REI workers: REI workers on Friday voted in favor of being represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, reports Kaylee Remington. This comes exactly one month after REI workers went on strike on Feb. 3 and stood outside their Orange store. COVID map: Cuyahoga County’s time in the green designation for low COVID-19 spread was short-lived. The county worsened from green last week to yellow, for moderate COVID-19 spread, on the latest U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map, reports Julie Washington. |
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Guard fired: A guard at the Cuyahoga County Jail was fired this week and accused of giving her personal cellphone number to 18 inmates and smoking a THC vape pen while on duty, Molly Walsh reports. Authorities also allege the officer, who was hired in July and still on probation, had sexual conversations with inmates “due to boredom,” according to the letter. Wrongful conviction: Cleveland Heights has agreed to pay $4 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a man who was wrongfully convicted after DNA proved he did not attack and rape a woman more than 20 years ago. Molly Walsh reports Christopher Miller, 46, was sentenced to nearly four decades in prison in 2002. He was exonerated in 2017 through DNA testing. |
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Fast-food fish: Every year at this time, fast-food restaurants roll out their Lenten offerings for meatless Fridays. Joey Morona reports McDonald’s still uses the original recipe one of its franchises in Cincinnati came up with in the early 1960s to make up for lower hamburger sales on Fridays during Lent. CLE Comedy: The third Cleveland Comedy Awards are scheduled for March 14, reports Marc Bona. A red-carpet walk will be held prior to the awards program, which is at 7 p.m. at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre. Film Fest: The Cleveland International Film Festival will present 121 feature-length films and 199 short films from 67 countries during its 11-day run at Playhouse Square from March 22 to April 1, reports Joey Morona. House of the Week: With its classic architecture, timeless beauty and idyllic setting on Lake Erie, the mansion at 12725 Lake Shore Blvd. is an historical masterpiece, reports Joey Morona. The Bratenahl residence is priced at $2.3 million. |
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Police arrest suspect in December slaying of Akron man Read more Man dies after crashing into pole in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood Read more Richmond Heights retiring police Chief Wetzel holds transition meeting with incoming interim chief Calvin Williams Read more Crash on Ohio Turnpike kills Pennsylvania woman, injures 4 others, including 3 young children Read more Orange Schools treasurer says proposed House Bill 1 may trigger House Bill 920 Read more Orange school board members agree that 1.5-mill levy should be on Nov. 7 ballot Read more Beech Brook property in Pepper Pike being sold to Heritage Classical Academy; city was also in talks to buy Read more |
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