Greater Ohio Policy Center

06/17/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/17/2021 10:33

#GOPCThread: An Update on Ongoing Activity at the Ohio Statehouse

This week we are devoting our #GOPCThread to taking a look at some of the recent activity occurring in the Ohio state legislature that impacts Greater Ohio's work and communities across Ohio.

Not on Twitter? The thread is available online as well as below.

Greater Ohio Policy Center Read on Twitter

This week's #GOPCThread is a brief legislative update about some of the important work that has been underway at the Ohio Statehouse. Lawmakers have been busy working on a number of bills important to @GreaterOhio, and this thread will update you on the status of that work.

The #OhioHouse recently passed House Bill 157 (HB157), one of two bills introduced this year to end the freeze on municipal income tax sourcing. The other bill, Senate Bill 97 (SB97) has received a single hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

For more on the specifics of the proposed policies and our financial projections of their fall out, see our April 2021 #GOPCThread

GOPC has actively opposed efforts at the #OH Statehouse to implement this repeal, twice, offering testimony in the House Ways & Means Committee in opposition of HB157 #GOPCThread

Cities have noted that not only could it result in cuts to critical services like policy and fire services, but threatens long-term economic development arrangements cities have made with businesses tied to job creation #GOPCThread

While #OhioHouse lawmakers were at work on HB157, members of the #OhioSenate were busy making changes to the state operating budget for the next two years. The Senate made a number of changes to House Bill 110 (HB110) that are of significant concern to us #GOPCThread

Under the Senate-version of HB110, individuals who have been working remotely since the start of the pandemic would be able to request a refund of income taxes paid in the city their workplace is located, if different from their city of residence, CY20 & CY21 #GOPCThread

Senate leaders also slipped an amendment into HB110 that would have a devastating impact on OH's affordable housing stock. In the midst of a growing affordable housing shortage, the proposal would require subsidized rental property to be valued for tax purposes at market rent…

This proposal is similar to legislation introduced last year & would warp OHs property tax valuation system in an inequitable manner, applying that inequitable method against only 1 type of property - properties that are designed to house our most vulnerable citizens #GOPCThread

Lawmakers are currently discussing the state budget in conference committee. Contact your lawmakers today and urge them to remove the muni income tax changes & affordable housing property tax issues currently included in the budget #GOPCThread

This week, the House took-up a Senate bill that would study where brownfields are in OH. While funding for brownfield revitalization was not included, GOPC is not giving-up in our quest to secure a permanent, dedicated source of funding for the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund.

That wrap's up our legislative update. If you want to learn more about bills currently pending in the legislature, be sure to check our bill tracker on the GOPC website, which is updated every Friday while the legislature is in session #GOPCThread