LWV OHIO ACTION ALERT

Ask your state senator to stop making cuts to vital health, human, and other essential government services, and instead to make the responsible choice to bring more revenue into the state coffers.

 

Amended House Bill 1 (Am. HB 1) (Sykes), the biennial budget, has now passed the House, and is being considered by the Senate. But as revenue projections continue to be revised downwards, legislators seem more inclined to make drastic cuts in services rather than consider bringing in additional revenue.  At the League of Women Voters of Ohio State Convention in Dublin in May 2009, delegates passed a resolution urging the General Assembly to restore Ohio income tax rates to 2005 levels during the 2010-2011 biennium as part of a plan to ensure adequate social, human and government services for the citizens of Ohio.  This resolution reflects the League's positions on Meeting Basic Human Needs and on Government Finance, which favors a progressive income tax.  When current systems of taxation are inadequate, then our Governor and legislature must make the responsible decision to increase revenues.

 

Background

The following background information is taken from the Campaign to Protect Ohio's Future (http://www.protectohio.org/), of which the League is a member.  As submitted, the budget for FY2010-2011 includes significant cuts in human services above those cuts the Governor has already been forced to make to balance the budget. These budget reductions have already had a dramatic impact on health and human service delivery in the state. At a time when the downturn in the economy is forcing more families to seek assistance from the state and private-sector agencies, funding for these services is not available.

 

Reasons for the shortfall are: 1) The reduction in revenues that virtually all states and the country are experiencing; and 2) Changes made in the Ohio tax system in 2005 designed to remove over $2 billion in tax revenue upon full implementation. These tax changes include a reduction in business taxes and a 21% reduction in personal income taxes.  The income taxes are to be reduced over a five-year period, and 2009 is the final year.

 

While the Governor and legislature cannot control the current economic crisis, they do have it within their power to increase state revenue to help those families who have been affected by the recession and to provide enough additional revenues to support all essential health and human services and to meet basic human needs. The state faces this fiscal crisis in part because of tax changes made in 2005, particularly the 21% reduction in personal income tax rates. The Senate can stem the tide of drastic cuts by restoring some of those tax reductions.

 

Action Needed

Call or email your senator now and ask her/him to consider restoring the Ohio income tax to 2005 levels and  increasing other revenue sources for the state budget in order to ensure support for essential health and human services. Contact information for Ohio Senate members is available at www.senate.state.oh.us.

 

Talking Points

 

 

 

 

Help LWVO Track Your Advocacy Efforts

We want to know how responsive members are to action alerts and how many calls are made to the Ohio Senate.  If you take the action suggested, please let the state office know.  Please drop us an email at leg@lwvohio.org.

 

The League of Women Voters of Ohio, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.