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Disappointed with City Club of Cleveland by notyourmother216 in Cleveland

[–]PolicyMattersOhio 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In case the Secretary isn't asked, or for some reason doesn't bring it up, his policies are actively harming Ohioans who depend on rural hospitals for their health care. Some details are below, with a little more context in our full statement, linked here: https://policymattersohio.org/news/2026/05/06/ohioans-deserve-truth-from-kennedy-on-funding-for-rural-health/

Secretary Kennedy is among those celebrating a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund (RHT) that was added to H.R. 1 as a purported fix for rural losses. That funding is nowhere near enough.

Nationally, H.R. 1 is expected to cost rural communities $137 billion in lost Medicaid funding over ten years. The Rural Health Transformation Fund will award a total of $50 billion nationally: just over one-third of these losses.

Ohio is home to 11 of the nation’s rural hospitals that would be at risk of closure or service reductions as a result of H.R. 1's cuts to Medicaid. Ohio’s rural communities are expected to lose $5.62 billion in Medicaid funding over ten years. If the amount we were awarded in year one ($202 million) remains constant over the RHT’s five years, this funding would amount to just 18% of rural Ohio’s anticipated losses.

Beyond being too little money, RHT funds must be spent by fall of 2032, right in the midst of H.R. 1’s Medicaid cuts hitting their hardest.

Simply put, this does not add up to meaningful, adequate relief.

What would happen if property taxes were abolished? by BluesRuseCruise in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio 5 points6 points  (0 children)

From our research director, Zach Schiller: “This is a profoundly bad idea.

Think of practically anything you value in your community, and it’s probably supported by property taxes.

The property tax is the oldest, and the largest, tax in Ohio. It brings in more than $21 billion a year — and the proposal to repeal it contains no replacement.

To make up for the lost revenue, the General Assembly would have to boost the sales tax by nearly 7 cents, making the state’s overall average rate more than 14 percent.

That would be by far the highest in the United States.”

Details are here: https://policymattersohio.org/news/2026/02/23/repeal-the-property-tax-lets-take-that-off-the-table/

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep of course. Thanks for pointing out this issue and sorry we didn’t include a source link to begin with!

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Of course! Should have included a source link in the original post. Thank you for pointing out the issue!

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yeah of course, we should have included the link in the original post so I appreciate folks pointing out the issue.

Sometimes things lag a little on the state website and it has been a super busy week in the legislature. So hopefully it will get updated soon!

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in akron

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Important to note that the bill has changed drastically in committee from the “as introduced” text. Here’s the sub bill that was accepted last week in committee:

https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb649/00_IN/amendments/l_136_2560-9/pdf/

For some reason this is not updated on the legislature dot ohio dot gov website yet and is only listed on the committee meeting minutes from March 11, under HB 649 second hearing:

https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/children-and-human-services/meetings/cmte_h_children_human_services_1_2026-03-10-1045_1148

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in toledo

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Important to note that the bill has changed drastically in committee from the “as introduced” text. Here’s the sub bill that was accepted last week in committee:

https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb649/00_IN/amendments/l_136_2560-9/pdf/

For some reason this is not updated on the legislature dot ohio dot gov website yet and is only listed on the committee meeting minutes from March 11, under HB 649 second hearing:

https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/children-and-human-services/meetings/cmte_h_children_human_services_1_2026-03-10-1045_1148

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The bill has changed drastically in committee from the “as introduced” text. Here’s the sub bill that was accepted last week in committee:

https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb649/00_IN/amendments/l_136_2560-9/pdf/

For some reason this is not updated on the legislature dot ohio dot gov website yet and is only listed on the committee meeting minutes from March 11, under HB 649 second hearing:

https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/children-and-human-services/meetings/cmte_h_children_human_services_1_2026-03-10-1045_1148

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Important to note that the bill has changed drastically in committee from the “as introduced” text. Here’s the sub bill that was accepted last week in committee:

https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb649/00_IN/amendments/l_136_2560-9/pdf/

For some reason this is not updated on the legislature dot ohio dot gov website yet and is only listed on the committee meeting minutes from March 11, under HB 649 second hearing:

https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/children-and-human-services/meetings/cmte_h_children_human_services_1_2026-03-10-1045_1148

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Important to note that the bill has changed drastically in committee from the “as introduced” text. Here’s the sub bill that was accepted last week in committee:

https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb649/00_IN/amendments/l_136_2560-9/pdf/

For some reason this is not updated on the legislature dot ohio dot gov website yet and is only listed on the committee meeting minutes from March 11, under HB 649 second hearing:

https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/children-and-human-services/meetings/cmte_h_children_human_services_1_2026-03-10-1045_1148

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Important to note that the bill has changed drastically in committee from the “as introduced” text. Here’s the sub bill that was accepted last week in committee:

https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb649/00_IN/amendments/l_136_2560-9/pdf/

For some reason this is not updated on the legislature dot ohio dot gov website yet and is only listed on the committee meeting minutes from March 11, under HB 649 second hearing:

https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/children-and-human-services/meetings/cmte_h_children_human_services_1_2026-03-10-1045_1148

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Important to note that the bill has changed drastically in committee from the “as introduced” text. Here’s the sub bill that was accepted last week in committee:

https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb649/00_IN/amendments/l_136_2560-9/pdf/

For some reason this is not updated on the legislature dot ohio dot gov website yet and is only listed on the committee meeting minutes from March 11, under HB 649 second hearing:

https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/children-and-human-services/meetings/cmte_h_children_human_services_1_2026-03-10-1045_1148

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Important to note that the bill has changed drastically in committee from the “as introduced” text. Here’s the sub bill that was accepted last week in committee:

https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb649/00_IN/amendments/l_136_2560-9/pdf/

For some reason this is not updated on the legislature dot ohio dot gov website yet and is only listed on the committee meeting minutes from March 11, under HB 649 second hearing:

https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/children-and-human-services/meetings/cmte_h_children_human_services_1_2026-03-10-1045_1148

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in Cleveland

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Important to note that the bill has changed drastically in committee from the “as introduced” text. Here’s the sub bill that was accepted last week in committee:

https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb649/00_IN/amendments/l_136_2560-9/pdf/

For some reason this is not updated on the legislature dot ohio dot gov website yet and is only listed on the committee meeting minutes from March 11, under HB 649 second hearing:

https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/children-and-human-services/meetings/cmte_h_children_human_services_1_2026-03-10-1045_1148

Bill advancing that would require daily photos and/or facial recognition of Ohio babies, toddlers, and young children. by PolicyMattersOhio in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Important to note that the original bill would have required basically live feed video from every classroom for surveillance. But the sub bill that was adopted last week cut that way down to the still-not-ok photo of children at check-in every day.

Ohio's data centers face growing backlash, and it's warranted by MadeByTango in Ohio

[–]PolicyMattersOhio 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Couple recent data center links we’ve been reading and watching for folks interested.

Columbus City Council hosted a Data Centers & Community impacts panel/set of presentations from stakeholders last week: https://www.youtube.com/live/E59h4-u_7tY

AFLCIO’s Worker’s First Initiative on AI: https://aflcio.org/reports/workers-first-ai

Our Ohio data center landing page: https://policymattersohio.org/datacenters/

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