1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

This state operating budget is an irresponsible and short-sighted effort that fails to prioritize the needs of everyday Ohioans. It recklessly guts funding for critical areas like public education, Medicaid, childcare, and programs supporting clean water and lead abatement. At the same time, it funnels millions into private school vouchers that disproportionately benefit the wealthy while attacking the LGBTQ+ community and workers' rights. Rather than dismantling the bipartisan school funding formula and forcing repeated levies, we should be increasing investments in our public schools attended by 90% of Ohio children. Cutting childcare access for working families and making it easier to kick people off Medicaid is cruel and counterproductive. Slashing library funding and rolling back marijuana tax allocations to local communities disregards the will of voters. This budget prioritizes corporate handouts like $600 million for a new Browns stadium over funding food banks and programs that support struggling Ohioans. It's fiscally irresponsible to jeopardize the state's credit rating for such an unpopular giveaway opposed by local leaders. Instead of attacking minority businesses and labor rights, we should promote policies that create economic opportunity for all. Ohioans deserve a budget that truly puts people first by investing in education, healthcare, clean air and water, and community services - not one that benefits the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of working families. I urge you to reject this misguided budget and instead champion real solutions that uplift all our citizens.