· February 3, 2013

IO Week In Review – February 3, 2013 edition

Feel out of the loop? Here is your chance to catch up on what we’re watching this week. School Funding Days before the Governor unveiled his new school funding plan, we released new research showing that Kasich budget cuts = $1.1 billion in new school levies. Later, we took a look at the initial outlines of the Governor’s plan, which appears to provide no additional permanent funds for schools, locking in the historic cuts of 2011 and promising more frequent levies are the new reality. Fair Elections With states like Virginia and Indiana recently taking steps to follow the Republican playbook to rig how electoral votes are counted in presidential elections, we brought you the video of Secretary of State Jon Husted seemingly suggesting that Ohio do the same. Husted has since backed away, joined this week by Governor Kasich and other top Ohio GOP officials. Our newest intern, Ben Williams, outlined new election reform legislation from State Senator Nina Turner. Economy and Jobs We also looked at Republican efforts around the country to eliminate income taxes, replacing them with much more regressive sales tax hikes. With Governor Kasich’s budget set to be unveiled Monday, this is a trend worth watching. We spotlighted how the Kasich administration and the PUCO have lost their way and Ohio consumers are paying the price. We cautioned that any right to work campaign in Ohio could lead to depressed wages, less benefits, and greater inequality for all workers, not just unionized ones. It’s Budget Time Read our preview of the state budget, set to be introduced tomorrow and expect much more from us in the coming weeks. Don’t forget to ‘Like’ us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute analysis and commentary.