There are no tax cuts in Gov. Mike DeWine’s first budget. Lawmakers may change that when they introduce their version of it soon. But they probably won’t change the $19.2 billion in tax credits and loopholes in it. Two politically opposite researchers are concerned about those tax breaks.
Wendy Patton with the left-leaning Policy Matters Ohio said tax credits and exemptions have grown nearly 18 percent over the last five budgets, even though spending on education, local governments and many human services has fallen.
“I think that people come into their office and they say that if you give us a tax break we will create jobs," Patton said.
Greg Lawson from the conservative Buckeye Institute agreed that there are nearly two billion in tax breaks that should be cut because they’re unfair.
“We need to really get serious tighten these things up and get real with what is real tax reform not just a break here and there," Lawson said.
But Lawson said if loopholes are shut down, he wants more tax cuts, while Patton advocates for more funding for education and infrastructure.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the tax credits and loopholes total $19.2 billion.
