Latest news with #OhioLegislature
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Report: Ohio has 45 out LGBTQ people in elected offices but none at the top levels
Across Ohio, just 45 people who are out and identify as LGBTQ hold elected government positions but none of them are in statewide or congressional posts, according to a new national report. LGBTQ+ Victory Institute reported that 1,333 officeholders across the country identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. That's an increase of 200% over the eight years that the institute has been collecting data. But it is a small slice of the 520,000 elected offices across the country. To reach parity, another 47,000 LGBTQ people would need to be elected, the institute estimates. The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, founded in 1991, endorses and supports candidates for elected offices. 'This year's Out for America report shows the resilience of our LGBTQ+ elected leaders. Despite hateful rhetoric plaguing the 2024 election cycle, LGBTQ+ elected officials won at the ballot box and made history,' said LGBTQ+ Victory Institute President & CEO Evan Low in a written statement. Ohio's neighbors Michigan and Pennsylvania have 62 and 66 LGBTQ officeholders, respectively. Kentucky has 13, West Virginia six and Indiana one. Most of Ohio's 45 out elected officeholders are serving in local government positions, such as school boards and city councils. Nationally, the number of LGBTQ+ state legislators has grown by 123% from 109 to 243. But the Ohio Legislature hasn't seen any increase. Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, was the first out LGBTQ person elected to the Ohio General Assembly in 2010. She is the only out person among the 132 state lawmakers. Antonio has introduced the Ohio Fairness Act in every legislative session since 2011. It would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment and public spaces. It has yet to be adopted. The Victory Institute reported that Ohio has four out LGBTQ judges among more than 700 judgeships. The four include: Shawn Dingus of the 10th District Court of Appeals, Bill Hedrick of Franklin County Municipal Court, Jeff Mackey of Franklin County Common Pleas Court and Mary Wiseman of Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. Wiseman was elected to the bench in 2007 and previously served on the Dayton City Commission from 1998 to 2002. State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@ and @lbischoff on X. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How many LGBTQ people hold elected offices in Ohio?
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
When does no tax on overtime start in Ohio? What to know about Trump's campaign promise
The "big, beautiful bill" approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in a late-night vote in February included a tease for U.S. workers: seeking $4.5 trillion in tax breaks. Eliminating taxes on overtime was one of several popular promises made by President Trump on the campaign trail, which included not only no taxes on overtime pay, but also no taxes on tips and no taxes on Social Security benefits. While the resolution seeks $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next 10 years, what it does not have is any policy or bill to end taxes on tips, overtime wages and Social Security benefits. Here's what is happening and what it might mean to you. During his campaign, Trump said he would support legislation to eliminate taxes on overtime pay, saying it could provide more people with the incentive to work. "The people who work overtime are among the hardest working citizens in our country, and for too long, no one in Washington has been looking out for them," he said during a rally in September 2024. Then-Vice President-elect JD Vance also said in September 2024 that both income and payroll taxes would be eliminated on overtime pay for hourly workers. Ohio's overtime laws are based on the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires non-exempt employees be paid overtime for working more than 40 hours in a work week. There are exemptions to overtime pay found in the Ohio Revised Code, such as travel time to and from work and other activities prior to or after the primary job. To calculate overtime, regular pay is multiplied by at least 1.5. On Jan. 1, most salaried workers who make less than $1,128 per week (or $58,656 per year) became eligible for overtime pay. A bill to deduct overtime pay from state income taxes was introduced in November but didn't pass before the Ohio Legislature's session ended in December. It returned this year as House Bill 39, co-sponsored by Reps. Tex Fischer (R-Boardman) and Nick Santucci (R-Niles). The bill has been assigned to a House committee, but has yet to have a hearing. Without taxes on overtime, workers have the potential to take home more of their total pay. Most employees who work more than 40 hours in a seven-day workweek must be paid overtime. Overtime pay must be at least 1.5 times the employee's regular hourly rate. Overtime pay in most cases is not required for hours worked over eight in a single day, however. Trump hasn't provided many details, and the House budget plan does not include specific language about removing taxes on overtime pay. In fact, the budget resolution actually is a 'blueprint to guide Congressional action on budget-related legislation' and 'does not provide funding for federal programs or change tax law,' according to the Congressional Budget Office Passing the House budget resolution is one of the first steps for Trump's tax-cut priorities, which include extending his 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay and Social Security benefits, according to Reuters. However, many people, including firefighters, police officers, and military personnel who often earn additional income working overtime, could benefit if a plan is implemented, said Lisa Greene-Lewis, CPA and TurboTax expert. Certified public accountant Richard Pon told USA TODAY 'the proposal will likely be abused. Some (people) get overtime at double or even triple time, so there will be an incentive for employers, including business owners, to classify their income as overtime.' In previous interviews, Trump has said his plan would include unspecified "guardrails" that 'could limit these behavioral effects.' The House narrowly passed — in a 217-215 vote — its budget plan, but that doesn't mean it goes into effect immediately. The Senate approved a competing resolution earlier in the month, and now a compromise bill needs to be worked out, a process that in the past has taken so long it causes a government shutdown. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated not taxing overtime would reduce government revenue by $250 billion to $1.4 trillion, and by $1 trillion to $5 trillion if all workers eligible for the tax cut switched to hourly, according to a report from September. Contributing: Joyce Orlando, Medora Lee, Maria Francis, USA Today Network This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Overtime tax continues. Here's what Trump said, Ohio rules for OT pay
Washington Post
13-02-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Veteran state lawmaker Kristina Roegner launches 2026 bid for Ohio treasurer
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Republican Ohio Sen. Kristina Roegner, a veteran state lawmaker with fiscal oversight experience and a background in finance, announced Thursday that she is running for state treasurer. Roegner, 56, of Hudson in northeast Ohio, is just finishing up 14 years in the Ohio Legislature — four terms in the Ohio House and two terms in the Ohio Senate — where she said she has focused on the state's regulatory and occupational licensure systems, financial matters, tax cuts and government efficiency.
