Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) has released a revised Public Policy Platform for 2020-2021, "Building a Greater Ohio".

Through advocacy, research, outreach, and education, GOPC strives to create a policy and political climate that allows communities to stabilize and thrive for statewide economic growth. It is imperative that state policymakers be well informed about the issues and opportunities facing Ohio. 

GOPC previously released its policy platform in February. However, 2020 has been a period of unprecedented challenges for Ohio and the nation. Each month has seemingly presented a new crisis. But out of those challenges are opportunities—opportunities for reform and growth to build a Greater Ohio. To that end, GOPC has reexamined our policy platform and has made several revisions in response to the challenged presented by the coronavirus pandemic. 

GOPC remains committed to our long-standing policy commitments, with focus on three priority areas, including: 

• Investing in Brownfields. Ohio has made great progress in the past year with the enactment of a bona fide prospective purchase defense law. Now, as efforts are underway to reshore companies and people are considering moving out of the country’s largest cities, it is imperative to enhance opportunities for job growth and strengthen quality of life throughout Ohio by investing in brownfield redevelopment.

• Innovating Infrastructure & Transportation. The coronavirus pandemic has illustrated the importance of a diversified transportation network to move people, goods, and services. The pandemic has also exposed a major challenge that puts us at a competitive disadvantage—uneven broadband access across the state. Ohio needs innovative strategies and funding to provide for modern infrastructure.

• Empowering Ohio's Legacy Cities. We are living though unprecedented times which create many challenges—and opportunities– for Ohio’s legacy communities. Legacy communities in Ohio were the engines of our countries prosperity for decades. Despite population loss and economic shifts, today these older industrial communities remain the home of millions of people and continue to be important contributors of new economic activity. Assisting Ohio’s legacy communities transition to be prepared for new economic realities must be a partnership between local and state leaders, with local leaders making and executing revitalization plans that guide state investment and support.

Through this revised policy platform, GOPC is also focusing on emerging issues which have arisen as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and will be vital to protecting Ohioans and our cities, including: 

• Preserve Long-Term City Investments: Now is not the time to change how income taxes are collected in Ohio. Ohio’s income tax structure has been in place for over six decades and municipal governments have built their entire approach to investing in businesses and residents around this model. Maintaining a suspension of the ‘20-day Rule’ is vital for cities and helps to ensure all Ohioans are able to safely limit the spread of the coronavirus.

• Protect Ohio Families Through Housing: Stable homes help create stable neighborhoods and communities. While eviction and foreclosure moratoriums delayed displacement, thousands of Ohioans are at risk of losing their homes. Rental assistance programs for low-and-medium income households and providing access to low-rate, patient, risk-tolerant capital are important steps Ohio must take to not only protect families and neighborhoods, but help restart and maintain our economy.

Responding to this crisis has required leadership at all levels – federal, state and local. That is why it is important as we head into the 2020 election season that policymakers at the local, state and national level be well informed about the issues and opportunities facing Ohio.

With our updated policy platform as a guide, GOPC has posted a series of questions that we believe candidates should have answers for going into the 2020 election.

Both the Policy Platform as well as the Candidate Questions are accessible through the Policy Tab on the GOPC website. PDF downloads are available of both documents.

The deadline to register to vote is Monday, October 5. If you have not already done so, click this link to find out how. Early voting begins the next day, Tuesday, October 6. Hours very as we move closer to Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 3. To learn more about early voting, visit our previous blog post. To request an absentee ballot, visit the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.