Democratic leaders rally for funds at Senate forum
Dozens of Democratic statewide leaders and progressive advocates gathered at the Statehouse on Thursday for a number of issues-based panel discussions intended to influence the state’s upcoming budget.
Human services, education, labor and local government were among the topics discussed during the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus Budget Forum. For each panel, a senator moderated and participants lobbied for and spread awareness about budget items.
Among the panelists was Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, who railed against tax cuts that she said have eroded trust between cities and the state. Speaking on the Local Government and Taxes panel, the gubernatorial candidate criticized state leaders, saying they have pulled the financial rug from under small communities.
“The tax shift they’ve put in place over the past 15 years made it very difficult for communities to get the job done on the ground,” Whaley said. “I don’t think Ohioans are happy with where their lives are compared to eight or 10 years ago. They are not better off ... When you have a state that is literally at war with its local communities, and it’s not investing in that, you have a big problem.”
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