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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2009 > June > 23
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Four House Dems want tax hikes “on the table”
Four House Democrats broke ranks with the Statehouse’s “no tax hike” mantra on Tuesday, June 23.
The four, including Rep. Mike Foley of Cleveland, a Dayton-area native, said tax increases must be considered as part of the solution to the $3.2 billion shortfall in the proposed state budget.
The other three were: Reps. Ted Celeste of Grandview Heights; Dan Stewart of Columbus and Robert Hagan of Youngstown.
Their possible solutions included rolling back some of the personal income tax rate reductions - particularly for the wealthiest Ohioans - that were part of the 2005 overhaul of the tax code.
“We all agree that there should be a sharing of the pain,” said Celeste.
They all said that the $2.4 billion in cuts proposed by Gov. Ted Strickland would inflict too much pain on those least able to bear it. Strickland also wants to raise revenue by putting video slot machines at racetracks.
House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, leader of the four, remains opposed to tax hikes, said Keary McCarthy, his spokesman.
“The Speaker doesn’t think tax increases on Ohioans is the best approach during an economic downturn,” said McCarthy. “He appreciates his colleagues’ willingness to present solutions during a difficult budget.”
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Poll: Dems doing well in U.S. Senate race
A new poll by Public Policy Polling finds that Democrats have a slight edge in the race for the U.S. Senate, with 32 percent of Ohio voters viewing Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher favorably; 32 percent viewing Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner favorably and only 22 percent viewing Republican Rob Portman favorably.
Thirty-one, percent, meanwhile, viewed Democrat Fisher unfavorably; 32 percent viewed Brunner unfavorably and 34 percent viewed Portman unfavorably, according to the poll of 619 Ohio voters taken from June 17 to June 19.
Fisher and Brunner also lead Portman in matchups among those polled. In a race between Fisher and Portman, Fisher holds a 41-32 percent edge. In a matchup between Brunner and Portman, Brunner holds a 40-32 lead.
More than half of independents, meanwhile, had no opinion about Fisher or Portman. Forty-four percent had no opinion of Brunner.
The automated telephone poll has a margin of error of 3.9 percent.
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Voinovich to meet Sotomayor
The White House just released its schedule for Judge Sonia Sotomayor for Tuesday, June 23, and one of Ohio’s U.S. senators is on the list.
Sotomayor, the White House’s Supreme Court nominee, will meet with Sen. George Voinovich around 2:30 p.m, his office confirmed. Voinovich is not on the Senate Judiciary Committee, but Sotomayor is meeting with a variety of senators as her nomination awaits Senate approval.
She will also meet with Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., Tim Johnson, D-S.D., Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Mark Warner, D-Va. today, according to the White House.
“Sen. Voinovich is looking forward to meeting with Judge Sotomayor today as he continues to review her impartiality, integrity, legal expertise and judicial temperament,” said Voinovich spokeswoman Garrette Silverman.
