Week in Review: Feb. 18, 2024

APPALACHIA

Coal-impacted communities can now apply for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative, according to a Tuesday announcement by the Ohio Department of Development (DOD). The POWER initiative is run by ARC in partnership with the Governor's Office of Appalachia, and targets projects that support workforce and economic development in communities affected by the downturn in the coal industry. Letters of intent are due Friday, March 1 and applications are due by Wednesday, April 17.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/URBAN REVITALIZATION

The Ohio Department of Development (DOD) announced Wednesday that 23 movie and television productions will receive more than $44 million in tax credits through the Motion Picture Tax Credit Program. The projects are expected to create 530 full-time jobs and generate nearly $503 million in production expenses, including $146.7 million in total eligible production expenses. Under the tax credit program, refundable tax credit awards represent 30 percent of production cast and crew wages and other in-state spending for eligible productions. Those can include feature-length films, documentaries, pre-Broadway productions, television series, miniseries, video games and music videos. Tax credits are awarded to television series and miniseries first, then all others, based on the positive economic impact for Ohio and the effect on permanent workforce.

POLITICS

According to new data from the personal finance website WalletHub, Ohio ranks 18th among the states with the highest political engagement among African Americans in 2024. The top three states with the highest political engagement among African Americans are Pennsylvania, Missouri and Maryland. The lowest three are Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota. WalletHub scored each state using metrics such as Black voter turnout in the 2020 presidential election and in the 2022 midterm elections, Black voter registration in the 2020 presidential election and in the 2022 midterm election, and proportional representation of Black people in the House of Representatives. Also included in the data were responses from experts in political science.

TAXATION

Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy parted company with the Ohio Supreme Court's 5-2 ruling Wednesday that the General Assembly had authority to expand cities' taxing authority beyond their territorial boundaries to collect revenue from Ohioans working from home during the COVID-19 state of emergency. The majority said while the Ohio Constitution's home rule amendment in Article XVIII, Sections 3 and 7 empowers municipalities to tax work performed within their borders, Section 13 gives the Legislature ultimate authority to limit those powers. Writing for the majority, Justice R. Patrick DeWine said uncodified language in Section 29 of coronavirus omnibus HB197 (Powell-Merrin) properly allowed employees' work from home to be "deemed to be a day performing personal services at the employee's principal place of work."

TREASURER OF STATE

Treasurer Robert Sprague's office said Tuesday that two more financial institutions have signed up for Homebuyer Plus, a program created in the biennial budget that gives Ohioans more advantageous interest rates on savings toward the purchase of a home and also qualifies them for a tax deduction on those savings. Sprague's office said Home Loan Savings Bank and Richwood Banking Company have joined the program, bringing the total participating institutions to 10. The full list of participating institutions is at http://tinyurl.com/w4hrphp6.