Since Kasich released his plan to expand Ohio’s sales tax to nearly every service-based business in Ohio, feedback from Ohio’s traditionally Republican-supporting business organizations has been almost entirely negative.
The Ohio Bar Association and the Ohio Association of Realtors have publicly come out against the plan, and yesterday 19 other business and trade organizations representing car dealers to bowling alley owners to criminal defense lawyers testified against the plan in front of the Ohio House.
Those testifying included representatives for:
- American Council of Engineering Companies of Ohio
- American Society of Travel Agents Mid-America Chapter
- Association of Life Insurance Companies
- Bowling Centers Association of Ohio
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- COO of Fresh Encounter
- Great Lakes Publishing
- Greater Ohio Showmen’s Association
- Ohio AAA Clubs
- Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Ohio Association of Health Plans
- Ohio Association of Health Underwriters
- Ohio Association of REALTORs
- Ohio Automobile Dealers Association
- Ohio Coin Machine Association
- Ohio Insurance Institute
- Ohio Receivables Management Association
- Ohio Society of CPAs
- Ohio Veterinary Medical Association
Only two groups showed up on Tuesday to provide proponent testimony, and both of them are progressive: One Ohio Now and Center for Community Solutions. Both organizations support generating more revenue for government services but agreed that the sales tax should be combined with other measures to make it less regressive.
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