Catholic Conference of Ohio The official voice of the Catholic Church in Ohio on matters of public policy and government relations.

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified this week in support of two bills. HB6 would ensure fairness in sports by requiring schools to designate separate teams for participants according to their biological sex. CCO affirmed the bill’s alignment with the Church’s teaching about the equality of men and women and the need to create equitable opportunities for biological females to compete in sports. The Conference also expressed that harassment or unjust discrimination of those experiencing gender identity discordance is unequivocally wrong. In addition, CCO delivered a second round of proponent testimony on HB33 to expand the threshold for a family to receive an Ed Choice Income-Based Scholarship to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Catholic schools represent the largest system of nonpublic schools in Ohio. CCO again stressed the need to address issues in school transportation as well as necessary increases to auxiliary service funds, nonpublic administrative cost reimbursement, funding levels in the categories of disabilities, and tax credit for giving to scholarship granting organizations.

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified this week on HB33, affirming the Governor’s proposal to expand the threshold for a family to receive an Ed Choice Income-Based Scholarship to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. As a long-standing champion for school choice and advocate for the largest system of nonpublic schools in Ohio with 374 Catholic schools and over 109,000 students, CCO stressed the need to address issues in school transportation as well as necessary increases to auxiliary service funds, nonpublic administrative cost reimbursement, funding levels in the categories of disabilities, and tax credit for giving to scholarship granting organizations.

The Catholic Conference of Ohio commends Governor DeWine for proposing significant investments in Ohio’s children and families through his Executive Budget. The budget proposes a $2,500 per child state tax deduction. For several years, the CCO and USCCB have advocated for a child tax credit on the state and national levels. Further, Governor DeWine’s proposal eliminates the state sales tax for vital infant supplies, such as diapers, strollers, and car seats. In education, the budget calls for expanding Ohio’s EdChoice scholarship program to families at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. If enacted, more Ohio families can access the school of their choice, including Catholic schools. The budget also provides funding for school safety resource officers and increases past budget line items for public and private school students. Other measures that the CCO supports include the expansion of Ohio’s Bold Beginning Initiative and incentives to create more affordable housing options.

With these proposals, the Governor’s budget affirms the Catholic Church’s teaching that the family must be supported and strengthened through just public policies. The Catholic Conference of Ohio looks forward to advocating for these proposals in the months ahead, along with other measures that assist families with children in Catholic schools and programs that help poor and vulnerable Ohioans.