WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:01.960
<v Speaker 1>People are mad as hell when they got that most

2
00:00:01.960 --> 00:00:05.639
<v Speaker 1>recent tax bill, and people are really demanding answers and

3
00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:08.199
<v Speaker 1>looking for solutions to how to solve the problems so

4
00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:10.839
<v Speaker 1>we don't get whacked like that again. I understand you'd

5
00:00:10.839 --> 00:00:13.080
<v Speaker 1>be talking about this at Thursday evening at the Empower

6
00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:13.640
<v Speaker 1>Youth Seminar.

7
00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:18.079
<v Speaker 2>Yes, that's correct, and you are absolutely correct. A lot

8
00:00:18.120 --> 00:00:23.399
<v Speaker 2>of anger out there, and particularly with seniors on fixed incomes.

9
00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:24.199
<v Speaker 2>You are right about that.

10
00:00:24.600 --> 00:00:27.120
<v Speaker 1>So I understand there's a ten member joint committee on

11
00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:30.960
<v Speaker 1>property tax reform you are heading it up. Are you

12
00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:34.240
<v Speaker 1>looking for people to show up to offer their concerns,

13
00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:36.679
<v Speaker 1>problems and solutions, or are you going to be providing

14
00:00:36.679 --> 00:00:40.439
<v Speaker 1>information about potential legislative fixes what's going to take place.

15
00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:44.439
<v Speaker 2>So I'm happy to go over elements of the report.

16
00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:46.840
<v Speaker 2>And I should qualify this by saying I'm a co

17
00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:53.280
<v Speaker 2>chair Representative Bill Romer, who's the House Ways and Means Chairman,

18
00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:55.600
<v Speaker 2>And I should also clarify the Ways and Means Committee

19
00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:57.799
<v Speaker 2>is the committee that deals with taxes. I chair the

20
00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:01.079
<v Speaker 2>Senate Ways and Means Committee. I think at this point

21
00:01:01.159 --> 00:01:04.760
<v Speaker 2>the focus is going to be more on what we

22
00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:09.200
<v Speaker 2>should be doing going forward and Admittedly, you know, myself

23
00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:13.040
<v Speaker 2>and other members of the General Assembly, we didn't wait

24
00:01:13.079 --> 00:01:15.879
<v Speaker 2>for the report to come out before we started dropping

25
00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:21.000
<v Speaker 2>legislation in attempts to address this, even last General Assembly.

26
00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:23.920
<v Speaker 2>So but I also hope to like clear up some

27
00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:28.319
<v Speaker 2>you know, misconceptions with with what's going on, what we

28
00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:30.680
<v Speaker 2>can and can't do. You know, a good example of

29
00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:32.680
<v Speaker 2>that is, you know, people will say, well, why can't

30
00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:37.040
<v Speaker 2>you just freeze property taxes? And you know a big

31
00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:40.079
<v Speaker 2>issue with that is, well, a lot of these provisions

32
00:01:40.120 --> 00:01:42.319
<v Speaker 2>in the constitutions, so you'd have to go to the

33
00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:45.359
<v Speaker 2>ballot in order to repeal them, if you if that

34
00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:46.879
<v Speaker 2>was something that we were going to do.

35
00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:50.439
<v Speaker 1>Okay, and my what are the springboards? And this has

36
00:01:50.439 --> 00:01:52.400
<v Speaker 1>to be the Supreme Court case from I guess two

37
00:01:52.439 --> 00:01:56.200
<v Speaker 1>decades ago declaring that the funding of schools was unconstitution

38
00:01:56.319 --> 00:01:58.359
<v Speaker 1>Yet there's been no change that the line's share of

39
00:01:58.359 --> 00:02:01.680
<v Speaker 1>our property taxes is goes to the schools.

40
00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:05.920
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so so now you know where I'll be going

41
00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:13.520
<v Speaker 2>in this budget discussion. You're right, in fact, when as

42
00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:18.400
<v Speaker 2>introduced budget passes and there's some nuance to this. But

43
00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:21.439
<v Speaker 2>if that let's say that passes, and is our school

44
00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:27.960
<v Speaker 2>funding formula going forward, the state versus local share split

45
00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:32.120
<v Speaker 2>will be lower than it actually was during d'olf, So,

46
00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:34.680
<v Speaker 2>in other words, that during d'off I think it was

47
00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:37.960
<v Speaker 2>in the low forties, So, in other words, forty percent

48
00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.439
<v Speaker 2>of the funding came from the state, sixty from locals.

49
00:02:41.879 --> 00:02:46.439
<v Speaker 2>If this school funding formula goes through, it'll be, I

50
00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:51.439
<v Speaker 2>believe in the load of mid thirties. So obviously we

51
00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:54.479
<v Speaker 2>need to, you know, fix that. And for what it's worth,

52
00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:57.439
<v Speaker 2>the formula that is being phased in, if we fully

53
00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:01.039
<v Speaker 2>phased it in, it is, in my least in my estimation,

54
00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:05.400
<v Speaker 2>a fully constant formula. I think you'd find the school

55
00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:08.479
<v Speaker 2>districts would say the same thing. But yes, you are,

56
00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:12.680
<v Speaker 2>You are absolutely right that that is a huge piece

57
00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:14.560
<v Speaker 2>of this in the sense that if you do more

58
00:03:14.599 --> 00:03:17.599
<v Speaker 2>at the state level, it's not like school districts like

59
00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:20.159
<v Speaker 2>going to the ballot. I think there'd be a lot

60
00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:21.039
<v Speaker 2>less pressure to.

61
00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:24.960
<v Speaker 1>Do so, okay, so fewer levees, then fewer tax levee

62
00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:30.680
<v Speaker 1>ballot initiatives. Absolutely, well, that's I'm sure that it sounds

63
00:03:30.680 --> 00:03:32.919
<v Speaker 1>like that's going to be welcome for my listening audience,

64
00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:35.759
<v Speaker 1>and of late, most of them get shot down because

65
00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:39.280
<v Speaker 1>people's property tax burden is just you know, it's just

66
00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:41.759
<v Speaker 1>it's too challenging, so they're less likely to vote to

67
00:03:42.280 --> 00:03:45.439
<v Speaker 1>maybe vote for a levee that is actually needed. Some

68
00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:48.360
<v Speaker 1>view them as not unneeded in many cases. But that's

69
00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:51.759
<v Speaker 1>up to our voters to decide. But now, how will

70
00:03:51.800 --> 00:03:54.319
<v Speaker 1>this help in terms of tax relief for the taxpayer?

71
00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:57.000
<v Speaker 1>Since the fundamental issue is here the bottom line, what

72
00:03:57.039 --> 00:03:59.039
<v Speaker 1>do we have to pay in terms of taxes?

73
00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:02.840
<v Speaker 2>If you're you're looking at fixing the school funding formula,

74
00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:05.599
<v Speaker 2>that would be something that I would say is more

75
00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:10.039
<v Speaker 2>in the future, a fix that would be more future

76
00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:14.000
<v Speaker 2>looking and it's not going to offer immediate relief. But

77
00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:16.879
<v Speaker 2>that said, there are a number of bills in the

78
00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:21.160
<v Speaker 2>General Assembly, some of which I carry, that would offer

79
00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:26.839
<v Speaker 2>immediate relief. I still maintain the three best ideas are

80
00:04:27.639 --> 00:04:33.120
<v Speaker 2>one the property tax circuit breaker to an expanded homestead exemption,

81
00:04:33.879 --> 00:04:37.720
<v Speaker 2>and three a property tax deferral program and some other

82
00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:39.560
<v Speaker 2>states do that. To give you an idea, how that

83
00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:44.959
<v Speaker 2>works is that the state creates a large fund and

84
00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:48.160
<v Speaker 2>you apply, and let's say you're a senior on fixed income,

85
00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:52.120
<v Speaker 2>for example, your property taxes would be free at their

86
00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:56.279
<v Speaker 2>current level, and the state would then take on the

87
00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:59.600
<v Speaker 2>burden as they continue to go up. But then either

88
00:04:59.639 --> 00:05:03.000
<v Speaker 2>when you pass away or sell the home, the state

89
00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:08.879
<v Speaker 2>would then recoup the lost out revenue via a lean

90
00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:09.680
<v Speaker 2>on the property.

91
00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:12.600
<v Speaker 1>That seems logical. I mean that mechanism at least the

92
00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:14.959
<v Speaker 1>state is not out this money completely, like it's some

93
00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:18.439
<v Speaker 1>sort of government program to just pay for things for people,

94
00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:20.439
<v Speaker 1>but you get the money back when the house is

95
00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:22.319
<v Speaker 1>sold or the estate is disposed.

96
00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:26.360
<v Speaker 2>That's exactly right, I mean, it was. The basic gist

97
00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:29.240
<v Speaker 2>of it is that if you have a lot of

98
00:05:29.319 --> 00:05:31.439
<v Speaker 2>equity in your home, which a lot of seniors do,

99
00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:35.560
<v Speaker 2>they're able to tap into that early, which I think

100
00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:38.800
<v Speaker 2>the vast majority of them would say, we're totally for that.

101
00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:42.959
<v Speaker 1>All right. The lean would be established upfront, so they

102
00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:45.439
<v Speaker 1>couldn't so get like a second mortgage and get all

103
00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:47.759
<v Speaker 1>the equity out of the home and leave in debt.

104
00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:51.920
<v Speaker 2>Correct. And there's a lot of guardrails that would have

105
00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.720
<v Speaker 2>to be in place for this. But the state, the

106
00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:57.480
<v Speaker 2>state that did this, well, there's two of them that

107
00:05:57.519 --> 00:06:01.120
<v Speaker 2>did it. One is Maine, the other's Minnesota. The draft

108
00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:04.079
<v Speaker 2>that I have is based on Maine, though I have

109
00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:07.560
<v Speaker 2>not introduced that at this moment because it was well

110
00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:11.560
<v Speaker 2>at the time, there was some talk of which who

111
00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:16.240
<v Speaker 2>who pays for the fund, and you know, my contention was,

112
00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:18.519
<v Speaker 2>let's do this at the state level. There were others

113
00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:21.240
<v Speaker 2>that would say, we'll have this done at the county level.

114
00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:25.519
<v Speaker 2>H it's we're still trying to negotiate that.

115
00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:28.360
<v Speaker 1>I see. Now you mentioned the circuit breaker. Can you

116
00:06:28.360 --> 00:06:29.639
<v Speaker 1>explain that to my audience.

117
00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:35.240
<v Speaker 2>Yes, So, the way the circuit breaker operates is people

118
00:06:35.720 --> 00:06:40.439
<v Speaker 2>property taxes are you know, hated by people because they're

119
00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:44.000
<v Speaker 2>not tied in any way to your ability to pay. Right.

120
00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:48.680
<v Speaker 2>So most seniors feel this when they, you know, they

121
00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:51.600
<v Speaker 2>retire and then all of a sudden twenty years later,

122
00:06:51.720 --> 00:06:55.160
<v Speaker 2>their fixed income is eroded, but yet their property taxes

123
00:06:55.240 --> 00:06:58.639
<v Speaker 2>keep rising and they find themselves unable to pay. What

124
00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:03.519
<v Speaker 2>the property tax circuit breaker does is caps the amount

125
00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:09.720
<v Speaker 2>of property taxes that you pay at a percentage of

126
00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:14.759
<v Speaker 2>your income. So, in other words, if you're making fifty

127
00:07:14.759 --> 00:07:18.040
<v Speaker 2>grand a year in retirement, the percentage in the bill

128
00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:24.879
<v Speaker 2>that we introduced is fixed at five percent. If you

129
00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:29.040
<v Speaker 2>go if your property tax burden rises above five percent

130
00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:32.839
<v Speaker 2>of your income, the circuit breaks and then the state

131
00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:36.800
<v Speaker 2>starts taking on the additional burden for that, so you

132
00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:41.759
<v Speaker 2>basically will never pay more property taxes than in theory

133
00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:45.920
<v Speaker 2>you can afford with that. The drawback of it is

134
00:07:46.439 --> 00:07:51.240
<v Speaker 2>excuse me, it's an expensive program. But a colleague of

135
00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:56.560
<v Speaker 2>mind introduced legislation last GA that made this revenue neutral.

136
00:07:56.639 --> 00:08:01.439
<v Speaker 2>We paid for it by going after a number of

137
00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:06.079
<v Speaker 2>what we would consider corporate welfare piesis of statute that

138
00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:10.079
<v Speaker 2>really needed to be reworked in order to provide relief

139
00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:12.720
<v Speaker 2>to seniors in this way. Actually, although that I shouldn't

140
00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:15.600
<v Speaker 2>say that that's relegated to just seniors. This would be

141
00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:19.639
<v Speaker 2>everybody within reason. I mean, there are guardrails. If you

142
00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:22.800
<v Speaker 2>have a two million dollar home and a half a

143
00:08:22.839 --> 00:08:25.879
<v Speaker 2>million dollar salary and retirement, yeah, that the circuit breaker

144
00:08:25.959 --> 00:08:28.639
<v Speaker 2>is not going to apply to you fair enough.

145
00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:32.519
<v Speaker 1>And then the homestead expansion, just briefly, how does that work.

146
00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:39.679
<v Speaker 2>So right now the homestead exemption is now there's an

147
00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:43.679
<v Speaker 2>income limit and there's a benefit. So broadly speaking, the

148
00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:47.559
<v Speaker 2>benefit is a dollar amount that comes off your valuation.

149
00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:50.799
<v Speaker 2>So if you have a two hundred thousand dollars home,

150
00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:54.759
<v Speaker 2>homestead exemption is under thirty grand. But now it's adjusted

151
00:08:54.759 --> 00:08:58.679
<v Speaker 2>for inflation. So for ease of example, let's say it's

152
00:08:58.679 --> 00:09:02.799
<v Speaker 2>twenty five grand your home's value at two hundred thousand.

153
00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:06.039
<v Speaker 2>Let's say you qualify, you're a senior over sixty five,

154
00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:10.360
<v Speaker 2>disabled veteran, there's some other widow of a disabled veteran.

155
00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:14.440
<v Speaker 2>You get that twenty five thousand off. So the valuation

156
00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:17.960
<v Speaker 2>of your home for tax purposes goes down to one

157
00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:22.519
<v Speaker 2>hundred and seventy five thousand, and you pay taxes on that.

158
00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:27.879
<v Speaker 2>So it's not a huge benefit. But the caveat is

159
00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:31.759
<v Speaker 2>that you can only get this if your income is

160
00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:35.159
<v Speaker 2>less than about thirty six thousand per year, which really

161
00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:39.840
<v Speaker 2>cuts off the vast majority of Ohioans. Not only that

162
00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:43.559
<v Speaker 2>it was universal at one point, so there are some

163
00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:48.159
<v Speaker 2>folks that make significantly more that are grandfathered in. But

164
00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:52.600
<v Speaker 2>in all cases it's really not the best benefit. So

165
00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:57.840
<v Speaker 2>the idea is with this legislation is to say, look

166
00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:03.279
<v Speaker 2>at this as a percentage of what you're actually taxed.

167
00:10:03.879 --> 00:10:06.919
<v Speaker 2>So if you pay over the course of a year

168
00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:11.080
<v Speaker 2>six thousand in property taxes and you qualify at the

169
00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:15.480
<v Speaker 2>lowest level, you might get twenty percent off your property taxes.

170
00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:19.120
<v Speaker 2>So if you're paying six thousand, you would be getting

171
00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:23.039
<v Speaker 2>a twelve thousand dollars benefit from the state. However, as

172
00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:30.000
<v Speaker 2>your income rises, that percentage drops. It's like a progressively

173
00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:34.159
<v Speaker 2>declining curve, so that you know, by the time you

174
00:10:34.279 --> 00:10:37.120
<v Speaker 2>hit one hundred and some thousand or more, you're not

175
00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:40.440
<v Speaker 2>getting any benefit. But the nice part about this is

176
00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:44.639
<v Speaker 2>is that since it's tied to median income and tied

177
00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:49.159
<v Speaker 2>to percentage of the property taxes that you actually pay,

178
00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:51.879
<v Speaker 2>if you're a senior on fixed income, that you know

179
00:10:51.879 --> 00:10:55.120
<v Speaker 2>you're right at the line towards the top. When you retire,

180
00:10:56.279 --> 00:10:59.840
<v Speaker 2>you actually start walking back up the curve as you're

181
00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:02.919
<v Speaker 2>our fixed income is eroded away, so your benefit actually

182
00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:08.240
<v Speaker 2>grows over time, which I think is a great way

183
00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:10.759
<v Speaker 2>to do this, and I think it would be significantly cheaper,

184
00:11:10.759 --> 00:11:13.120
<v Speaker 2>although we're still trying to find the cost estimate for this.

185
00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:18.279
<v Speaker 2>But again, the homestead exemption only applies to generally speaking,

186
00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:20.639
<v Speaker 2>people over the age of sixty five.

187
00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:22.879
<v Speaker 1>All right, Well, if you're concerned about your property taxes,

188
00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:24.279
<v Speaker 1>you want to learn a little bit more about this

189
00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:28.320
<v Speaker 1>and more lengthy conversation with Senator Bill Blessing taking place

190
00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:31.639
<v Speaker 1>Thursday night, that's March thirteenth, coming up seven pm. Is

191
00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:34.320
<v Speaker 1>beginning again Martice Thompson on what the eighteen fifty one

192
00:11:34.360 --> 00:11:36.440
<v Speaker 1>center con law is doing. That'll start at seven and

193
00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:39.759
<v Speaker 1>bill will take over at seven thirty for a full hour.

194
00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:43.759
<v Speaker 1>Now I just make pivot over real quick here. You

195
00:11:43.879 --> 00:11:46.840
<v Speaker 1>are one of the bipartisan sponsors are behind the bill

196
00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:49.600
<v Speaker 1>to pay for students to have a free breakfast and

197
00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:53.000
<v Speaker 1>lunch at school. Can you explain your motivations behind this

198
00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:55.720
<v Speaker 1>and how much is it going to cost? I have

199
00:11:55.799 --> 00:11:58.240
<v Speaker 1>to observe, this doesn't sound like a thing usually a

200
00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:02.840
<v Speaker 1>Republican would embrace. So what's the motive? The motive behind this?

201
00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:05.000
<v Speaker 1>And I've had some of my listeners say that out loud.

202
00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:07.559
<v Speaker 1>That's why I'm asking you on their behalf. But in

203
00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:10.000
<v Speaker 1>this as the way the article reads from the Ohio

204
00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:12.759
<v Speaker 1>Capital Journal, this is a free lunch and breakfast for

205
00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:13.639
<v Speaker 1>all students.

206
00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:18.840
<v Speaker 2>Yes, that's correct. So let me let me step back

207
00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:23.799
<v Speaker 2>for a moment. It's it's the cost of this. So

208
00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:25.639
<v Speaker 2>this is a Senate bill one oh nine for those

209
00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:29.200
<v Speaker 2>who want to research democrat out again per fiscal year.

210
00:12:29.879 --> 00:12:32.080
<v Speaker 2>But I have to add a caveat to that because

211
00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:35.039
<v Speaker 2>there's been some confusion for folks who have reached out

212
00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:38.159
<v Speaker 2>to my office and have said, well, you know, we

213
00:12:38.600 --> 00:12:41.200
<v Speaker 2>pay enough in property taxes for school, we don't want

214
00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:45.960
<v Speaker 2>to pay more property taxes for this. Very briefly, this

215
00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:49.960
<v Speaker 2>will not raise your property taxes. This would be entirely

216
00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:53.879
<v Speaker 2>state funded. And you know, once again, like the property

217
00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:57.120
<v Speaker 2>tax circuit breaker, we had a bill last General Assembly

218
00:12:57.159 --> 00:13:01.399
<v Speaker 2>that made this revenue neutral, so it was already paid for.

219
00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:07.559
<v Speaker 2>But the advocates of this particular program, in light of

220
00:13:08.200 --> 00:13:11.399
<v Speaker 2>the fact that we're in budget season, wanted something introduced

221
00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:16.600
<v Speaker 2>for public inspection, and they wanted it clean, no other

222
00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:19.799
<v Speaker 2>elements in there, which admittedly, the bill that we had

223
00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:22.000
<v Speaker 2>last year that paid for this was what I would

224
00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:25.759
<v Speaker 2>consider sort of a mini budget. But the motivation for

225
00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:28.240
<v Speaker 2>this is simple that when you look at a lot

226
00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:33.080
<v Speaker 2>of the administrative burdened behind doing something like this with

227
00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:36.919
<v Speaker 2>respect to free and reduced lunch, that adds a significant

228
00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:42.080
<v Speaker 2>cost to this, and in the end, it's actually pretty

229
00:13:42.120 --> 00:13:46.919
<v Speaker 2>cheap just to have it universal and and a lot

230
00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:49.879
<v Speaker 2>of the stigma behind this, which is one of the

231
00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:53.320
<v Speaker 2>reasons why we're doing this. But more importantly, I think

232
00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:58.519
<v Speaker 2>that it's also something that I think will reduce truancy

233
00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:01.519
<v Speaker 2>because the income liment for free and reduced lunch aren't

234
00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:05.639
<v Speaker 2>exactly high. There's a lot of lower middle class parents

235
00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:10.559
<v Speaker 2>that would be included in this. Beyond that, when we

236
00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:14.039
<v Speaker 2>talk about tax cuts at the state, at the state level,

237
00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:17.320
<v Speaker 2>and we have a number of people, you know that

238
00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:20.480
<v Speaker 2>that look at a top rate income tax cut and

239
00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:24.240
<v Speaker 2>they're like, well, how does this benefit us? It really

240
00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:27.240
<v Speaker 2>it really doesn't. And we as families pay a significant

241
00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:30.159
<v Speaker 2>amount of money to raise our children. And yes, I

242
00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:32.320
<v Speaker 2>understand that not everybody has children, and.

243
00:14:32.919 --> 00:14:33.919
<v Speaker 1>You know, but.

244
00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:39.279
<v Speaker 2>This would be a significant benefit to families, which frankly,

245
00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:43.480
<v Speaker 2>you know, my party, Republican Party, we pay a lot

246
00:14:43.480 --> 00:14:47.840
<v Speaker 2>of lip service to and for parents. I have universally

247
00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:50.159
<v Speaker 2>heard on both sides of the aisle that they liked

248
00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:54.120
<v Speaker 2>this idea because it you know, it's a tax cut

249
00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:58.799
<v Speaker 2>to them, and at the same time, it also absolves

250
00:14:58.840 --> 00:15:01.080
<v Speaker 2>them of a lot of things that are quite difficult

251
00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:03.360
<v Speaker 2>actually as parents. I mean I have three boys myself,

252
00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:07.600
<v Speaker 2>and you know, packing the lunch in the evening for them,

253
00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:10.480
<v Speaker 2>you know, getting them up and getting them breakfast in

254
00:15:10.519 --> 00:15:13.039
<v Speaker 2>the morning, that all would be taken care of at

255
00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:16.919
<v Speaker 2>the school. And it actually achieves an economy of scale

256
00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:19.799
<v Speaker 2>from that standpoint, So it's expensive obviously for parents to

257
00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:23.399
<v Speaker 2>you know, buy school lunches and breakfasts and prepare them

258
00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:27.320
<v Speaker 2>at home. Having this done at the school level I

259
00:15:27.320 --> 00:15:31.200
<v Speaker 2>think would be ultimately cheaper for parents and for the state.

260
00:15:31.559 --> 00:15:34.679
<v Speaker 2>So yes, I do understand that there are people that

261
00:15:35.399 --> 00:15:38.159
<v Speaker 2>disagree with this. They think, you know, this is more

262
00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:42.879
<v Speaker 2>government in their lives. But bear in mind that with

263
00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:46.559
<v Speaker 2>respect to you know, the idea of a common good,

264
00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:49.720
<v Speaker 2>I mean, we do have that in K through twelve

265
00:15:49.720 --> 00:15:55.639
<v Speaker 2>public schools, where you are constitutionally guaranteed a public education

266
00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:59.840
<v Speaker 2>in this state. There's a lot of research about kids

267
00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:03.960
<v Speaker 2>struggling to learn if they're not well fed. This makes

268
00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:07.679
<v Speaker 2>an attempt to bolster our public education system. So in

269
00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:11.240
<v Speaker 2>other words, your education is already free in the sense

270
00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:13.080
<v Speaker 2>at the point of sale. I mean, the state does

271
00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:17.600
<v Speaker 2>pay for it, and so do property taxes. Adding school

272
00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:21.120
<v Speaker 2>lunches to this is in my opinion, the logical next step.

273
00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:24.120
<v Speaker 1>Okay, I just some people say, well, listen, you know,

274
00:16:24.120 --> 00:16:27.120
<v Speaker 1>folks on life's margins, they had the SNAP program. They're

275
00:16:27.159 --> 00:16:29.519
<v Speaker 1>capable of buying food and preparing lunch. You know, my

276
00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:31.399
<v Speaker 1>mom will always packed me a lunch, and she got

277
00:16:31.399 --> 00:16:34.320
<v Speaker 1>to select what we ate. The food offerings at school

278
00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:36.679
<v Speaker 1>weren't exactly the best when I was going to school,

279
00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:38.679
<v Speaker 1>And I'm not sure what sort of nutritional guidelines you're

280
00:16:38.679 --> 00:16:40.080
<v Speaker 1>going to have on this, but i'd like to think

281
00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:42.440
<v Speaker 1>if you're going to be providing a free lunch to everybody,

282
00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:44.559
<v Speaker 1>at least it will be subject to maybe some sort

283
00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:49.600
<v Speaker 1>of RFK junior type quality of foods as opposed to

284
00:16:49.639 --> 00:16:51.840
<v Speaker 1>the stuff that we're normally accustomed to in a school

285
00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:52.600
<v Speaker 1>lunch line.

286
00:16:54.159 --> 00:16:57.919
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, there are rules to it now. They're supposed to

287
00:16:57.960 --> 00:17:02.440
<v Speaker 2>be somewhat healthy. Don't have the details on the top

288
00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:05.440
<v Speaker 2>of my head on that, but you know, certainly we

289
00:17:05.480 --> 00:17:08.359
<v Speaker 2>can make that more strict at the state level if

290
00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:11.200
<v Speaker 2>we need to. But even then, in the end, having

291
00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:16.160
<v Speaker 2>a kid fed is in my opinion, better than having

292
00:17:16.200 --> 00:17:20.160
<v Speaker 2>them not fed and trying to sit through class just

293
00:17:20.279 --> 00:17:23.119
<v Speaker 2>thinking about one and only thing, which is I need

294
00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:26.519
<v Speaker 2>to eat. But you're right, I don't. I mean, I

295
00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:28.759
<v Speaker 2>for what it's worth, I think there would be a

296
00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:31.920
<v Speaker 2>lot of local outcry if if the schools school districts,

297
00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:35.599
<v Speaker 2>for example, decided that, you know, we're just going to

298
00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:38.599
<v Speaker 2>serve donuts in the morning because that's cheap processed food.

299
00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:42.039
<v Speaker 2>I just you know, to the extent that we need

300
00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:45.839
<v Speaker 2>to at guardrails, that's fine, but I just I struggle

301
00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:48.279
<v Speaker 2>to believe that they would go ahead and do that.

302
00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:50.359
<v Speaker 2>And oh there's real real quick. One thing I did

303
00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:53.759
<v Speaker 2>forget to say about this. This isn't just public schools.

304
00:17:53.799 --> 00:17:57.240
<v Speaker 2>This would also be you know, chartered on public So

305
00:17:57.319 --> 00:18:01.640
<v Speaker 2>your Catholic schools would be would be receiving this as.

306
00:18:01.480 --> 00:18:04.160
<v Speaker 1>Well, all right, but not not homeschools.

307
00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:09.440
<v Speaker 2>No, no, no, no, no, no right, that's correct, and

308
00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:12.079
<v Speaker 2>you would you would want some sort of physical presence. Yeah,

309
00:18:12.920 --> 00:18:13.359
<v Speaker 2>that's right.

310
00:18:14.440 --> 00:18:17.359
<v Speaker 1>Senator Bill Blessing. Do you have widespread support for this?

311
00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:19.039
<v Speaker 1>Is this a sure thing that's going to go through

312
00:18:19.160 --> 00:18:21.880
<v Speaker 1>or is there going to be some pushback from.

313
00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:27.279
<v Speaker 2>Oh there's pushback, so from at the legislative level. That's

314
00:18:27.319 --> 00:18:32.359
<v Speaker 2>where I've gotten the most pushback. So the governor has

315
00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:36.400
<v Speaker 2>said that he supports this, but says we we can't

316
00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:39.720
<v Speaker 2>afford it, which I challenge him on that because we

317
00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:43.400
<v Speaker 2>you know, in the budget we do have that five

318
00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:51.079
<v Speaker 2>thousand dollars childcare tax credit piece. There's you know a

319
00:18:51.160 --> 00:18:52.920
<v Speaker 2>number of other provisions that he's trying to do for

320
00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:56.160
<v Speaker 2>families that probably have similar costs. Just the choice of

321
00:18:56.200 --> 00:19:00.559
<v Speaker 2>what we want to do. The bigger concern is uh,

322
00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:04.279
<v Speaker 2>Speaker Matt Huffman, who I don't believe that he wants

323
00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:08.079
<v Speaker 2>to do it. He made he made the argument that, well,

324
00:19:08.119 --> 00:19:11.000
<v Speaker 2>you know, they get these free breakfasts and lunches, they

325
00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:12.440
<v Speaker 2>may not want them. The kids are just going to

326
00:19:12.440 --> 00:19:14.119
<v Speaker 2>throw them away, and that's going to lead to a

327
00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:19.519
<v Speaker 2>lot of food waste. And I kind of chuckled, Well,

328
00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:22.880
<v Speaker 2>you know, you can't. You can you can lead a

329
00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:25.000
<v Speaker 2>horse to water, you can't make them drink. I remember

330
00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:27.079
<v Speaker 2>in grade school myself a number of times that I

331
00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:30.319
<v Speaker 2>had a PB and J sandwich that turned into I

332
00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:33.759
<v Speaker 2>guess a PB and J crepe Yuh. It was all

333
00:19:33.799 --> 00:19:35.640
<v Speaker 2>smashed up and I would end up throwing it away

334
00:19:35.640 --> 00:19:38.920
<v Speaker 2>because I'm not eating that. But you know, at least

335
00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:43.359
<v Speaker 2>being paid to make the attempt, I think is worth it.

336
00:19:43.400 --> 00:19:45.400
<v Speaker 2>And frankly, I'm sure there's a lot of food waste

337
00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:48.079
<v Speaker 2>that you know, their parents have all the good intentions

338
00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:50.720
<v Speaker 2>of giving them, you know, green beans, I think was

339
00:19:50.759 --> 00:19:54.960
<v Speaker 2>the example that Speaker Huffman used. Uh, yeah, the kids

340
00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:57.839
<v Speaker 2>see that and there there. You know, you'd hope that

341
00:19:57.880 --> 00:19:59.640
<v Speaker 2>they would eat it, but chances are they may not.

342
00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:04.759
<v Speaker 1>Oh that's why I suggested maybe healthy food options only

343
00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:07.200
<v Speaker 1>in the free school lunch and they either you either

344
00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:09.319
<v Speaker 1>eat it or you don't. You know, there's got to

345
00:20:09.319 --> 00:20:10.680
<v Speaker 1>be some tough love in the room if we're looking

346
00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:12.759
<v Speaker 1>out for our children's self. We do have a massive

347
00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:16.480
<v Speaker 1>obesity crisis in this country. Senator Bill Blessing, thank you

348
00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:18.559
<v Speaker 1>so much for spending time with my listeners of me today.

349
00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:21.720
<v Speaker 1>Look forward to the Empower You Seminar again Thursday, beginning

350
00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:26.119
<v Speaker 1>at seven pm. Empower Youamerica dot org. Register and either

351
00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:28.720
<v Speaker 1>attend live or log in from the comfort of your

352
00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:30.359
<v Speaker 1>own home. Thanks for spending the time with us today,

353
00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:31.039
<v Speaker 1>Senator Blessing

354
00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:34.000
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, thank you, Brian, have a good one you too,