COLUMBUS, OHIO (WLIO) — Governor Mike DeWine’s new budget proposal aims to raise taxes on gambling, marijuana, and tobacco to help fund various state programs.
Meanwhile, increased marijuana sales taxes would help finance jail construction and renovation projects, police officer training, and other initiatives.
DeWine is proposing to double the tax rate for sports betting companies from 20% to 40%. The additional revenue would help pay for stadium projects across the state and cover fees for high school sports and extracurricular programs.
The proposed tobacco tax increase would fund $1,000 tax credits for families with children under six years old. Meanwhile, increased marijuana sales taxes would help finance jail construction and renovation projects, police officer training, and other initiatives. DeWine says increasing revenue through these so-called “sin taxes” will help preserve the general fund for other essential programs.
“The General Fund has to be focused on education; the General Fund has to be focused on mental health. The general fund has to be focused on addiction and children's services, all of these things. And so that's why we did this. And it's easy to round it off and say, 'Well, you got, you know, three sin taxes.' Well, that's all true, but you have to look at each one, and I think you have to make a decision: is it the right thing to do to raise this money and raise it in this way, and the good that will be done with that amount of money,” DeWine said.
The Ohio House and Senate will make revisions to DeWine’s $218 billion, two-year budget before presenting it back to the governor for final approval.
