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Today the Census Bureau announced that Ohio will lose two Congressional seats as part of the decennial reapportionment process. An updated study by Americans for Tax Reform compared states gaining and losing seats, finding that gainers had significantly lower taxes, less government spending, and were more likely to have “Right to Work” laws in place. Because reapportionment is based on population migration, this is further proof that fiscally conservative public policy spurs economic growth, creates jobs, and attracts population growth.

Ohio’s top personal income tax rate is 5.925 percent, while the average among reapportionment gainers is only 2.8 percent. Half of the states gaining seats do not levy a personal income tax at all. Government spends $4,942 per Ohioan, 19 percent higher than the average among gainers. And Ohio is a forced unionization state, where an employee can be required to join and contribute financially to a union as a condition of employment. All but one of the states gaining Congressional representation, by contrast, are Right to Work states.

Ohiowill now have 16 Congressional seats, continuing a steady decline from its high of 24 seats in 1960. Governor-elect Kasich and others in the legislature who have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge have committed themselves to stopping the outflow of jobs and population to states with an economic advantage in terms of taxes, spending and unionization. ATR’s study on Ohio follows:

 

Average Top Personal Income Tax Rate

Per Capita State and Local Tax Burden

Per Capita Government Spending

Right to Work States

Average

Reapportionment Gainers

2.8 percent

$3,519

$4,008

7 of 8

Ohio

 

5.925 percent

$4,049

$4,942

NO

Difference

112 percent

$530

$934