Five things to know for Tuesday, Dec. 9

Clark pleads guilty to soliciting political contributions from public employees

Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Mike Foley has pleaded guilty to a pair of misdemeanor counts of soliciting political contributions from public employees. The plea follows an investigation by the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit, launched after an October 2022 anonymous complaint alleging that Foley solicited campaign contributions from employees and engaged in other inappropriate political activities.

The admissions came before the start of a jury trial in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. He was sentenced to two years of community control, fined $2,000 plus court costs, and ordered to complete 40 hours of public service.

Lawmaker wants to eliminate capital gains tax. Rep. Tom Young, R-Centerville, has introduced House Bill 617, which would remove capital gains from income taxation at the state and municipal levels, Gongwer reported. By doing so, the state would forego about $270 million in revenue.

Report: Ohio lacks in its tax competitiveness. Ohio ranked No. 39 in the Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index, which compares states across five major areas of taxation: corporate, individual income, sales and excise, property and wealth, and unemployment insurance taxes.

Buckeye Institute files second amicus brief in school choice case. The Columbus-based Buckeye Institute has filed a second amicus brief in a case that the Columbus City School District has filed against the state’s school choice program. The think tank said in its brief that it rebutted the school districts’ assertion that Ohio’s school choice program runs afoul of the Ohio Constitution’s equal protection clause.

Bucyeke State ranks 19th for college students. Ohio ranked 19th among states for college students, according to a new analysis from the nonprofit SmileHub. The analysis found that the Buckeye State ranked 18th in education quality and support, 30th in social life, and 13th in the economic environment.