Will Franklin County tax cigarettes to fund arts and culture projects?
Signed by Gov. Mike DeWine last month, the next two-year, $60 billion operating budget allows Ohio counties with charter governments or populations of more than 800,000 to ask voters to approve a local cigarette tax benefiting arts and culture projects, like for local theaters, art institutes, orchestras, festivals, sports facilities, dance studios, farmers markets, and more.
Nationwide Arena eyes unclaimed funds in Ohio budget for $400 million renovation
The measure applies to Franklin, Summit and Hamilton counties, while other Ohio counties aren't home to populations that are large enough. Delaware County, for example, has a population of about 242,000 and will not be eligible. Still, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners has yet to decide if such a tax will be explored in the county.
'While we have been following the Ohio state budgeting process closely, we have not yet had any discussions about permissive authority in the budget for counties to levy a cigarette tax if approved by voters,' the board said in a statement. 'We will be reviewing this once the county budget process begins in the fall for fiscal year 2026.'
The budget expands a funding tool used in Cuyahoga County for nearly 20 years. Voters passed the 10-year cigarette tax in 2006, renewed it for another decade in 2015, then expanded it in 2024. Since then, the tax has generated more than $260 million.
The Cuyahoga Arts & Culture organization manages these funds and is solely operated by the tax on cigarettes sold in the county. The organization has distributed 95% of the funding, more than $257 million, to other county groups, companies, nonprofits and more through about 4,000 grants supporting arts and culture.
New Ohio law to require adult websites to verify users' ages
Like in Cuyahoga, the budget does not impose a direct tax. Instead, it allows Franklin, Summit and Hamilton county commissioners to place a tax proposal on the ballot. If approved by voters, the revenue must be used specifically for local arts and cultural programs. Each county would be responsible for establishing a group to oversee the funds, like Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
The governor had also called for an additional cigarette tax to be included in the budget, funding the state's child tax credit. However, the proposal, which would have increased statewide taxes on cigarettes from $1.60 to $3.10 per pack, never advanced after Statehouse Republicans argued the tax would be an unreliable source of revenue.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Trump signs order to clarify college athletes' employment status amid NIL chaos
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for in an attempt to create clearer national standards in the NCAA's name, image and likeness era. Trump directed the secretary of labor and the National Labor Relations Board to clarify the status of collegiate athletes through guidance or rules 'that will maximize the educational benefits and opportunities provided by higher education institutions through athletics.' The order does not provide or suggest specifics on the controversial topic of college athlete employment. 6 President Donald Trump holds an executive order related to AI after signing it during the 'Winning the AI Race' Summit on July 23, 2025. REUTERS The move comes after months of speculation about whether Trump will establish a college sports commission to tackle some of the thorny issues facing what is now a multibillion-dollar industry. He instead issued an order intended to add some controls to 'an out-of-control, rudderless system in which competing university donors engage in bidding wars for the best players, who can change teams each season.' 'Absent guardrails to stop the madness and ensure a reasonable, balanced use of resources across collegiate athletic programs that preserves their educational and developmental benefits, many college sports will soon cease to exist,' Trump's order says. 'It is common sense that college sports are not, and should not be, professional sports, and my administration will take action accordingly.' There has been a dramatic increase in money flowing into and around college athletics and a sense of chaos. Key court victories won by athletes angry that they were barred for decades from earning income based on their celebrity and from sharing in the billions of revenue they helped generate have gutted the amateurism model long at the heart of college sports. Facing a growing number of state laws undercutting its authority, the NCAA in July 2021 cleared the way for athletes to cash in with NIL deals with brands and sponsors — deals now worth millions. 6 A NCAA logo flag at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images That came mere days after a 9-0 decision from the Supreme Court that found the NCAA cannot impose caps on education-related benefits schools provide to their athletes because such limits violate antitrust law. The NCAA's embrace of NIL deals set the stage for another massive change that took effect July 1: The ability of schools to begin paying millions of dollars to their own athletes, up to $20.5 million per school over the next year. The $2.8 billion House settlement shifts even more power to athletes, who have also won the ability to transfer from school to school without waiting to play. 6 The College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy on display before the Ohio State National Championship celebration at Ohio Stadium on Jan. 26, 2025. AP At Big Ten Conference football media days in Las Vegas, Purdue coach Barry Odom was asked about the Trump order. 'We've gotten to the point where government is involved. Obviously, there's belief it needs to be involved,' he said. 'We'll get it all worked out. The game's been around for a hundred years and it's going to be around 100 more.' The NCAA has been lobbying for several years for limited antitrust protection to keep some kind of control over this new landscape — and avoid more crippling lawsuits — but a handful of bills have gone nowhere in Congress. 6 NCAA President Charlie Baker speaks during the organizations Division I Business Session at their annual convention on Jan. 15, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. AP Trump's order makes no mention of that, nor does it refer to any of the current bills in Congress aimed at addressing issues in college sports. NCAA President Charlie Baker and the nation's largest conferences both issued statements saying there is a clear need for federal legislation. 'The association appreciates the Trump administration's focus on the life-changing opportunities college sports provides millions of young people and we look forward to working with student-athletes, a bipartisan coalition in Congress and the Trump administration,' said Baker, while the conferences said it was important to pass a law with national standards for athletes' NIL rights as soon as possible. 6 President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., listens during a visit to the Federal Reserve, Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Washington. AP The 1,100 universities that comprise the NCAA have insisted for decades that athletes are students who cannot be considered anything like a school employee. Still, some coaches have recently suggested collective bargaining as a potential solution to the chaos they see. It is a complicated topic: Universities would become responsible for paying wages, benefits, and workers' compensation and schools and conferences have insisted they will fight any such move in court. 6 AP While private institutions fall under the National Labor Relations Board, public universities must follow labor laws that vary from state to state and it's worth noting that virtually every state in the South has 'right to work' laws that present challenges for unions. Trump's order also: — Calls for adding or at least preserving athletic scholarships and roster spots for non-revenue sports, which are those outside football and basketball. The House settlement allows for unlimited scholarships but does impose roster limits, leading to a complicated set of decisions for each program at each school that include potential concerns about Title IX equity rules. Trump said 'opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women's and non-revenue sports must be preserved and, where possible, expanded.'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
2025's Most Anticipated Horror Sequel Just Got Its First Trailer, And It Might Be Even Scarier
Universal Studios and Blumhouse Productions just released the trailer for their latest horror sequel. Five Nights at Freddy's 2 will reintroduce Josh Hutcherson as a security guard named Mike from the first film. A year after the events of the first movie, Mike and his friends are still reeling from the horrors at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza shop. Meanwhile, locals have turned "Fazfest" into a popular town legend. And Mike's 11-year-old sister Abby, played by Piper Rubio, is "revealing dark secrets about the true origin of Freddy's, and unleashing a long-forgotten horror hidden away for decades" Hutcherson says the sequel will be scarier than the first movie. "We're finding the balance right now of building this world and expanding it in a really cool way but also making sure the characters stay really grounded," he said in October. "That's something that I really think that we all fought for in the first film, because this world that was created in Five Nights at Freddy's, it's so out-there." The movie series was adapted from Scott Cawthorn's hit success video game. On a budget of $20 million, the first movie grossed nearly $300 million. "It's so over-the-top and wacky, in a way, that to find the emotional truth of the characters was gonna be what was gonna work. I think the fans are gonna flip for it. It's gonna be a lot of fun with the source. It's gonna be scarier, too, actually," said Hutcherson. Who will star in Five Nights at Freddy's 2? Hutcherson returns alongside co-stars Theodus Crane as Jeremiah and Matthew Lillard as William Afton, plus a handful of new faces. When does Five Nights at Freddy's 2 come out? Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is set to release on December 5, 2025. 2025's Most Anticipated Horror Sequel Just Got Its First Trailer, And It Might Be Even Scarier first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 24, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Los Angeles Times
9 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
How ‘The Fantastic Four' post-credits scene brings us one step closer to ‘Doomsday'
This story contains spoilers for 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps.' Marvel's First Family has finally made its formal MCU debut, which means it's time to engage in everyone's favorite tradition: breaking down the movie's post-credits teases to suss out what's next. Directed by 'WandaVision' helmer Matt Shakman, 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' introduces audiences to Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn). The movie, which officially opens Friday, pits the quartet of superpowered astronauts against Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a cosmic entity with an insatiable hunger for planets. As the title teases, 'First Steps' marks the beginning of Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will culminate with a pair of massive 'Avengers' crossover films. Like most MCU installments, 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' features multiple post-credits stingers. The first, which is shown midway through the end credits, sets up the superhero team's next big adventure. The mid-credits scene takes place four years after the Fantastic Four's showdown with Galactus. It shows Sue sitting on a couch, reading a story to her and Reed's son, Franklin Richards. After finishing the book, she steps away to grab another, turning down robo-assistant H.E.R.B.I.E.'s suggested title. Sensing something is wrong, Sue starts charging her powers. She rounds the corner to check on Franklin and finds a mysterious cloaked figure interacting with her child. While his face is not shown, his green cloak and the mask he is holding make it clear to fans familiar with their Marvel lore that this is Doctor Doom. This marks the first appearance of the iconic villain in the MCU. The character, also known as Victor von Doom, made his comic book debut in 'Fantastic Four' No. 5 (1962) and has been a foe of Marvel's First Family ever since. In the comics, the character is both a scientific genius and a sorcerer hailing from the fictional country of Latveria. (The name of the country is briefly shown in 'Fantastic Four: First Steps.') Doom's introduction into the MCU has been highly anticipated since Marvel Studios' presentation last year at San Diego Comic-Con. Among the major announcements was that the fifth 'Avengers' film had been retitled 'Avengers: Doomsday' and that 'Iron Man' actor Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the franchise as Doctor Doom. While Doom's exact interest in Franklin is not revealed, it's easy to assume that the child's powers would be appealing to a supervillain. This encounter also hints at the reason why the Fantastic Four eventually make their way to the universe where the rest of the MCU heroes reside. 'First Steps' is set on Earth-828 — a tribute to 'Fantastic Four' co-creator Jack Kirby, who was born Aug. 28, 1917 — a retrofuturistic world in a separate corner of the Marvel multiverse. But the 'Thunderbolts*' post-credits scene shows the Fantastic Four's spacecraft Excelsior appearing in their world on Earth-616. Could Doom have kidnapped young Franklin and taken him to an alternate universe? Whatever the reason, Samuel Sterns' warning from the 'Captain America: Brave New World' post-credits scene was apt: The multiverse is coming. Fans might wonder how the 'Fantastic Four' post-credits scene might have played out had the studio not altered its original plans to feature Kang the Conqueror as the franchise's next big bad. In the comics Kang and Franklin are part of the same family tree so it's easy to imagine him as the surprise interloper Sue sees. Either way, a magical nanny might have been helpful. (Marvel Studios pivoted from its original plan after Kang actor Jonathan Majors was convicted on assault and harassment charges in 2023.) The second 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' credits scene is shown after the full credits roll and serves more as a fun bonus and tribute to the eponymous superhero team's animated past. 'Avengers: Doomsday,' hitting theaters Dec. 18, 2026, will be a massive MCU crossover featuring members of the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts/New Avengers and more. Confirmed 'Doomsday' cast members include veteran 'Avengers' stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Captain America), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki), as well as Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian), Lewis Pullman (Bob Reynolds), Wyatt Russell (John Walker) and Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr/Ghost). Up next for the MCU is 'Wonder Man,' a series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II that will debut on Disney+ in December. The next Phase 6 film is Marvel and Sony's 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' slated for a July 2026 release.
