Reps. Rader, Munira's Statement on the Passage of HB 292 to Establish the Ohio Defense Commission

COLUMBUS – State Reps. Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) and Munira Abdullahi (D-Columbus) today released the following statement following the House passage of House Bill (HB) 292 which would establish the Ohio Defense Commission:

“The United States taxpayers spend nearly $900 billion every year on the so-called Department of War. That money comes directly from taxpayers and funds weapons systems, military contractors, and wars across the globe.

Americans are already paying for the largest military apparatus in human history. House Bill 292 proposes that Ohio create a new state-level system to further subsidize the same industry.

The bill establishes an “Ohio Defense Commission” and a new “Defense Industry Expansion Program” designed to help “companies win military contracts,” essentially directing more taxpayer-backed support to defense contractors that are already our single largest taxpayer-funded industry.

But Ohio already has a Department of Development responsible for economic development. We have already created JobsOhio, a privately run economic development corporation funded with public liquor taxes and proceeds, which distributes billions of dollars in incentives and subsidies to businesses.

Now we are being asked to create yet more bureaucracy to funnel tax money out the door to corporations. This time, specifically, proceeds from Israeli bonds are to go to our war industry.

This bill directs interest earned on Israeli government bonds held in Ohio’s treasury into a new “Ohio Defense Fund”. That means public investment income that is currently going into the state’s general fund, that was intended to fund schools, libraries and programs, is instead earmarked for war-related subsidies.

Another irony… The United States already spends billions of dollars in military aid to Israel every year, paid for by American taxpayers. Now this proposal would take interest earned on Israeli government bonds held by Ohio and redirect it into more war-related spending.

In other words, taxpayers are already funding war spending at the federal level, and now we are being asked to create another publicly funded pipeline at the state level to support the same system.

Ohio does not have a shortage of programs that subsidize corporations. What we have is a shortage of investments in housing, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and the everyday needs of the people who actually live and work here.

Before creating yet another economic development bureaucracy and another special fund, we should ask whether those resources would be better spent supporting Ohio families and building a stronger, more resilient economy.”

HB 292 now heads to the Senate for consideration.