Ohio Taxpayers Are Now Footing Hotel Bills For Their State Lawmakers

Recent federal income tax reforms have eliminated the itemized deductions Ohio lawmakers often used when stayin overnight to do legislative business in Columbus. Now, Ohio taxpayers are picking up the tab for some of those expenses. 

Starting Aug. 1, Ohio House members who live 60 miles or more from the Ohio Statehouse can get a $65 per night subsidy to help pay for hotel rooms on days when committee meetings or legislative sessions are held. This is on top of 52-cent-per mile reimbursement lawmakers receive when traveling on state business.

It used to be any taxpayers could write off overnight hotel stays for business purposes on their tax returns. But the 2017 changes to the federal tax code took those deductions away. Now that lawmakers can no longer do that, the Ohio House has decided to pick up some of that tab.

House spokeswoman Gail Crowley said in a written statement that the costs for subsidizing housing are expected to vary depending on the number of days on which sessions or hearings are held. At this point, the Ohio Senate is not offering its members reimbursement for hotel rooms.

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