Cap (sport)

Ohio lawmakers rushed through a 90-day suspension of the state's 38.5-cent gas tax just before early voting, with officials estimating the average driver could save about $55 over the period. Critics note the real savings will likely be smaller, since oil companies and fuel distributors are not expected to pass along the full break to consumers. The holiday will cost the state roughly $725 million in lost revenue, prompting pushback from some lawmakers who argue the money would be better spent on school funding, childcare, or paid sick leave. Both a Republican and a Democratic gubernatorial candidate have claimed credit for the idea.

The debate comes as Ohio also faces unresolved questions over electric grid costs tied to data center growth, with the state's grid operator warning residential customers could absorb higher bills unless lawmakers create new rules before data centers expand further. Separately, Ohio's minimum wage will rise to $11.40 an hour for non-tipped workers in January under the state's inflation-indexing law.

The Des Moines City Council this week approved $11.5 million in budget cuts affecting police and fire departments, with another roughly $5 million in cuts expected in January. The move comes as the city adjusts to a new Iowa property tax cap, passed by lawmakers in May with bipartisan support and taking effect in July 2027.

Police cuts of about $566,000 will reassign three neighborhood officers and trim three academy positions, while fire reductions of about $425,000 include eliminating two vacant positions. Both departments say they are already short-staffed. Police and fire make up about 58% of the city's nearly $256 million general fund. The Iowa League of Cities has warned that public safety costs are rising faster than the 2% cap allows. Councilmember Josh Mandelbaum pushed for a separate, faster-growing public safety levy, but Senate Ways and Means Chair Dan Dawson opposes exempting major expenses from the cap. Several Iowa towns have already lost local police departments to county sheriffs amid similar pressures.

Folly Beach City Council voted 5-1 to appeal an Aug. 14 circuit court ruling that struck down the city's cap on short-term rental permits and its revenue-based rental fee, both of which a judge found were adopted illegally under South Carolina law. Because the appeal is moving forward, the cap will no longer expire as originally scheduled.

Council also passed a moratorium, also by a 5-1 vote, pausing new short-term rental license approvals, with exceptions for medical hardship cases, inheritance situations, and owner-occupied rentals. The moratorium runs through Feb. 19, 2027, or until the city completes a planned study of short-term rental policy, whichever comes first; a request for proposals for that study was issued Aug. 18. Councilman Blair Holladay, who campaigned against rental restrictions, cast the lone dissenting vote on both measures. City leaders say the study will inform future decisions on whether and how to reinstate rental caps.