Governor Mike DeWine’s proposed budget for Ohio includes a provision that will raise taxes and regulations on all tattoo artists and body piercers throughout the state.
The new provision would require that all current and future tattoo artists and body piercers register with the state for as long as they are operating in that capacity. In addition, they would also have to pay a “registration fee” of $250. Furthermore, the provision would also call for a comprehensive overhaul of the current tattoo and body piercing training standards. This would cover anyone whose profession is defined as a “body artists”
There is currently a medley of rules, regulations, and fees associated with being a tattoo artist in the Buckeye State. Some of the most extensive concern the cleanliness of needles and the heating devices that sterilize them, including that they:
Ensure that weekly tests of the business’s heat sterilization devices are performed to determine whether the devices are functioning properly. In having the devices tested, the operator of the business shall use a biological monitoring system that indicates whether the devices are killing microorganisms….The operator shall maintain documentation that the weekly tests are being performed. To comply with the documentation requirement, the documents must consist of a log that indicates the date on which each test is performed and the name of the person who performed the test or, if a test was conducted by an independent testing entity, a copy of the entity’s testing report. The operator shall maintain records of each test performed for at least two years.
As previously reported, 2020-2021 Executive Budget was released on March 15th. The budget called for comprehensive spending increases, specifically aimed at assisting children and families. At the time, he stated:
The budget we are sending to the Legislature today is a budget for Ohio’s future, and it reflects our need to invest in Ohio and Ohioans,…Our budget plants seeds of hope and opportunity for tomorrow through smart, strategic investments in Ohio today.
Recently, the Ohio Future Foundation hosted a Facebook Forum to discuss and analyze Governor DeWine’s Budget. The forum was led by Chairman Jim Renacci and featured Republican Representative Jena Powell of District 80Â and Buckeye Institute Senior Fellow Greg Lawson. The latter looked and the proposed budget with concern as:
revenues are coming in well at the moment, the state is assuming that this is going to continue through the next year and some slowdown in the second fiscal year….However, there’s a lot of reason for trepidation.
Ohio is one of the few states in the union that is required by law to maintain a balanced budget at all times.
– – –
Andrew Shirley is a reporter at Battleground State News and The Ohio Star. Send tips to [email protected].
