• by Ray Schultz , July 2, 2025

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) has vetoed a budget item that would have killed the state's 90-year-old state sales tax exemption for newspaper subscriptions. 

In addition, the decision restored printing exemptions that would have harmed advertising revenue for news media.

“Newspapers serve a critical role in our society to inform the public about important issues, allow for civic engagement and discourse, and help bolster local communities,” DeWine said. 

Local newspapers, already operating on thin margins, would have had to eat the 5.75% sales/use tax or pass the cost on to readers, cleveland.com reported in June. Moreover, printing of some publications could be moved out of state.

Some supporters of the exemption measure accused critics of it as being "woke."

The News/Media Alliance had asked the governor to veto the measure that it said would be “devastating for the news media entities serving Ohio’s local communities and deprive its citizens of access to critical, trusted sources of high-quality journalism.” 

The Alliance says it looks forward to working with the state Legislature to “further clarify the importance of advertising to news media and local businesses.”