COLUMBUS, Ohio — Lawmakers are rushing to get an operating finalized version of the budget approved by June 30. The budget remains top priority in conference committee to sort through differences in the House's proposal versus the Senate's version of the operating budget. 

The Ohio House passed a $88 billion biennium operating budget compared to the Ohio Senate, which passed nearly an $86 billion two-year biennium budget. The Ohio Senate's version of the budget focuses on income taxes and a sales tax holiday, which could last up to two weeks in August 2024 when items cost $500 or less (except for products like alcohol and tobacco) would be tax-free.

The overall budget also includes higher education reform, dollars toward universal school vouchers and other changes to college systems. 

Meanwhile, the Ohio House's version of the proposal focuses in on social services, housing and child care. 

Conference committee remains negotiations on the final version of the operating budget. House Speaker Jason Stephens has put forth an extension on the legislative calendar that could be up for a vote on House floor if needed. However, Senate President Matt Huffman is hopeful a budget will pass by deadline. 

Huffman said he hopes the budget would include their higher education reform proposal and creating new centers at Ohio State University, and the University of Toledo to expand and affirm what they call "intellectual diversity." 

"Those are things that we've proposed," Huffman said. "We've had pushback from the House on those. We've offered an entire package of other higher education things that we think they want, like increasing the SSI four years for colleges from 1%, from 1.5%. The colleges want more requirements that students stay in their dorms rather than in private housing or drive to school." 

Meanwhile, House Speaker Jason Stephens says the larger issue that's dominating discussions is money. Ohio has extra revenue after a recent report from the Ohio Budget and Management Office. He wants to see additional dollars go to programs like housing, food banks, and medicaid. However, House support on this budget might hinge on votes from House Democrats. 

"I think good policy is going to be good policy," Stephens said. "I think that's what attracts people from both parties. There's people from both parties who don't vote for the budget oftentimes. But, finding that ability to be good financial stewards, but also remembering we serve is an extremely important balance." 

Gov. Mike DeWine said negotiations are right on track, but we have a long way to go. He said it takes nearly three days after a budget passes the legislature for the papers to reach his desk. Then the process begins on his end where he will need time to review the details, and then sign a finalized version of the operating budget. 

"It just seems to me the reports that we get every few hours is that it's moving where we would expect it to," DeWine said. "My experience with the legislative bodies is that they don't really get it done. It never happens until the last minute with just that push of things to a deadlock, so I think we're on track whether or not I sign a budget before July 1."