COLUMBUS, Ohio — On Monday night, Gov. Mike DeWine signed off on the $191 billion, two-year state budget.
After hefty negotiations, lawmakers landed on their version of a finalized operating budget.
“I am proud to sign this budget, and while it makes historic investments in Ohioans across their lives, I believe we are doing more to support and encourage Ohio’s children to lead happy, healthy, and productive lives than ever before,” said DeWine. “Whether it is helping them get the healthiest start in life by providing top-notch health care for moms; to expanding access to quality early childhood education; to ensuring their teachers have the resources and skills needed to teach students how to read in the way their brains learn to read; to providing prevention and early intervention tools for those struggling with mental and behavioral health issues; to expanding access and opportunity for all types of training, certifications, and degrees after high school graduation, and continued career development; through ensuring Ohioans have a high quality of life and the highest quality of care as they age, this budget helps make Ohio the heart of opportunity for everyone.”
After hefty negotiations, lawmakers landed on their version of a finalized operating budget.
In the final decision, both chambers agreed to universal school vouchers, a K-12 education overhaul to give the governor more power over the Ohio Department of Education. It also includes the House’s version of the Fair School Funding plan. House Finance Chair Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, said a main priority of their caucus has always been education. He calls the provisions a major win for Ohio.
"We were able to get back the $550 million in our public schools," Edwards said.
Senate President Matt Huffman said he is very happy with the universal voucher plan the lawmakers agreed to in the finalized version of the budget.
"The people who choose to send their child to a private school are saving the taxpayers a lot of money," Huffman said. "Whether they're paying for it, or they get a voucher that costs about $14,000 a year per student for the taxpayer to send a child to public school on average."
Edwards said a tradeoff for the Ohio House was to eliminate the higher education reform portion from the budget. However, in its place is a measure that allows certain universities to create learning centers which some lawmakers say promote intellectual diversity.
Meanwhile, the budget includes major tax cuts. Ohio will now be divided into two tax brackets with the dividing line being an annual income of $100,000. Anyone who makes less than $26,000 is exempt from paying an income tax altogether.
"We talked a lot about taxes," Stephens said, "the goal being to flatten the income tax to make it much more simpler."
Sen. Matt Dolan told media outlets the budget includes $3 billion in income tax cuts, and businesses will save money by paying less commercial activity tax.
"Some of the best spurring of economic development is putting money back in our people's hands," Edwards said, "And we thought that was a good idea between the two caucuses."
Lawmakers removed a proposal requiring state employees to work in-person at least four days a week. They also voted to remove a statewide ban on the sale of some flavored tobacco products with an exception to menthol flavored products. The budget also moved $350 million forward to 2025 for the Capital Budget Review and added $600 million to the rainy day fund.