Details of House-Passed Budget

The Ohio House has passed its version of the state’s two-year operating budget (House Bill 33) on a 78-19 vote.

Seventeen Republicans, including Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township) — who lost his bid for the speaker’s position to Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) earlier this year — voted against HB 33 after amendments were blocked during floor consideration.

As approved by the House, the measure would spend $88 billion in state dollars and another $104 billion in federal funds. (This document compares the House provisions to the governor’s.) Among other things, the House budget would:

• Reduce Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed $684 million in workforce investments. (The House did, however, restore the governor’s suggested $200 million for career-tech facility expansions, after previously proposing a 50% reduction.)
• Add new provisions to allow utilities to collect unlimited costs from customers for projects deemed to be “economic development” or “infrastructure.” (The OMA is opposed to this language. See related story.)
• Provide modest income tax relief on earnings between $26,050 and $92,150.
• Reduce the governor’s $2.5 billion for the All Ohio Future Fund — which would ensure ready-to-go economic development sites statewide — to just $500 million.
• Reduce the governor’s $150 million for innovation hubs to $25 million.

The budget now goes to the Senate, where it will be subject to further revision. One possible change could be new language to include a K-12 education restructuring plan that would ensure more focus on workforce, as spotlighted by Gongwer News Service. 4/26/2023