Cincinnati
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Ohio House approves
$55.6B budget
Proposal moves on to GOP-controlled Senate
May. 5, 2011
Written by Jon Craig
COLUMBUS – The Ohio House passed a budget proposal Thursday that would
cut state tax dollars to schools and local services, but removed an
amendment earlier in the day that would have delayed the $66.5 million
project to replace the dilapidated Sixth Street Viaduct.
The sponsor of the amendment, Sabina Republican Rep. Bob Peterson,
asked that his proposal be removed; the House agreed on a 98-0 vote.
The Republican-controlled House approved the $55.6 billion, two-year
spending plan on a 59-40 party line vote. The budget mostly maintains
Gov. John Kasich’s key cost-saving measures – including the sale of
five state prisons and a Medicaid overhaul.
The House put its mark on the budget by eliminating the state’s estate
tax beginning in 2013 and allowing the lease or sale of a sixth state
prison. Legislators also dramatically expanded opportunities for
charter and online education.
The measure now goes to the GOP-controlled Senate, where hearings have
already begun.
State lawmakers have to pass a spending plan by June 30. The next
fiscal year begins July 1.
Peterson’s amendment was among 85 changes slipped into House Bill 153
late Tuesday. It would have stopped all spending on the viaduct project
until the city makes a deal with the rail-to-river Queensgate Terminals.
State Rep. Denise Driehaus, a Democrat from West Price Hill, criticized
legislators for inserting themselves into a local matter being handled
by the courts.
About 28,000 vehicles drive over the 53-year-old structure each day.
Also known as part of U.S. 50 and the Waldvogel Viaduct, it has been
declared structurally deficient.
“The legislature completely overstepped its jurisdiction,” Driehaus
said, noting it would have located a large construction project in a
residential area to help one company. “Holding the viaduct hostage
while we wait for a resolution on something that’s pending in court
would have been problematic.”
Peterson said he withdrew the amendment after Hamilton County
legislators convinced him not to use the budget as a way to spur
development along his House district. Peterson denied introducing the
amendment for Dave Martin, who owns a soybean farm in Peterson’s
district. Martin needs the Ohio River port to transfer farm products
from railroad cars to barges, for shipments to Asia.
Driehaus thanked Peterson of Sabina and state Rep. Bob Mecklenborg, a
Republican from Green Township, for working with her to remove the
amendment.
Mecklenborg agreed that the wording of Peterson’s amendment “did go a
bit too far,” saying replacing the viaduct is a public safety issue. A
contractor is expected to be chosen this month, Driehaus said, with
construction beginning in June.
Democrats were unsuccessful in stripping out wording in the budget that
assumes adoption of a major overhaul of Ohio’s collective bargaining
law. A statewide ballot issue expected to go before voters in November
would give Ohioans a chance to repeal or endorse changes made in Senate
Bill 5, they argued.
State Rep. Louis Blessing, a Republican from Colerain Township, called
debate over Senate Bill 5 inappropriate during state budget talks.
“At a time when we should be discussing public policies to help Ohio,
the House Democrats are spending their time seeking ways to skew the
debate entirely,’’ Blessing said. “It is becoming clear that the House
Democrats would rather shut their eyes and dig their heels in the mud
than do their jobs of representing their constituents.”
Among other proposals, the budget bill relaxes oversight of charter
schools, shores up taxes collected from new casinos, repeals the estate
tax in 2013, closes an $8 billion budget gap and doesn’t raise income
taxes.
The budget bill also eliminates the waiting list for seniors to get
home health care. Spending on the so-called Passport program is being
increased by $5 million next year and $10 million in fiscal year 2013.
Another $2 million per year was added in state aid for Ohio’s
children’s hospitals, and $3 million per year for federally qualified
health centers.
State Rep. Matt Lundy, a Democrat from Lorain County, joined other
House Democrats in saying the budget is being balanced on the backs of
middle-income Ohioans. Lundy said some newspaper headlines will read:
“The Kasich bus runs over the middle class.”
The House budget would spend $80 million more than Kasich’s on state
aid to schools, including targeted help to suburban districts that took
hits under the first-term Republican governor’s plan. Some of a 33
percent cut to local government funding would also be blunted with an
infusion of business tax dollars to municipalities and townships that
share services.
Lawmakers amended the bill to require districts to maintain 2009
spending on gifted education – though they provided no additional
dollars to do so. They also altered the bill to let universities decide
whether to use union-scale wages on construction sites. Universities
would have been prohibited from paying the prevailing wage, under the
governor’s plan.
Read it at the Cincinnati Enquirer
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