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Cleveland
Plain Dealer...
Ohio Gov. John
Kasich clashes again with House Republicans over budget
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. John Kasich is headed for another showdown with
his fellow Republicans in the Ohio House over how the state should
spend its money.
Kasich, who came into office vowing to curb the influence of special
interests on the state budget, blasted House Republicans Wednesday for
passing a version of his mid-budget review that includes $30 million in
new funding for nursing homes. The GOP lawmakers also added a provision
to the mid-budget review, or MBR, that kicks open the door for future
spending if the state ends up with surplus budget money.
“We are not turning the MBR into a spending spree,” said Kasich
spokesman Rob Nichols. “This is about reforms, not spending more money.”
The nursing home provision, as well as the language that stops surplus
state budget funds from automatically going into the state’s rainy day
fund, were late additions to the MBR document, which passed the Ohio
House Wednesday in a 62-34 vote. Four Democrats, including three from
Cuyahoga County -- Reps. Sandra Williams, John Barnes and Bill Patmon
--joined all 58 Republicans in voting for the measure.
The $30 million in nursing home funding would go into a pool of money
available to skilled nursing homes that meet at least one of a series
of standards.
The rainy day provision sets the stage for lawmakers to possibly siphon
off surplus funds when the state closes the books at the end of June.
The surplus could reach as high as $600 million to $800 million at that
time, according to some budget insiders.
However, a $500 million payment from the state’s private economic
development wing --JobsOhio -- is tied up in a court case and is a
complicating factor that would blow a half-billion-dollar hole in the
budget if it’s not resolved.
Kasich has tangled with House Republicans before over spending on
nursing homes, when he sharply cut payments to the politically powerful
group in his first state budget. The governor also lashed out recently
at House GOP lawmakers after they stripped out a hike he proposed in
the state’s drilling tax designed to pay for a small income tax cut for
all Ohioans.
On the nursing home front, Nichols said that “no one has shown that
quality of care has been impacted by the cuts.” As for the extra $30
million for nursing homes, Nichols said the governor has flatly stated:
“That’s not going to happen.”
That raises the possibility of a Kasich veto if the current version of
the MBR bill reaches his desk. The legislation next goes to the Senate
for revisions.
Rep. Ron Amstutz, a Wooster Republican who heads the House Finance
Committee, praised the $30 million for skilled nursing homes, which
builds on a previous GOP-backed program.
“We think that it is a good step to improve something further that we
started in previous legislation,” he said during the floor debate on
the bill.
Amstutz, in an interview before the vote, took in stride the governor’s
criticism about the potential surplus spending.
“I haven’t heard from the governor’s office about it yet, but the
process is continuing,” Amstutz said. “No decisions have been made
about where we ought to end up on the whole thing.”
While Republicans shot down a Democratic amendment to add $400 million
in funding to schools and local governments that would have been paid
for by a hike in the state’s drilling tax, Amstutz sounded open to
softening the blow felt by schools and communities down the road.
“Ultimately, there could be some common ground over what we might end
up doing,” Amstutz said. At another point, he said, “I think our local
partners need our attention.”
While Republicans sound content to wait to see how the state’s
financial picture looks down the road, Democrats rose time and again
during the debate to plead that more money be shipped now to schools
and local governments.
“The kids in Cleveland can’t wait, the kids around the state can’t
wait,” said Rep. Armond Budish, a Beachwood Democrat and the
highest-ranking House Democrat. “We need good schools, we need safe
communities.”
Another provision in the budget bill would eliminate payments thousands
of families in the Cleveland area are required to make for their
children to be eligible for the Cleveland Scholarship Program.
Under current law, families of the 4,900 children receiving the
vouchers for private schools had to come up with a 10 to 25 percent
match. Now the state would foot the bill for the entire scholarships,
which range from $3,188 to $4,500, depending on the income level of the
student’s family as well as grade level.
House Republicans said they added the provision because families in
other parts of the state aren’t asked to kick in for “Ed Choice”
scholarships --a similar voucher-type program.
Read this and other articles at the Cleveland Plain Dealer
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