On a mostly party line vote, the Ohio House has approved the version of the $74.4 billion two-year state budget that was proposed by Republican leadership. It includes a 2% across-the-board income tax cut and a $1.8 billion school funding formula overhaul, but Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposals on gun regulations were stripped out. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler has more.
Minority leader Emilia Sykes says the budget’s winners include public schools but also wealthy Ohioans – while the losers include single mothers and local governments.
“I’m here to stand with middle class Ohioans, the environment, direct care workers, and to make sure that we have a better COVID response.”
Republican Speaker Bob Cupp said after the vote that he’s not concerned about the tax cut being prohibited in the latest federal COVID relief package, though the state is suing over that ban.
“We funded our tax cut with state dollars so we think we’re on pretty solid ground.”
The budget also features millions in COVID relief for businesses and the arts and erases COVID violations for bars, and it cuts the amount of Lake Erie cleanup funds DeWine wanted. The Senate now gets the budget with a June 30 deadline.