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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > February > 02 > Entry
Strickland releases state budget
On Saturday, we had a story about how ongoing state budget cuts could impact local mental health agencies. Here is the story, and here is the pull quote from Sally Fiehrer, executive director of NAMI of Butler County, who said the cuts could ultimately increase homelessness, emergency room visits and suicides:
“This population is fragile to begin with, and you start cutting basic services and you’re going to get people who fall through the cracks.”
Well, the governor released his budget today. And while I haven’t had a chance to see how it impact mental health, it does impact pretty much everything. Here is an AP analysis from the Dayton Daily News Web site:
Ohioans will pay more to farm, drive, enjoy the outdoors, keep the environment clean and do business under Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposed budget released Monday.
Strickland’s $55 billion spending plan for next year and 2011 increases 120 state fees to raise an estimated $236 million to keep the budget balanced.
Some of the agencies affected by the fee increases including the Department of Natural Resources, the Agriculture Department and the Department of Transportation.
Strickland’s budget does not raises taxes but does call for cutting many existing government programs below current levels, with some cuts as deep as 20 percent.
It also proposes pay cuts of up to 6 percent for all state employees — including Strickland and other cabinet members — and asks employees to pay a portion of their vision and dental coverage and life insurance.
Strickland, a Democrat, boosted funding to prisons by $100 million but warned that he’ll likely close a prison in 2011 unless the state prison population is reduced.
He said the state must change its sentencing laws and add money for halfway houses to help slow inmate growth. The prison system has about 50,000 inmates.
The plan’s top priority for the Transportation Department is to begin work on restoring passenger rail service between Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland.
Strickland also wants to allow tolls on newly constructed highways and he wants police to be able to stop people for seatbelt violations.
Ohio police now can ticket seatbelt violations only if drivers are first pulled over for another traffic violation. The change, which lawmakers would have to approve, would give Ohio $26 million in one-time federal funding.
Strickland’s budget includes a historic increase in state education funding, with an additional $321 million for schools next year and $606 million in 2011.
The budget also expands access to health care for poor children and looks to provide coverage to as many as 110,000 Ohioans currently without insurance.
It also puts in place another tuition freeze at Ohio’s public universities next year, with an increase in 2011 not expected to exceed 3.5 percent.
Strickland’s budget relies on an expected $3.4 billion in federal stimulus money.
That includes $42 million in welfare dollars and $821 million in education funding. The budget also empties the state’s rainy day fund of $948 million in 2011.
The budget also reverses Strickland’s previous opposition to expanding state tax credits and adds credits to lure filmmakers to Ohio and to help cities boost their downtowns.
Republican lawmakers have already begun criticizing Strickland for using the federal money to balance the budget instead of making further cuts.
Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Senate and Democratic-controlled House will review Strickland’s proposal and over the next several months put together a budget that will take effect in July.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Statewide issues
Comments
By Chris
February 3, 2009 8:48 AM | Link to this
And so the taxpayer funded payoff to the unions begins. Education, transportation, and police. Wow.
By Chris
February 3, 2009 8:48 AM | Link to this
And so the taxpayer funded payoff to the unions begins. Education, transportation, and police. Wow.
By Chris
February 3, 2009 8:49 AM | Link to this
And so the taxpayer funded payoff to the unions begins. Education, transportation, and police. Wow.