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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > June > 10 > Entry
Combs: State budget short $1 billion, maybe more
Press release from state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton:
COLUMBUS - State Representative Courtney Combs (R- Hamilton) today announced that House Bill 1, the state operating budget, will move to conference committee for further deliberations and the final step of the budget process.
“The Senate has restored a sense of fiscal reasonability back into the budget,” Combs said. “Ohio’s families have had to curtail their spending so why shouldn’t the State do the same?”
The bill was sent back to the House after changes were made by the Ohio Senate. The Senate faced a budget gap of nearly $1 billion after the Strickland Administration’s revenue estimates were once again off target. In addition, the House Democrats had increased government spending by more than $1 billion. In the end, the Senate was able to reduce spending by $1 billion overall.
Issues still in the budget that remain a concern for House Republicans include nearly $1 billion in fee increases, the over reliance of federal stimulus funds for ongoing programs and the continued growth of state government. House Republicans offered cost-savings amendments to the House-version of the budget which would have streamlined state government saving taxpayers approximately $1 billion annually and reformed Medicaid to make the system more efficient.
“The budget proposed by Governor Strickland and the House Democrats is simply irresponsible in this economic climate,” Combs said. “The Governor has set Ohio up for massive tax increases with this unbalanced budget.”
The Legislature is currently awaiting revised revenue projections. Some have estimated that the new projections will be $2 to $3 billion lower than the Strickland Administration’s previous estimates. This estimated shortfall will need to be addressed in conference committee.
By a vote of 1-97, the Ohio House voted to not concur with the Senate changes and recommended the bill move to conference committee, where a compromise measure must be crafted by July 1st. The committee will consist of three members each from the House and Senate.
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