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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2009 > June > 25 > Entry
Hope flickers for state budget deal before deadline
Despite apparent disagreement over how to authorize putting slot machines at Ohio’s seven racetracks, legislators and Gov. Ted Strickland are forging ahead with efforts to reach agreement on a new state budget by June 30, end of the current fiscal year.
A meeting of the House-Senate budget conference committee has been tentatively set for 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 27, Keary McCarthy, spokesman for House Speaker Armond Budish, said on Thursday, June 25. The conference committee first must reach approval on a new budget before the House and Senate vote.
McCarthy and Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, on Thursday both expressed hope that the budget gets done by the Tuesday deadline.
Harris, however, continued to say he believes Strickland already has the authority to expand the Ohio Lottery to include the slot machines without putting language in the budget giving the governor that authority.
Strickland’s office has said the governor needs legislative approval for the slots. Strickland has said the slots would generate an estimated $933 million over two years to help fill a $3.2 billion hole in the proposed budget.
Meanwhile, protests against an estimated $2.4 billion in cuts continued at the Statehouse, with backers of nursing homes and libraries holding rallies.
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By I am
June 25, 2009 3:50 PM | Link to this
Ole’ Ted has a tough job. I have to say I didn’t vote for him, and haven’t been a supporter, but I do admire his head on approach to the problem. Do people think he’s hiding money? It’s too bad. I say get the slots going. We’re paying enough in taxes to the other states at this point. What happens if they don’t approve slots? More cuts. Like I said, he has a tough job.