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Saturday, June 27, 2009
Battle of the budget: Strickland, Harris duel on slots at the tracks
Gov. Ted Strickland and Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, issued dueling statements in Ohio’s battle of the budget on Saturday, June 27.
Here they are:
Strickland:
“It has now been more than one week since I outlined a balanced budget framework to address the $3.2 billion state budget gap without raising taxes and without undermining our commitment to K-12 education. “I am pleased by the progress the legislative conference committee has made this week. “Regrettably, Senate President Bill Harris informed me this afternoon that he does not support my balanced budget proposal.
“I believe that he and the Senate Majority have an obligation to say what taxes they would increase or what services they would further reduce in order to balance the budget.
“I look forward to hearing from the Senate what other source of revenue, or what additional cuts, they will suggest in the three remaining days of the legislative conference committee.
“I continue to be available around the clock and will remain accessible to the legislative leadership.”
Harris:
“We have been working day and night with the House and the Governor to balance our state budget and we have been making significant progress.
“Let’s be clear: The issue that divides us is whether or not the legislature should authorize expanded gambling without a vote of the people.
“I have acknowledged many times that the Governor has the authority to expand the lottery.
“He has done it before and should he decide to exercise his authority again in allowing VLTs at racetracks around the state, the Senate will account for the revenues to balance the budget.
“However, I cannot get past the fact that the voters of Ohio - our constituents — have spoken on expanded gambling time and again.
“Asking the General Assembly to circumvent their will in such a short time frame when there has been no formal public debate and there are so many questions left unanswered is unreasonable.”
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State budget talks hit snag
State budget talks hit a snag on Saturday, June 27. The disagreement appeared to focus on the plan to raise $933 million by putting slot machines at racetracks.
The budget battle has become a standoff between Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and the Republican majority in the Ohio Senate.
It raises the prospect of an interim budget and, although unlikely, a shutdown of state government.
Strickland said in a prepared statement that he and Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, met without reaching agreement on Saturday.
“Regrettably, Senate President Bill Harris informed me this afternoon that he does not support my balanced budget proposal,” Strickland said.
“I believe that he and the Senate Majority have an obligation to say what taxes they would increase or what services they would further reduce in order to balance the budget.”
Harris also issued a statement that said in part:
“Let’s be clear: The issue that divides us is whether or not the legislature should authorize expanded gambling without a vote of the people.”
The disagreement could make it tough to reach a final deal in time for Strickland to sign a new budget before Wednesday, start of the new fiscal year. This would force passage of an interim budget, probably from three to five days, something that hasn’t happened since 1991.
Amanda Wurst, Strickland’s spokeswoman, said the governor would agree to an interim budget for only “several days.” Without a budget of some kind, most state government operations might have to come to a halt.
Strickland wants language in the budget giving him legislative authority to put the video slots at racetracks. Harris maintains that Strickland can go ahead with the slots on his own as an expansion of the state lottery. Harris has said a vote of the people should have taken place before putting slots at the tracks.
Ohio voters have rejected gambling proposals at the polls four times since 1990.
The $933 million from the slots plus $2.4 billion in budget cuts make up Strickland’s framework to fill a $3.2 billion budget hole.
Keary McCarthy, spokesman for House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, said that without the $933 million the budget can’t be balanced.
McCarthy said it’s possible a meeting of a House-Senate conference committee on the budget set for Sunday will be postponed.
