OHIO — A little over a month away from when the state’s next biennial budget needs to be approved, and talks are heating up in the Senate.
On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee held its sixth budget hearing over the last three weeks, hearing testimonies from groups that are making their pitch for what they need in the next spending plan.
Committee chair Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, said during this week alone almost 400 people have requested to testify. Public school funding and property taxes were at the epicenter of the conversation.
“We’re giving a lot of opportunity for people to come in,” Cirino said. “Organizations, individuals to come in and testify and tell us what they think we should be doing.”
Testimonies ranged from advocates of students who have learning disabilities at public schools to collaborative and human trafficking organizations.
An advocate for Medicaid said they’re concerned and asked senators to remove the trigger language from the budget. Cirino isn’t yet discussing the Senate’s timeline to get their version of the bill approved, but the final budget needs to be signed by Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, by June 30.
State Senate President Rob McColley said the fair school funding formula may not be as appealing as it seems.
“I think when people are saying ‘we want the fair school funding plan,’ a natural follow up would be, are you fine potentially seeing negative numbers for some of these school districts,” McColley said.
McColley said loss of enrollment or even higher property tax valuations could affect the formula.
But State senator Nickie Antonio said the formula is supposed to evolve.
“We agreed on a formula I would like to see it put into play,” Antonio said. “And we’re adults, we’re living breathing humans, and I think that we can also look at the places where it doesn’t work and make adjustments.”
Still, Ohio Farmers Union and the League of Women Voters gathered outside the statehouse to express their concerns.
“We want to make sure that the bipartisan fair school funding plan is fully implement,” Jen Miller, director of Ohio League of Women Voters, said. “If not, it will harm Ohio communities across the state.”
The clock is ticking as the senate president said they plan to introduce a substitute bill next Tuesday with the hope to pass a bill off the Senate floor by June 12.
Bryn Bird, president of Ohio Farmers Union, said the budget as it is affects disproportionately rural schools in Ohio.
“Especially these rural schools where there are no other options,” Bird said. “We don’t have the private schools, we don’t have places where kids are using voucher programs, you know, most of these counties 90% are choosing to got to public schools.”