Latest news with #OhioBudget
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Ohio's funding fair yet? Fair School Funding Plan sponsor says not quite
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — When high school history teacher John Patterson won his first state House race, he wanted to fix Ohio's public school funding. More than a decade later, the state has once again implemented his funding plan, but Patterson said Ohio still has a ways to go. 'It's going to be, again, a commitment to right this ship,' Patterson said. 'We didn't get here overnight. We're not going to get out overnight.' Ohio uses the Cupp-Patterson Fair School Funding Formula to determine how much money each public school district should get from the state. Under Ohio's new biennial budget, which was signed late on June 30 by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, the formula was phased in as the 'largest overall school funding investment' in Ohio's history, per DeWine. Public school advocates say the state is still underfunding schools by $2 billion. Patterson said Ohio is not yet fairly funding districts, as the state needs to consider all aspects of the formula, update its financial data more regularly and embrace bipartisan solutions. How Ohio's recently passed budget will expand driver's ed requirements Patterson, a Democrat, created the Fair School Funding Plan alongside former Speaker of the Ohio House Robert Cupp, a Republican. The pair spent several years working with legislators, superintendents and school treasurers to develop a formula to fund schools adequately. This formula weighs individual factors for each of Ohio's 611 public school districts to determine which needs more state support. Patterson said although he's glad the formula was continued, equitable funding requires a better implementation of the formula's categorical inputs. The categorical portion examines transportation demands, economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, special education and other important factors that Patterson said have been largely sidelined in Fair School Funding discussions. He also asked the state to consider more efficient updates. Under the current funding plan, districts have to update their data inputs with the most recently available data. However, the state will use data from 2022 through the end of Fiscal Year 2027, widening the gap between districts' inputs and the state's annually. Patterson said the cost of running a school, like the cost of groceries, has noticeably increased since 2022, so using outdated data points minimizes how much schools get under the formula. Public school advocates have long echoed Patterson's worry about the state's use of outdated financial data, encouraging the state to use the most recently available information. Patterson said although the data should be more recent, a slight delay in the state's inputs is needed to properly plan allocations. However, he said districts still need to update their data annually to avoid skewing the formula. 'There's got to be a cushion there to make sure that there's enough money to cover what ought to happen,' Patterson said. 'Because remember the data inputs there, that's real dollars.' Ohio equal rights, gay marriage amendment eyes 2026 ballot Patterson said the funding plan blends property and income wealth to better understand a school district's ability to fund education. Property tax reform was a major issue this budget cycle, but Patterson was grateful DeWine vetoed reform proposals that could have skewed the formula. Patterson was glad to see DeWine created a new work group to tackle property tax instead, saying the problem is too ingrained in local funding systems to fold into the budget. Patterson said the legislators who were involved in developing and passing the Fair School Funding Plan are being phased out of the legislature, leaving a newer General Assembly without input from the original work group. He encouraged lawmakers to learn as much as possible about the funding plan and public districts' funding needs. 'That's the beauty of the Fair School Funding Plan. It's not a wish list. It's a real depiction of what school districts are spending in a certain amount of time in order to meet their obligations,' Patterson said. Patterson said Ohio's school funding — and adjacent property tax relief concerns — need bipartisan collaboration like his with Cupp on the formula. He said he spent more time with Cupp than he did with any other lawmaker except for his roommate, another Republican representative who shared an apartment with Patterson. 'It can be done if we want to do what's best for the people, and by doing what's best for the people, both parties are benefited as well,' Patterson said. 'Some are more concerned with climbing the ladder or holding on to power. I believe in doing what's right for the people, and that's who Bob Cupp is, too.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs budget giving $600M to Cleveland Browns and tax cut to wealthy
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. (Photo by Morgan Trau, WEWS.) Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed the state's massive operating budget, which includes funding for a new Cleveland Browns domed stadium and provides tax cuts for the wealthy. This is a developing story and will be updated. The governor will have a press conference at 10 a.m. Tuesday on his decisions. At 11:15 p.m. Monday, DeWine announced he approved the about $60-billion Republican spending bill. As of 1:30 a.m., he was only midway through scanning his 67 line-item vetoes, spokesperson Dan Tierney said. So far, we know several items approved in the budget. The Browns will be getting $600 million for their new Brook Park stadium. The budget calls for the state to take legal ownership of $1.7 billion in unclaimed funds, setting a clock on how long people have to file claims and get reunited with their missing money. That's a major change for Ohio, which currently holds unclaimed funds in perpetuity. The budget will give people a decade to claim their money before it becomes the state's property. Lawmakers want to grab $1.7 billion out of Ohio's $4.8 billion pool of unclaimed funds right away — and then continue taking money on a rolling basis, after a decade of holding it. The budget also changes a state law designed to make it harder for pro sports teams to leave publicly subsidized facilities, clearing a significant obstacle from the Browns' road to Brook Park. The new language says the so-called Modell law, designed to prevent major sports teams from pulling up stakes, would only come into play if a team chose to leave the state. The changes to the law are likely to end a court battle that's just getting started and take leverage away from the City of Cleveland, which is fighting to keep the Browns on the lakefront or negotiate a better exit deal if the team leaves. He also approved the GOP's 2.75% flat income tax, meaning the highest earners in the state, those making more than $100,000 a year, will no longer have to pay 3.5% in income tax, making them equal to the lower tax bracket. State data reveals that this could result in a loss of more than $1.1 billion in the general revenue fund. This was made up by cutting social services and some tax exemptions. Tierney confirmed that some aspects of the Medicaid cuts, ones that were set to cut about 800,000 Ohioans off of health care, have been signed into law. Other provisions were vetoed, he said. WESW's Michelle Jarboe contributed to this report. Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on X and Facebook. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Washington Post
01-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Ohio governor signs 2-year, $60 billion budget that includes funding for football stadium
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a two-year, $60 billion operating budget that flattens the state's income tax and sets aside $600 million in unclaimed funds for a new Cleveland Browns stadium . The Republican governor signed the budget late Monday night, about 45 minutes before the midnight deadline. He also issued 67 line-item vetoes, including one that would have cut funding for homeless shelters 'that promote or affirm social gender transition' and another that would have forced public libraries to keep materials on sexual orientation and gender identity away from those under 18.
Associated Press
01-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Ohio governor signs 2-year, $60 billion budget that includes funding for football stadium
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a two-year, $60 billion operating budget that flattens the state's income tax and sets aside $600 million in unclaimed funds for a new Cleveland Browns stadium. The Republican governor signed the budget late Monday night, about 45 minutes before the midnight deadline. He also issued 67 line-item vetoes, including one that would have cut funding for homeless shelters 'that promote or affirm social gender transition' and another that would have forced public libraries to keep materials on sexual orientation and gender identity away from those under 18. He also rejected lawmakers' plan to limit how much money school districts could carry over to 40% and another that would have required candidates for local school board races to be identified with partisan labels on the ballot. The moves mark the largest number of vetoes DeWine has issued since becoming governor in 2019. His previous record was 44 in 2023. The governor defended his decisions during a news conference Tuesday, noting that state lawmakers can now vote to override the vetoes and put the items back in the budget if they desire. The budget had been approved by the Republican-controlled state Legislature last week. GOP leaders touted its $1 billion in income tax relief, pathways to address Ohio's property tax crisis, and that it trims spending at administrative agencies and curtails regulations. Democrats voted uniformly against the bill, alongside a handful of Republicans, casting it as a collection of misguided policy tradeoffs that prioritize the wealthy over the middle class. The budget phases in a single flat-tax rate of 2.75% over two years, affecting anyone making over $26,050 annually. Those making less would continue to pay nothing. The plan eliminates the existing 3.5% rate for those making over $100,000 annually by the 2026 tax year. It also includes the $600 million Haslam Sports Group, owner of the Browns, which requested that the state help build a new domed stadium in suburban Brook Park south of Cleveland. DeWine had proposed doubling taxes on sports betting to help the Browns, as well as the Cincinnati Bengals and other teams who might seek facility upgrades. But the Legislature used some of the $4.8 billion in unclaimed funds the state is holding on to — in small sums, residents left behind from dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks and forgotten utility deposits. Currently, there's a 10-year time limit before that money reverts to the state. 'This is a win for taxpayers, and it will provide significant money to things that improve the quality of life in Ohio,' DeWine said of the stadium money. In a statement issued Tuesday, the Browns called the budget approval a 'tremendous milestone for our organization' and said DeWine and the Legislature worked together 'to find a responsible way to support such a transformative project.' Lawmakers who represent Cleveland and surrounding communities, mostly Democrats, have blasted the proposal as a gift to the team's billionaire owners. Democrats outside the Legislature have threatened to sue if DeWine signed the plan, arguing it would be unconstitutionally raiding the unclaimed funds without due process.
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Ohio governor signs 2-year, $60 billion budget that includes funding for football stadium
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a two-year, $60 billion operating budget that flattens the state's income tax and sets aside $600 million in unclaimed funds for a new Cleveland Browns stadium. The Republican governor signed the budget late Monday night, about 45 minutes before the midnight deadline. He also issued 67 line-item vetoes, including one that would have cut funding for homeless shelters 'that promote or affirm social gender transition" and another that would have forced public libraries to keep materials on sexual orientation and gender identity away from those under 18. He also rejected lawmakers' plan to limit how much money school districts could carry over to 40% and another that would have required candidates for local school board races to be identified with partisan labels on the ballot. The moves mark the largest number of vetoes DeWine has issued since becoming governor in 2019. His previous record was 44 in 2023. The governor defended his decisions during a news conference Tuesday, noting that state lawmakers can now vote to override the vetoes and put the items back in the budget if they desire. The budget had been approved by the Republican-controlled state Legislature last week. GOP leaders touted its $1 billion in income tax relief, pathways to address Ohio's property tax crisis, and that it trims spending at administrative agencies and curtails regulations. Democrats voted uniformly against the bill, alongside a handful of Republicans, casting it as a collection of misguided policy tradeoffs that prioritize the wealthy over the middle class. The budget phases in a single flat-tax rate of 2.75% over two years, affecting anyone making over $26,050 annually. Those making less would continue to pay nothing. The plan eliminates the existing 3.5% rate for those making over $100,000 annually by the 2026 tax year. It also includes the $600 million Haslam Sports Group, owner of the Browns, which requested that the state help build a new domed stadium in suburban Brook Park south of Cleveland. DeWine had proposed doubling taxes on sports betting to help the Browns, as well as the Cincinnati Bengals and other teams who might seek facility upgrades. But the Legislature used some of the $4.8 billion in unclaimed funds the state is holding on to — in small sums, residents left behind from dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks and forgotten utility deposits. Currently, there's a 10-year time limit before that money reverts to the state. 'This is a win for taxpayers, and it will provide significant money to things that improve the quality of life in Ohio,' DeWine said of the stadium money. In a statement issued Tuesday, the Browns called the budget approval a 'tremendous milestone for our organization' and said DeWine and the Legislature worked together "to find a responsible way to support such a transformative project.' Lawmakers who represent Cleveland and surrounding communities, mostly Democrats, have blasted the proposal as a gift to the team's billionaire owners. Democrats outside the Legislature have threatened to sue if DeWine signed the plan, arguing it would be unconstitutionally raiding the unclaimed funds without due process.
