Jones Votes in Favor of State Budget

COLUMBUS- The Ohio House of Representatives today passed House Bill 33, the State Operating Budget for fiscal years 2024-25, announced State Representative Don Jones (R-Freeport).

The House-led budget commits substantial resources to economic and workforce development, brownfield remediation, education for Ohioans of all ages, and agriculture. House Bill 33 is a fiscally responsible balanced budget that supports everyday Ohioans and lays the foundation for the future by investing in the state and maximizing state resources.

Education and workforce development provisions highlighted by Jones are as follows:

·         Allocate $200 million for high school career-tech facilities. This funding creates new opportunities for Ohio’s students and prepares them for high-skill, high-wage jobs in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and technology.

·        Increase the minimum base salary for public school teachers to $40,000.

·         Establish the Accelerated Appalachian Building Assistance Program to help Appalachian schools build new facilities. 

·         Earmark $10 million for the Ohio State Multispecies Animal Learning Center.

·         Reduce the requirements for the Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA) and the alternative resident educator license from 4 to 2 years. 

·         Appropriate $14 million for the Meat Processing Investment Program Fund that provides grants and capital investments for animal processors. 

·         Decrease the number of individuals to whom a CDL skills test examiner must administer a skills test each calendar year from 32 to 10.

“Ohio is experiencing an industry and economic boom with projects like Intel and Honda creating thousands of new jobs,” Jones said. “We need to make sure that our educators and students are prepared to meet Ohio’s growing industry needs.”

Additional provisions highlighted by Jones are as follows:

·         $12 million for county engineers and boards of township trustees to repair roadways impacted by horizontal drilling

·         $4.7 million for County fairs in 2025 and $760,000 for Junior Fair programs such as 4-H and FFA

·         Funding for the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, Appalachia Children Coalition, and Ohio Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs