Manning, General Assembly Approve State Budget Bill

State Rep. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and the General Assembly passed House Bill 110, known as the two-year state operating budget for Fiscal Years 2022-2023. The legislation highlights include a new school funding reform plan, tax relief, jobs and economic support, and several other initiatives.

“As a retired teacher of thirty-seven years, I understand the importance of a constitutional school funding formula. The new funding formula aims to adequately fund education for every child in Ohio, no matter where they live,” said Manning. “This budget also includes tax relief, investments into our businesses and workforce, and funding for local projects in the 55th House District.”

The school funding reform plan included in the bill is the result of more than three years of work by educators and policymakers. The Fair School Funding Plan is predictable, sustainable and transparent. 

The bill includes a three percent across the board personal income tax cut. The tax reform plan reduces the number of tax brackets from five to four, and eliminates the income tax for anyone making less than $25,000 per year. Overall, these and other tax changes in the budget reduce taxes $2 billion over the biennium.

In addition to school funding reform and tax relief, the plan provides COVID-19 relief aid to help businesses impacted by the pandemic. The budget proposal appropriates $155 million in COVID-19 relief aid to help businesses impacted by the pandemic. 

House Bill 110 also includes a series of provisions in support of law enforcement, firefighters and public safety. Some of the initiatives include security grants, school safety grants, body cameras, law enforcement training investment, firefighter grants, and funding for the Ohio Cyber Reserve.

Manning submitted several other amendments to the bill pertaining to local projects impacting the 55th Ohio House District, including: 

• Increased funding for crisis nurseries
  • Blessing House, one of three crisis nurseries in the state, will be able to utilize this increased funding
• Expanded the list of authorized uses a court may make of surplus money in an Indigent Alcohol Drivers Fund
  • The amendment allows for expenditure for staffing costs, equipment, training, drug testing, supplies, and other expenses of any specialized docket program established within the court and certified by the Supreme Court.
• Increased funding for Ohio YWCAs
• Increased funding for the Public Library Fund, which funds Ohio’s libraries 

Lastly, the budget includes a $170 million investment over the biennium for the H2Ohio Initiative, which aims to keep our natural resources, like Lake Erie, clean and free of pollution. 

The budget plan, under House Bill 110, now heads to the governor for further action.