House Votes to Send Budget Bill to Conference Committee

Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio House of Representatives today voted to not concur on Senate amendments to HB33, the State’s main operating budget, announced Representative Jamie Callender (R-Concord). Representative Callender voted to not concur due to severe cuts to public education, elimination of support for programs impacting thousands of lives across Northeast Ohio, and removal of projects critical to Lake County’s infrastructure. HB33 will now go to a conference committee comprised of 3 members of the House and three members of the Senate, who will negotiate the differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget and produce a conference report based on their work. 

Included in the House version of the budget but cut by the Senate were several projects critical to supporting Lake County, including $5 million to repair the shoreline near the Bacon Road intake and $3.5 million to repair the Mentor Harbor inlet. Also in the House version of the budget but removed by the Senate were funds to support educational programming at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and afterschool programming through the Foundry’s Row, Sail, Dream program. Additionally, funding for arts institutions, including the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland Orchestra, and Cleveland Museum of Art was cut. 

As well as cuts to programs located in Northeast Ohio, included in the Senate’s version of the budget were $30 million in cuts to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks and $600 million in cuts to public education funding, including $6 million in cuts to Lake County schools. 

“When the House passed its version of the budget back in April, a balance was struck between cutting taxes for Ohioans while supporting programs and projects that support some of the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said Callender. “With the cuts proposed by the Senate, Ohioans will be left more vulnerable and unable to access opportunities to not only better themselves but support their communities.” 

HB33 faces a deadline of June 30th to pass without needing a continuing resolution to maintain state funding.