Rep. Robinson: Republican Budget Prioritizes Wealthy Tax Cuts, Stadium Subsidies Over Ohio Families

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) today criticized the Republican state operating budget, signed by Governor Mike DeWine, that prioritizes tax breaks for the wealthy and corporate giveaways over funding for schools, affordable communities, and essential healthcare services. Despite a few helpful line-item vetoes, the budget still overwhelmingly reflects out-of-touch priorities that leave everyday Ohioans behind.

“While I appreciate the number of vetoes Governor DeWine issued, this budget ultimately fails everyday Ohioans. It prioritizes the interests of the wealthiest few over the needs of working families—cutting essential social safety programs while funneling millions to private entities and wealthy sports team owners. These choices are misguided and will cause real harm to communities across Ohio from our urban cores to the rural counties. When the rich and well connected are prioritized, everybody else loses,” said Rep. Robinson.  

House Democrats emphasize that this budget does not meet the moment for Ohio’s families, students, or seniors. Instead, it is loaded with tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Ohioans while cutting or underfunding the programs that people rely on every day.

House Democrats fought hard throughout the process to strip out some of the most harmful provisions, and they are grateful to the citizens and advocacy groups who raised their voices. Thanks to their efforts, Governor DeWine exercised his veto power more than he ever has in his time in office, and more than a dozen especially dangerous provisions were successfully removed through line-item vetoes, including:

• Funding penalties for colleges that failed to comply with anti-DEI Senate Bill 1.
• Cuts to H2Ohio environmental funding.
• Restrictions targeting public libraries and LGBTQ+ materials.
• Medicaid cuts for children aged 0-3.

Still, these small wins cannot mask the larger truth: this budget is fundamentally skewed toward the wealthy and special interests, and Ohio families will pay the price.