Rep. Robinson Says Operating Budget is a Start of a Blueprint for Ohio's Future That Puts People First

April 26, 2023

COLUMBUS— State Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) today celebrates the passage of House Bill (HB) 33, the bipartisan Operating Budget, by the House of Representatives. HB 33 is the largest jobs bill in Ohio’s history. The revised two-year budget bill outlines spending of $88 billion in state dollars, prioritizing improvements in public education funding and teacher pay, expansion of Medicaid coverage and other healthcare areas, expansion in childcare capacity and programs, and necessary funding for local government infrastructure projects.

“This bipartisan budget will benefit both House District 19 and the entire state, with something in it for everyone. House Democrats fought for provisions in the bill that will put the people,” said Rep. Robinson. “While I am not supportive of everything in this budget, it is a compromise that ensures our state deepens support to children and students, teachers and public schools, local governments, healthcare workers, the elderly, disadvantaged Ohioans, and many others. This budget is a start to bringing dignity and opportunity back to the people.”

Ohio public schools will receive $16.3 billion in state funds in fiscal years (FY) 2024-2025. This investment is nearly $1.7 billion more than the current biennium, a 10.4% increase. Ohio House District 19 school districts (SD) are estimated to get the following in state foundation aid:

Bedford City School District

o $8.9 million in FY 2024, a 17.9% increase from FY 2023.

o $9.7 million in FY 2025, a 24.8% increase from FY 2023.

Brecksville-Broadview Hts School District

o $4.4 million in FY 2024, a 6.4% increase from FY 2023.

o $4.6 million in FY 2025, a 10.2% increase from FY 2023.

Chagrin Falls Ex. Village School District

o $1.88 million in FY 2024, a 5.2% increase from FY 2023.

o $1.94 million in FY 2025, an 8.4% increase from FY 2023.

Cleveland Municipal School District

o $316.7 million in FY 2024, a 4.1% increase from FY 2023.

o $318 million in FY 2025, a 4.6% increase from FY 2023.

Cuyahoga Hts Local School District

o $549,000 in FY 2024, an 11.2% increase from FY 2023.

o $586,000 in FY 2025, a 16.7% increase from FY 2023.

Independence Local School District

o $697,000 million in FY 2024, a 17.6% increase from FY 2023.

o $780,000 million in FY 2025, a 26.4% increase from FY 2023.

Mayfield City School District

o $2.7 million in FY 2024, a 3.1% increase from FY 2023.

o $3 million in FY 2025, a 13% increase from FY 2023.

Orange City School District

o $1.7 million in FY 2024, a 17.4% increase from FY 2023.

o $1.9 million in FY 2025, a 26% increase from FY 2023.

Solon City School District

o $4.3 million in FY 2024, a 24.9% increase from FY 2023.

o $4.1 million in FY 2025, a 20.2% increase from FY 2023.

Ohio House District 19 public schools

o $341.8 million in FY 2024, a 4.9% increase from FY 2023.

o $344.6 million in FY 2025, a 5.7% increase from FY 2023.

“We implemented years three and four of the Fair School Funding Plan, and if the Senate does the right thing and passes these provisions of the budget, we will be on schedule for our six year phase-in plan. This budget Ohio take the next big step to finally providing our public schools with the fair funding they desperately need,” said Rep. Robinson.

Over $40.5 million went to projects, non-profits, charities, and cultural arts and education groups in Cuyahoga County. Some examples include:

· $20 million in ARPA funds over the 2024-2025 biennium to the Greater Cleveland Foodbanks;

· $4.5 million over the 2024-2025 biennium to College Now Greater Cleveland’s Say Yes to Education Cleveland program;

· $4 million over the 2024-2025 biennium to the Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau;

· $1.2 million in FY 2024 to Birthing Beautiful Communities;

· $900,000 over the 2024-2025 biennium to Senior Transportation Connection’s Accessibility and Modernization Pilot Program.

Some examples of Democratic Caucus priorities in HB 33 include:

K-12 EDUCATION

School Funding

Continues implementation of the Cupp-Patterson Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) using FY 2022 per pupil data instead of outdated information.
Increases the general phase-in of FSFP funding and disadvantaged pupil impact aid phase-in percentages from 33.33% in FY 2023 to 50% in FY 2024 and 66.67% in FY 2025.
Increases the minimum transportation state share percentage from 33.33% in FY 2023 to 37.5% in FY 2024 and 41.67% in FY 2025.
Extends the school bus purchasing funds schools received to be used through FY 2025
Funding for studies on the cost of all-day-kindergarten and what is needed to support and educate disadvantaged students.

Literacy Support & Reform

Appropriates $83.5 million for literacy improvement grants.
Eliminates state mandated student retention under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee (TGRG) and provides safe harbor for the current 2022-2023 school year.

Teacher Salary

Increases the base teacher salary from $30,000 to $40,000 and adjusts the remainder of the teacher salary schedule accordingly.

School Meals

Makes school meals free for anyone who currently qualifies for reduced priced breakfast or lunch.

Private School Accountability

Requires ODE to determine performance measures for parents to view and compare private schools that accept EdChoice vouchers and public schools.
Require public and private schools to transmit a transferred student's records within five school days.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISION

Local Government Fund (LGF) and Public Library Fund (PLF)

Permanently increases LGF and PLF share to 1.7% of the General Revenue Fund (GRF) beginning in FY 2024.
Compared to FY 2023 estimates of the current LGF, the increased share will provide the LGF with an additional $30 million in FY 2024 and $55 million in FY 2025.
The increased share will provide the PLF with an additional $12 million in FY 2024 and $12.6 million in FY 2025.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Child Care

Creation of new Department of Children and Youth (KID).
Child care eligibility increased from 142% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 160% FPL – estimated cost of $101 million per FY, serving over 15,000 more children.
Increases appropriation to Early Childhood Education by $15 million per FY.
Appropriates $15 million per FY to Child Care Infrastructure for infant and toddler child care.

Medicaid

Increased direct care services base payment rates to $17 per hour for FY 2024 and $18 per hour for FY 2025, and clarifies that applies to community behavioral health services.
Increased Medicaid payment rates for vision services/eye care providers by almost $1.3 million in FY 2024 and $2.7 million in FY 2025.
Increased Medicaid reimbursement rate for dental service providers by over $122 million in FY 2024 and over $244 million in FY 2025.
Extends coverage to workers with disabilities aged 65 and older, pregnant women under 300% FPL, children aged 0 – 19 under 300% FPL, and children under age 19 adopted through private agencies (no income threshold).
Continuous Medicaid enrollment for children ages 0 – 3.
Establishes a 5-year program in ODM to cover doula services.

Food

Earmarks $15 million per FY for Ohio Association of Foodbanks.

Aging

Expansion of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) from one to seven counties.
Alzheimer’s and other Dementia Respite funding increased by 72.3% from FY 2023 to $4.3 million for FYs 2024-2025. Includes establishing statewide dementia coordinator.

Nursing Home Rebasing / Payments

Increases frequency of nursing facility rebasing to at least every 2 years; costs measured from the calendar year before rebasing; limits increases to direct care, ancillary, support center costs to 40% of increase.
$30 per day beginning in FY 2024 for services provided to residents in private rooms of nursing facilities and permits Ohio Dept. of Medicaid to increase the rate in subsequent fiscal years.

HIGHER & WORKFORCE EDUCATION

Public College Funding, Grants, & Loans

Increased the State Share of Instruction (SSI), funds for public colleges and universities, by 1.5% each year over current spending.
The Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) will receive $140 million in FY 2024 and $175 million in FY 2025; a 25% yearly increase over current levels. Increases eligibility, but award amounts are likely to remain similar to current levels over the biennium.
$5 million in FY 2024 and $10 million in FY 2025 for the Grow Your Own Teacher scholarship, and $25 million in FY 2024 for the Teacher Loan Repayment Fund.

Workforce Development

$100 million in one-time FY 2024 funds for Super RAPIDS to support collaborative projects among education and workforce-related entities for workforce development throughout the state.
$200 million in FY 2024 for the Career-Technical Construction Program under the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.

TAXATION

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

Authorizes a nonrefundable state tax credit that piggybacks on the federal low-income housing tax credit for affordable housing projects.
Limits the total amount of credits that may be reserved in a fiscal year to $500 million.
Establishes requirements for the Tax Commissioner to prescribe a formula for uniformly valuing federal subsidized rental housing.
An increased investment in low-income homes that will expand affordable housing access in Ohio.

Sales Tax

Exempts sales of children’s diapers, creams and lotions, cribs, wipes, car seats, cribs, and strollers.

Property Taxes and Homestead Exemption

Homestead Exemption Indexed- Indexes the existing $25,000 homestead exemption amount to inflation, and maintains indexing for the income eligibility threshold. Does not increase the exemption amount or the income threshold.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Office of the Public Defender (ODP)

Increases the Civil Legal Aid Fund by $500,000 each FY.
Requires OPD to prioritize reimbursement to counties that contract with the state, and be reimbursed 100% of associated costs for indigent defense.
Replaces the $75 flat cap on indigent defense reimbursement for all counties and makes the cap permissive up to $75 per hour or the rate established by the county as of April 1, 2023, whichever is greater.

Next Gen 9-1-1 Modernization

Funds $46 million over the biennium to upgrade current 9-1-1 infrastructure. Also directs state and county governments to upgrade their current 9-1-1 infrastructure to “Next Generation 9-1-1” systems. Imposes $.64 user fee rather than the current wireless 9-1-1 charge of $.25 per device or service.

OTHER BUDGET WINS

H2Ohio

Invests $307.2 million over the biennium for H2Ohio, the state’s leading program in improving water quality.
New H2Ohio Rivers initiative will expand the program beyond Lake Erie and add a focus on the restoration and improvement of all Ohio Rivers.

Brownfields:

Restores the Brownfield Remediation fund by $350 million over the 2024-2025 biennium.
Restores the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Fund by $150 million in FY 2024.

Development

Directs the Dept. of Development to conduct a study on whether minority, women and veteran-owned businesses face barriers contracting with the state.
Increases the funding for broadband pole replacement to $50 million.

Veterans Services

Increases funding to hire more nursing staff and compliance officers for the Veterans Homes, and modernize the homes at a cost of approximately $65 million.
Increases appropriations by $50,000 in each fiscal year to $450,000 for American Legion of Ohio, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, and VFW.

Transportation

Establishes the $1 billion Connect4Ohio Program to build infrastructure for economic development purposes.
Appropriates $20 million in each fiscal year to be used for grants under the OH Maritime Assistance Program.
Appropriates $50 million to be used for Airport Development Grants Fund for commercial airport improvements.

HB 33 is now in the Ohio Senate for consideration.