Rep. Brennan: New State Budget Prioritizes Billionaires, Stadiums Over Working Ohioans

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan (D-Parma) today announced that in the early hours of Wednesday morning, leaders in the General Assembly finalized Ohio’s 2026-2027 biennial operating budget—a spending plan that hands enormous giveaways to billionaires and wealthy special interests, while shortchanging working families, public schools, and the most vulnerable members of our communities.

“Budgets reflect our values—and this budget tells working Ohioans exactly where they stand with this General Assembly: behind billionaires, behind private stadium owners, and behind powerful lobbyists. From the flat-tax giveaway to the $600 million stadium subsidy, this budget is Robin Hood in reverse,” said Rep. Brennan.

The budget includes a regressive flat income tax that slashes rates for the wealthiest Ohioans, while delivering little or no benefit to most middle-class and working families. According to independent analysis, flattening Ohio’s tax code will cost the state billions in long-term revenue while delivering disproportionately higher benefits to millionaires.

“Let’s be clear: this flat tax is a windfall for the rich and a dead end for everyone else. It undermines our ability to fund schools, first responders, roads, and health care, all while pretending that the working class will somehow benefit,” said Rep. Brennan.

One of the most controversial components is the seizure of $1.7 billion in Ohioans’ unclaimed funds, diverting $1 billion toward stadium construction and other entertainment venue projects—including $600 million for a new Cleveland Browns stadium. Instead of returning these funds to rightful owners or investing in critical services, House and Senate leaders chose to underwrite private sports franchises.

“Public dollars should serve the public good—not luxury boxes and billionaire team owners. My constituents in Parma, Parma Heights, and Cleveland would rather see those funds go to substantive property tax relief, better roads, safer schools, more police and firefighters, and access to affordable health care—not more sweetheart deals for sports magnates,” added Rep. Brennan.

The budget also fails to update school funding formula inputs, neglects necessary investments in classrooms. In addition, it reduces transparency and accountability in key oversight bodies like the State Teachers Retirement System and abolishes elected positions on the State Board of Education—consolidating more power in the hands of political appointees.

“This is a power grab, plain and simple. From the State Board of Education to our public pensions, sidelining everyday Ohioans and educators in favor of handpicked insiders who will serve their political agendas,” said Rep. Brennan.

In a move that could destabilize health care access for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans, the budget includes contingency language to end Medicaid expansion if federal match rates change, along with deep spending cuts and new audit hurdles targeting aged, blind, and disabled residents. At the same time, the budget leaves out proposals to support working families—such as a child tax credit pushed by Rep. Brennan.

“This budget fails to meet the moment. It’s shortsighted, fiscally reckless, and morally bankrupt,” said Rep. Brennan. “Instead of investing in the people who power this state—teachers, nurses, first responders, public employees, seniors, and working parents—it funnels our collective resources into ideological pet projects and giveaways for the already wealthy.”

Rep. Brennan pledges to continue fighting for a fairer and more responsible budget that puts Ohio families first—not billionaire sports owners and political cronies.