Cera, Dems improve state transportation budget

The Ohio House Budget committee’s lead Democrat, state Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire), tonight voted in favor of House Bill (HB) 62 during the panel’s final hearing on the bill before its anticipated full-House floor vote tomorrow.

“The transportation budget we helped shape today is more of a blueprint for our future than anything we’ve seen yet,” said Cera. “Through our work, Ohioans will see a real return on investment in their local communities while our economy will be better positioned to grow and expand.”

Key Democratic amendments accepted into the final version of the budget bill include:

-$200 million for public transportation throughout the state over two years.

-Five-percent increase for the local community share of new gas tax revenue.

-Allow a four-percent increase in Public Works Commission funding for local communities’ capital projects.

“The work we’ve put into this will pay off for years to come,” Cera added. “We took responsibility, did the right thing, and as a result, people across our state will have better lives. I’m proud of that. We’ll be watching our changes closely in the Senate.”