Date archive for February, 2011

  • State Budget: The Week Ahead

    Just a quick post to remind everyone that two of the three appropriations bills for State Government have been introduced and having hearings in the House of Representatives this week. We have information on committee hearings for the BWC and Transportation budgets, both active this week.

    2/28/11 • (0)

  • Budget Press Clips: February 28

    In today’s clips, we have coverage of the potential for economic calamity as a result of dramatic budget cuts at the federal level, a new poll on Americans attitudes about unions and how state budgets should be balanced, analysis of the Governor’s estimates about savings from SB5 and more.

    2/28/11 • (0)

  • Budget Press Clips: February 27

    Lots of news this weekend about SB5, but unless you believe a friendly newspaper’s account of the findings of an unreleased, leaked “analysis” by the Kasich administration, we still don’t have anything that would tie the bill to any impact on the FY12-13 state budget. When the report is publicly available, we’ll be happy to write about it.

    2/27/11 • (0)

  • Budget Press Clips: February 26

    Your weekend reading should start with a look at an excellent new report from CBPP on state budget shortfalls, tactics to address them, and the impact that spending cuts at the state level will have on the already-tenuous national economic recovery. In this context, the nation’s Governors, gathered for the National Governors’ Association meeting, are [...]

    2/26/11 • (0)

  • Budget Press Clips: February 25

    A couple of editorials today – The Toledo Blade comments on the GOP’s quick turnaround on whether raising fees actually counts as increasing taxes, and the Dayton Daily News discusses the importance of objective state agency performance audits in sorting out competing claims about who is better compensated – public or private employees.

    2/25/11 • (0)

  • What’s in the Dept. of Transportation Budget?

    The ODOT budget, introduced yesterday, is a status quo preservation act. We like to call it a cut-and-paste job from Strickland’s last two year budget, except a lot less bold and innovative. We offer a rundown of the key initiatives, both building on the last budget, and going in new directions, as well as things that stand out as missing from the bill, and likely amendments.

    2/24/11 • (3)

  • Budget Press Clips: February 24

    As expected, we have some coverage of the newly-introduced Transportation Budget (HB114). The papers conclude what we already noted — as disappointing as it is to budget watchers, this is a pretty boring budget. We also look at reports from states that may serve as examples as Ohio confronts its budget challenges. And look at local impacts of state budget cuts.

    2/24/11 • (0)

  • Budget Press Clips: February 23

    Here are today’s budget headlines – sorry for the delay. Tomorrow we expect lots of coverage of the ODOT and DPS budgets that were introduced and heard in committee today. See our earlier story for a recap on the DPS budget. We’ll have a post about ODOT in the next day or so.

    2/23/11 • (1)

  • What’s in the Public Safety budget?

    HB114 – the state’s transportation budget – was released today, and hearings were held in the House Finance committee. In this post, we will focus on the Department of Public Safety, which receives its funding through the bill because it receives some gas tax revenue. All in all, the DPS budget so maintains the status quo that it looks like a copy and paste job from the last biennium. Click post title to read more.

    2/23/11 • (4)

  • State of the State scheduled for March 8

    Governor Kasich’s State of the State address will take place on March 8 at noon in the House Chamber.

    Typically, many of the key initiatives to be contained in the executive budget proposal will be outlined in this speech, so it will be an important preview of the budget.

    2/23/11 • (0)