Category archive for ‘Operating Budget’ rss

  • Kasich capital bill not as small as advertised, but local governments still lose

    The capital bill, up for a vote in the House tomorrow, lacks funding for community projects, not because the money isn’t there, but because the Governor decided he didn’t want to fund them. Kasich’s budget director claims their capital bill is smaller than any in a decade, an assertion not backed up by facts. In 2009, Governor Strickland passed a capital bill that was smaller than Kasich’s, but that funded community projects.

    3/21/12 • (1)

  • Budget hearings this week

    It’s going to be another busy week of budget hearings – we have the details.

    3/20/12 • (0)

  • Kasich failure to reach out to GOP colleagues puts tax plan in jeopardy

    Legislative Outreach 101: Governor Kasich leaked his plan to cut the state’s income tax by raising taxes on oil companies to any newspaper that would print it. What he didn’t do was reach out to lawmakers who promptly responded by dumping his plan from the budget. Oops.

    3/19/12 • (6)

  • News: Floor Vote on Capital bill expected Thursday

    The state capital budget is on the fast-track to passage, at least in the House. Speaker Batchelder indicates a floor vote is possible next Thursday in a newly-scheduled 1 p.m. session. Meanwhile, hearings on the MBR, scheduled for today, have been cancelled and will be rescheduled next week.

    Meanwhile, the MBR, which Governor Kasich unveiled at a press conference yesterday, still remains to be introduced, and a hearing with testimony from OBM Director Keen set for this morning has been cancelled. Hearings are expected to begin in the House Finance committee next week.

    3/15/12 • (0)

  • News: MBR to be heard by multiple committees; no details on tax plan

    Speaker Batchelder indicates that some of the language of the Governor’s policy-filled Mid-Biennium Review budget bill is not ready yet, despite the scheduling of hearings beginning this morning. This isn’t the first time the Kasich administration has asked legislators to hear a bill without language to review.

    3/15/12 • (1)

  • News Reports: Details of Kasich education plan emerge

    Not set for official introduction until tomorrow, a number of details have come to light about what to expect from Governor Kasich’s education legislation. We have a copy of the amendments related to reforming Cleveland schools and a first look at other reforms included in the bill.

    3/13/12 • (0)

  • Kasich offers election year tax cut of $21 per Ohioan

    The Columbus Dispatch provides more details on the proposed income tax cut, expected in 2014, Kasich’s reelection year, thanks to increased tax collections on natural gas and oil drillers. The amount the average Ohio taxpayer can expect to collect works out to $21 in 2014. Will it be enough to guarantee a second term for Kasich?

    3/10/12 • (7)

  • Budget Preview: education policy

    In another preview of the Governor’s upcoming budget bill, we learned yesterday the package will include key reforms sought by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, many of which resemble provisions in SB5. Do we also detect hints that Kasich has big plans for changing education in all of Ohio’s urban areas? He’s going to need Democratic support to give him cover, but will it be a bigger fight than Legislators want to take up in an election year?

    3/06/12 • (0)

  • Budget Preview: energy policy

    Governor Kasich has promised to include a number of policy initiatives in his upcoming budget legislation. Included among them are a number of revisions to Ohio’s energy policy. Budget Watch has obtained a document outlining the major pillars of the Governor’s energy policy plan.

    3/06/12 • (0)

  • Plain Dealer confirms: Kasich tax hike on frackers will be small

    It turns out we were far too generous assuming Kasich’s proposal to raise taxes on frackers would impose a fair tax rate on the extraction of oil and gas. His plan generates in five years what our estimates from yesterday said the state could raise in just one. Our new analysis shows that his fracking tax plan would raise enough revenue to give the average taxpayer a tax cut of $21 to $32.

    3/04/12 • (1)