Manning Supports $11 Billion Investment in State Transportation Budget

COLUMBUS—On Wednesday, the Ohio Senate approved Amended Substitute House Bill 54, Ohio's $11 billion two-year transportation budget. State Senator Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) voted in favor of the bill.

House Bill 54 is headed to Governor Mike DeWine's desk to be signed following its passage in the Senate by a 32-0 vote and its concurrence in the House by an 87-3 vote. The bill includes targeted safety upgrades and new highway construction funding of almost $400 million each.
 
Senator Manning supported language in the budget to expand authorization for school zones around Educational Service Center (ESC) preschools on roads under both county and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) jurisdictions. He also backed provisions authorizing the use of alternative vehicles for student transportation and to permit the use of these passenger vans to include transportation for extracurricular school activities.
 
“I am proud to support this transportation budget, especially its provisions to further support the safety of our schools and students,” said Senator Manning. “I would like to thank Lorain County ESC Superintendent Franco Gallo, along with other superintendents in the 13th District for helping to identify and alleviate some of these critical transportation issues. These improvements will certainly benefit both Lorain County and the state as a whole.”
 
The Transportation budget is funded by the state’s Motor Fuel Tax (MFT), more commonly referred to as the gas tax. The 2026-27 transportation budget is free from any gas or diesel tax increases, protecting paychecks of hard-working Ohioans at the pump.