Sykes Votes In Support of State Budget

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) voted in favor of House Bill 110, the state operating budget for fiscal years 2022-2023. “Investing in children is an investment in our future. The Fair School Funding Plan in this budget is one of the most significant policies we have ever put in place in our state,” Sykes said. “It’s predictable and reliable, and it will significantly improve educational opportunities for all students. As an education advocate, I am proud to have voted in favor of this bill in conference committee and on the Senate floor.” The Conference Committee made the following significant positive changes:

• Enacts Fair School Funding Plan
• Phases school districts out of control of academic distress commissions
• Maintains current law for unchartered municipal corporation force accounts that requires competitive bidding for highway projects
• Maintains municipal income tax law for tax year 2020, as enacted by H. B. 197 for work-from-home related provisions
• Expands Help Me Grow to kids until age five years old
• Maintains extension of Medicaid coverage of women postpartum for a year (currently 60 days)
• Allows Ohio to continue having flexibility in setting SNAP income and eligibility limits; removes Senate asset test requirements
• Maintains the requirement that a licensed child care center stays in Step Up to Quality to be eligible for public dollars
• Increases publicly funded child care at initial eligibility of 142% of the Federal Poverty Level for all families and 150% for families with children with disabilities
• Appropriates $230 million in 2022 and $20 million in 2023 for broadband funding and removes the restrictions on local governmental entities as a broadband provider
• Establishes Juneteenth as a legal holiday