DeMora Disgusted by Senate Version of Operating Budget

 Today, state Senator Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) released the following statement following the introduction of the Senate version of the state operating budget:

“This budget is somehow even worse than what we got out of the House,” said DeMora. “It is a spit in the face of all Ohioans. This budget still screws foodbanks and libraries, eliminates the Ohio Elections Commission, and funds the billionaire owners of the Browns instead of alleviating the property tax crisis, the mental health crisis, or any of the actual problems facing this state. It is a disgrace that isn’t worth the thousands of pages of paper to print it, and I hope the governor vetoes this garbage outright.”

The Senate version of the state budget includes several major tax and funding changes that will hurt Ohio. It proposes reducing the state income tax to a flat rate of 2.75%, giving a tax cut to the wealthiest Ohioans while hurting the services the rest of Ohio depends on. The Senate version also raises the homestead exemption by a mere $4,000 from $28,000 to $32,000 while tightening eligibility requirements. The bill also continues the attack against public schools by retaining the carry-over provision from the House, only increasing the cap from 30% to 50%. It also includes continued funding for the Browns stadium as well as the House-passed cuts to food bank funding and the 9-8-8 suicide prevention lifeline.