Budget bill: After months of working and countless hours of negotiation, lawmakers released their final version of the state’s two-year operating budget late Tuesday Night. Anna Staver has the details on the 5,000-page bill, but here are some of the highlights:
Ohio will take $1.7 billion from unclaimed funds and loan $600 million to the Cleveland Browns to build a new stadium, Jeremy Pelzer and Staver report.
We’re getting a flat income tax rate of 2.75%.
Lawmakers chose reform rather than a rewrite of our property tax system.
School board races will be partisan, and districts will be capped from carrying over more than 40% of their operating budget from year to year.
So ordered: A Franklin County judge ruled Tuesday that Ohio’s EdChoice private school voucher program is unconstitutional. Judge Jaiza Page sided with the coalition of school districts that filed suit, arguing the expense of maintaining a large private school voucher program hurts public schools. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost intends to appeal the decision, Laura Hancock reports.
America First: Ohio Republicans who have been vocal proponents of their party’s “America First” platform and previously expressed skepticism toward U.S. military aid and involvement during recent overseas conflicts such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, are praising President Trump’s decision to strike Iran, Mary Frances McGowan reports. Vice President JD Vance, among the most vocal proponents of the “America First” foreign policy platform that emphasizes skepticism toward foreign interventions, has historically had a more aggressive stance toward Iran and been leading the charge in support of the President’s actions while insisting that the United States is not at war. Sens. Bernie Moreno and Hustead, who have similarly praised “America first” policies, have been more hawkish with Iran, supporting sanctions in the spring and the recent attacks on nuclear sites.
Fighting antisemitism: A House Judiciary subcommittee conducted an emotional hearing Tuesday to confront what both Democrats and Republicans described as a dangerous surge in antisemitic violence across the United States, Sabrina Eaton writes. Citing recent attacks—including an incident last week in whihc Rocky River Republican Rep. Max Miller says a Palestinian supporter tried to run him off the road - lawmakers agreed the threat must be stopped. But partisan divides emerged over the problem’s roots and how to fix it.
Debut speech: U.S. Sen. Jon Husted on Tuesday made his debut speech on the U.S. Senate floor, urging the U.S. to return to its roots of self-sacrifice and “claw our way out of this financial and cultural hole... As Americans, no matter our background, whether we come from abundance or struggle, we have all inherited the gift of freedom passed down from earlier Americans. We stand on their shoulders. Let’s not force the next generation to remember us as the ones who broke the two centuries long chain of self- sacrifice, but rather as the ones who reforged it.”
Representation matters: According to a new report from the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, there are only 45 openly LGBTQ elected officials in Ohio, none of whom are in statewide or congressional positions. Laura A. Bischoff from the Columbus Dispatch writes that 1,333 officeholders nationally identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, which is an over 200% increase in representation over the last eight years. However, the number still represents a small fraction of the 520,000 elected offices across the country.
Programming note: After Ohio lawmakers in Columbus wrap up the details of the biennial state budget, most of them will head back to their districts for summer recess. However, when state lawmakers return later this year, another round of redistricting will be “high on the agenda,” Sarah Donaldson from the Statehouse News Bureau reports, because they are under legal obligation to draw new congressional districts this year.
Lobbying Lineup
Five organizations that are registered to lobby on Senate Bill 138, which would overhaul state laws regarding county alcohol, drug and mental health boards and create penalties for uncertified recovery housing residences.
The Governor’s Office
Ohio Department of Medicaid
Neighborhood Alliance
Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities
Office of the Ohio Public Defender
Birthdays
Alana Jarrell, deputy finance director, Republican Senate Campaign Committee
Straight from the Source
“Congratulations to my friend Dani @Isaacsohn on being the Ohio House minority leader. While we have strongly yet respectfully disagreed on major policy, he’s been a guest at our home, kind to my kids, and a thoughtful rep from SW Ohio. We’ve worked together on housing and more.”
State Rep. Adam Matthews, a Lebanon Republican, congratulating Democratic State Rep. Dani Isaacsohn of Cincinnati’s election as minority leader in a post on X.
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