COLUMBUS, Ohio—Republican state lawmakers said Tuesday they are stripping Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed tax increases on cigarettes, marijuana, and sports gambling from the state’s budget bill, as well as changing the game plan to help the Cleveland Browns pay for a $2.4 billion covered stadium in Brook Park.
House Speaker Matt Huffman and House Finance Committee Chair Brian Stewart told reporters Tuesday that, [as expected](https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/02/dewines-budget-cuts-103m-from-ohio-school-districts-as-costs-explode-for-charters-and-vouchers-see-if-your-district-gets-cut.html), their initial round of budget changes includes dropping the proposed tax hikes, which would have doubled the state tax rate on sports-betting companies and recreational marijuana, as well as almost doubled the tax rate on cigarettes.