The Representative's Corner

In recent days I attended Governor DeWine’s State of the State Address, in which he outlined his spending priorities, and have spent countless hours reading his 631-page, $200 billion biennial (two-year) state operating budget proposal.  The 2024 – 2025 state budget, which calls for a 12.7% increase in spending over the previous budget, begins with the Governor’s proposal to the Ohio General Assembly. The General Assembly will spend the next several months reviewing and amending the budget proposal. It must be approved by the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate and signed by the Governor by June 30. Below I have outlined some of the highlights of the Governor’s proposal. Remember, this is just the proposal and can change drastically as it moves through the process. I will be deeply involved in the budgeting process to help ensure that it is balanced and that it addresses our communities’ needs. To read my entire summary, visit my website at https://ohiohouse.gov/members/sean-p-brennan or call me at 614-466-3485 for a hard copy.

Senior Citizen Programs

*$40 million in Healthy Aging Grants to over 55 local partners to implement nutrition and social connectedness projects.

*Increased resources and caregiver supports by investing in the Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementia Respite Line, increasing access to dementia education by 100% and personal care services by 50%. Funding will also support the establishment of a statewide dementia coordinator to ensure greater continuity of resources for all impacted by dementia.

*Forming a task force to investigate issues surrounding the quality of care at Ohio’s 960 nursing homes and requiring quality incentives related to future state funding.

Primary and Secondary Education

*Continue to fund and implement the Cupp-Patterson Plan – Also known as the Fair School Funding Plan, it addresses the unconstitutional funding of Ohio’s schools over the years which forces public schools to overly rely on property taxes for funding.  However, the General Assembly has not funded the Plan fully.

*Providing school resource officers in every public and private school in Ohio that wants one.

Tax Policy

* Local Government and Libraries Funds (Increase from 1.66% to 1.7% of General Revenue Fund tax revenues) – This is something that I will be keeping a close eye on, as these are tax dollars the state sends back to our local communities to pay for police, fire, street, sewer, recreation, and other vital local services.  Cuts to the Local Government Fund (LGF) have cost the cities in our district tens of millions of dollars over the years.  I am happy that it is increasing, however, the increase does not get us close to where it was a decade ago.  As Ranking Member of the State and Local Government Committee, I will be advocating to increase it to its previous levels.  We deserve a better return of our tax dollars to benefit our cities.

*Ending sales taxes on “critical infant supplies,” including diapers, wipes, cribs, car seats, strollers, and other safety equipment.

*$2,500 per child tax deduction

Transportation

*$100 million for multi-modal transportation, including public transportation.  I will be watching this portion of the budget closely, as public transportation is important for helping workers connect to jobs, allow seniors and disabled residents to access needed services, and reduce wear and tear on roads.

Law Enforcement

*$40 million per year to train officers in de-escalation, use-of-force, and crisis intervention for persons with mental illness.

*Increased funding for police body cameras.

*Fully funds the Next Generation 911 system in every Ohio community and would pay the monthly fees for any agency that uses Multi-Agency Radio Communication System (MARCS) for improved communication.