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Daniels announces passage of state budget by Ohio Senate

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State Senator David Daniels (R- Greenfield) announced today that the Ohio Senate voted to approve House Bill 153, the two-year operating budget for the state. The Senate’s proposal eliminates a historic shortfall without raising taxes on Ohioans, and also prioritizes spending in areas such as education and support services for children.

“We faced some very difficult choices in this budget – we could work to reduce spending or we could raise taxes to make up the difference – and we didn’t feel that asking Ohioans to pay more was an option,” said Daniels, who serves as a member of the Senate Finance Committee. “Instead, we chose to provide families with much-needed property and income tax relief and to reform the way government operates in an effort to make Ohio an attractive place for economic development and job creation.”

The Senate budget maintains the final phase-in of the income tax reduction approved in 2005 and provides $1.7 billion in property tax relief over the biennium. It also guarantees that local public school districts will receive at least their current level of state aid – excluding federal stimulus dollars – over the next two years and provides $30 million in incentives to reward high-performing schools.

During deliberations on the budget, Daniels worked to include a number of amendments in House Bill 153 that will impact the 17th Senate District, including:

• Local Government Support – the Senate budget increases baseline local government support from $500,000 to $750,000, meaning that those counties that have a greater reliance on state support will not be cut.

• USEC facility in Piketon – authorizes an exemption from the Commercial Activities Tax for receipts from a uranium enrichment facility.

• Fire Department Grants – adds private fire companies to the list of entities eligible to receive fire department grants from the State Fire Marshal.

• Junior Fair – allocates an additional $200,000 over the House-passed version of the budget for the Junior Fair in each year of the biennium.

• Appalachian Regional Commission Funding – maintained funding for the Commission in fiscal year 2013.

“Our budget makes smart investments in our communities and families while dramatically changing the way government serves its citizens,” Daniels said. “While the changes we are making are not easy ones, I am confident that they will help pave the way to getting Ohioans back to work and our economy on track.”

Gov. John R. Kasich praised passage of Ohio’s FY2012-2013 budget by the Ohio Senate:  “Many doubted that this could ever be done, but together we’re doing it.  We’re bringing Ohio back by closing a massive $8 billion budget gap and we’re doing it without a tax increase, in fact we’re cutting taxes by more than $300 million and preserving the income tax cut that went into effect in January.  

"All of this helps make Ohio more competitive. President Niehaus, Chairman Widener, and the senators who supported the budget understand what it takes to put Ohio back on a path to growth. I look forward to signing the budget soon so its reforms can begin working for the people of Ohio.”[[In-content Ad]]

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