Mahoning Valley lawmakers react to Strickland’s $52.3B budget
Here are comments from Mahoning Valley state legislators about Ohio’s new $52.3 billion budget, which was approved earlier this week. Among its highlights are freezing university tuition for two years and extending health insurance coverage for virtually all Ohio children.
REP. LINDA BOLON, DEMOCRAT,
EAST PALESTINE
“My No. 1 highlight was the tax cut for homeowners over 65. As a former treasurer, I experienced first hand how our elderly have struggled. ... I would like to have seen the health care for children expanded. I think we need to continue to work toward that.”
“I requested funding for the [Coalition of Appalachian Learners Program.] I was a little disappointed in that.” (The amendment was cut by the Senate and not included in the final version of the budget.)
“We still have a way to go on school funding. I want to continue to work on children’s rights. Those are things that are extremely important to me.”
REP. RON GERBERRY, DEMOCRAT,
AUSTINTOWN
“The high points of this budget are the freeze on tuition increases for college and the reduction in taxes for senior citizens. Those are two key components. ... I’ve never been a big promoter of charter schools. I’ve never been a supporter of vouchers. Those could have been scaled back. It was a budget of compromise.”
REP. BOB HAGAN, DEMOCRAT,
YOUNGSTOWN
“I was incredibly pleased with the cooperation on both sides of the aisle. I think everyone understood the governor is popular. His budget should and did stay mostly intact. ... It shows they are starting to get it. The people of Ohio want us to get along. The credit should go to Gov. Strickland.”
“I’m happy with the debate and compromises with higher education. This governor shows we can live within our means. ... I think we did well for the Mahoning Valley. If there’s any disappointment, it’s the continued funding of the charter school system. I think those kind of things are down the road for the governor.”
Hagan said he did attempt to amend the bill to benefit the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. “I offered a tax break to repair airplanes. I wanted people to fly their airplanes into Youngstown.”
REP. SANDRA STABILE HARWOOD,
DEMOCRAT, NILES
“The property tax relief for seniors is just so well deserved. The freeze on tuition is like giving a break to every person. That is just incredible to me. The other major, major thing was health care for children.” She said more work needed to be done on charter schools and vouchers. “I think we really needed to clamp down on the abuses.”
She said many ideas she had for legislation, including the property tax relief for seniors and expansion of the passport program, were included in “the framework of the budget.”
SEN. CAPRI CAFARO, DEMOCRAT,
HUBBARD
The cooperative spirit wasn’t what she had expected, given the narrative and political climate in Columbus in recent year. “It’s been very cooperative, very deliberative. We’ve had an opportunity to participate in the process.”
Cafaro was pleased with funding restored in the Senate (and retained during the conference committee) for the Department of Development. She also highlighted a $2 million boost ($1 million per year of the biennium) for the Rail Development Commission, $10 million for public transit and a repeal of septic system rules that took effect earlier this year. “Public transit funding has been stagnant for years, and I am happy that this budget moves things in the right direction. I believe that transit systems like those in my district and others across the state can stand to benefit from additional monies. ... The elimination of the problematic [septic] rules protects Ohio’s property owners who have been struggling with the costs and confusion associated with those rule. I am pleased to know that homeowners will have some relief, and we can begin working to create new rules that will protect both property owners and the environment.”
She took issue with the charter school matter: “I certainly would have liked to see more charter school accountability — any charter school accountability, for that matter.”
SEN. JASON WILSON, DEMOCRAT,
COLUMBIANA
Wilson said health care for children, education initiatives and services for the needy were strong points. Wilson was also pleased with tax credits and incentives provided in the budget for the coal industry. Among related provisions, the budget extends through 2010 the $1 a ton corporation franchise tax credit for electric companies burning Ohio coal and the income tax credit for individuals or estates that are proprietors or pass-through entity investors.
Wilson said he was happy to see the passage of bills to support and provide incentives for parents adopting children and bills related to eminent domain. “We don’t want developers coming in and taking our land and using it for private purposes,” he said of the latter.
Wilson is developing legislation related to illegal immigration, targeting the businesses that are hiring undocumented workers. He’s also working on a bill allowing greater penalties against adults who assault children.
SEN. JOHN BOCCIERI, DEMOCRAT,
NEW MIDDLETOWN
It’s the first budget that Boccieri has voted for in seven years in the state Legislature. “This has been the first budget where I have found that there has been such bipartisan support.”
Boccieri’s highlights include tuition freezes and no fee or tax increases for Ohioans, property tax relief and investments in research and development. “We invested in higher education, which is going to be the renaissance of our state. ... This is really a tax cut for those families that are sending their kids to school.” He said he would have liked to see more components of Strickland’s Turn Around Ohio plan included in the budget and less state support for charter schools.
During recess, Boccieri has an interest in issues affecting veterans. He’s sponsoring legislation that would codify in state law federal provisions protecting soldiers’ jobs when they’re called to active duty.