Strickland trims budget a total $1.9B

The budget cuts won’t affect the tuition freeze on state colleges and universities, Strickland said.

COLUMBUS (AP) — Gov. Ted Strickland ordered an additional $640 million sliced from state government operations Friday, including 5.75-percent across-the-board cuts to all but the most vital programs.

The Democratic governor said the state’s budget picture is substantially worse than it was even 12 weeks ago. Cuts for the fiscal year now total $1.9 billion, in line with the worst projections by the state budget office.

Strickland said the latest cuts will not affect a tuition freeze for state colleges and universities nor basic funding for public elementary and secondary schools. The governor views access to education as the best way to prepare Ohioans for the jobs and economic opportunities of the future.

He continued to blame the state’s economic woes on national factors.

“In spite of these being terribly challenging times, I am committed to handling our budget issues responsibly and carefully,” he said in an interview. “We will get through this and, if we do it correctly, we can make Ohio even stronger and better positioned to make future progress.”

The plan anticipates a 6-percent increase in the federal share of Medicaid payments that Ohio will receive early next year, a rise in funding that Strickland said he expects to be part of an economic recovery package to the states.

The second two-year budget of Strickland’s term is due out early next year. It will be debated in the Legislature and will go into effect July 1.