Strickland: Schools will suffer if legislators don’t resolve shortfall

By Marc Kovac | December 11, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland stopped short of saying he would force lawmakers into a special session over the holidays if they don’t quickly address an $851 million budget shortfall.

But Strickland told Statehouse reporters Thursday that the issue must be dealt with before the end of the year to avoid cuts to public school funding.

Strickland’s comments came a day after he met with Republican Senate President Bill Harris and Democratic House Speaker Armond Budish to discuss legislation stalled in the Senate that would postpone a tax cut that took effect in January.

Strickland proposed the measure, freezing rates at 2008 levels instead of implementing the final year of a tax-reform package in order to fill a budget hole caused by legal challenges to his plans to allow slot machines at horse tracks.

The Democrat-controlled House passed the measure on a mostly party-line vote, but Senate Republicans have been haggling over its contents for weeks, attempting to add cost-control measures they say will lessen future budget deficits.

No compromise on the legislation has been reached — and that does not bode well for school funding, Strickland said.

“If this budget is not resolved by the end of the year, I believe it will be necessary to almost immediately begin making cuts to our public schools,” he said. “And if this $851 million shortfall is not dealt with before the end of this year, the consequences could be catastrophic for our schools.”

The state Constitution gives the governor power “on extraordinary occasions” to call the Legislature into session to deal with pressing business. But Strickland said he wasn’t prepared to take that step yet on the budget fix.