Ohio House rejects Senate budget plan

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio House has voted overwhelmingly to reject changes in the state’s budget plan made by the Senate, setting up difficult negotiations between Republicans and Democrats.

The Democratic-controlled House voted 97-1 today against the Senate version, sending the two-year, $54 billion plan into negotiations.

Republicans who control the Senate cut about $600 million in state money from the House plan and stripped out Gov. Ted Strickland’s school-funding proposal.

House members from both parties said today they expect the budget negotiations to be extremely difficult.

New revenue forecasts out Thursday will likely show further declines, and lawmakers say that will force them to cut a few billion dollars from the spending plan. House and Senate negotiators are trying to get the budget to Strickland before July 1, when the new fiscal year begins.