Budget battle continues in Columbus as GOP makes cuts

COLUMBUS — The Republican-controlled Ohio Senate has sliced upward of $1 billion from the House-passed version of the state budget.

Primary and secondary education will receive increases of about $280 million over the next two fiscal years, and Medicaid funding to provide health care services to the needy and elderly were solidified in the substitute version of the legislation unveiled Friday afternoon.

But all other general revenue fund-backed agencies were flat-funded or face budget cuts in fiscal 2010 and ‘11.

For more on this story, see Saturday’s Vindicator or vindy.com