Lawmakers fail to meet deadline for passing budget

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

State lawmakers failed this weekend to meet a statutory deadline for agreement on a two-year operating budget for Ohio for the first time since 2009.

With time running out to meet Sunday’s deadline, the Ohio Senate late Saturday night approved a 17-day stopgap measure to fund state government to allow more time for reaching an agreement on a two-year budget. The House approved the interim budget Sunday night, and Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed it.

A joint House-Senate committee has been working through differences in the $69 billion spending bill in an attempt to meet the June 30 deadline. A final proposal must be approved in up-or-down votes by both chambers.

Some of the differences that have divided the chambers include taxes, health care and school funding.

DeWine had urged lawmakers to continue meeting over the weekend until they could reach agreement on the two-year budget.

“The legislature has an obligation to keep our government funded and operating,” DeWine said in a statement Saturday.

Senate President Larry Obhof and House Speaker Larry Householder, both Republicans, have said they hope it won’t take until July 17 to reach agreement on the biennial budget.