House Bill 1, the state operating budget, will move to conference committee for further deliberations and the final step of the budget process after the Ohio House voted to not concur with the Senate changes and recommended that the bill move to conference committee, where a compromise measure must be crafted by July 1st. The committee will consist of three members each from the House and Senate.
“The Senate did as much as they could with the mess the House majority sent to them,” Representative Jeff McClain said. “Now we must all do what is best for Ohio and try to solve problems instead of delaying them.”
The Legislature is currently awaiting revised revenue projections. Some have estimated that the new projections will be $2 to $3 billion lower than the Strickland administration’s previous estimates.
“This budget is still more than $2 billion out of balance,” McClain said. “Ohio’s Constitution and Ohio’s citizens demand much more from the Legislature and the governor than they’ve gotten. It is beyond time that serious actions are taken to help all Ohioans.”
