Ohio State Budget: Can A Law Change It?

The state budget process in Ohio involves the Executive branch developing and presenting a budget to the Legislative branch every two years. This budget proposal covers the funding needs of state agencies and departments, with the governor having the power to sign the budget into law or veto specific line items. While the governor can make amendments to the budget, the process also allows for the House and Senate to propose and adopt amendments before passing the budget bill. This includes subcommittees that can hear testimony and make recommendations, as well as opportunities for public input and advocacy. Once the budget bill is passed by both chambers, it becomes an act and is sent to the governor for approval or veto. This complex process involves multiple stages of revision and approval, with the potential for further amendments at each stage.

The Ohio budget process

In late January or early February, the governor releases their budget recommendations, known as the "Blue Book". This proposal outlines the administration's spending priorities for the next budget cycle and serves as the starting point for the budget process. The governor's budget is introduced in the state House of Representatives, where it receives a bill number.

From February to April, the House Finance Committee hears testimony from state agencies, advocates, and opponents about the proposed governor's budget. The budget is then broken down into smaller pieces and assigned to subcommittees that consider each section by topic. These subcommittees hear further testimony from experts and individuals before making amendments and sending their portions back to the main finance committee.

The House Finance Committee then compiles a new version of the bill, known as the substitute bill, which is sent to the House floor for a vote. While on the floor, the budget can still be amended or changed through an "Omnibus Amendment". Once approved by the House, the budget moves to the Senate.

The Senate follows a similar process, with its own committees and subcommittees reviewing, discussing, and amending the budget. The Senate then votes on its version of the budget, which is then sent back to the House for reconciliation if there are any differences.

By June 30, the General Assembly must present a final budget bill to the governor, who has the power to sign it into law or veto individual line items. The governor's veto can be overridden by a three-fifths majority vote of each house. This concludes the budget process for the upcoming fiscal year.

The role of the Ohio governor

The Governor of Ohio is the elected constitutional officer, head of the executive branch, and the state's highest office. The governor is popularly elected every four years and is restricted to two consecutive terms. The incumbent governor is Mike DeWine, a Republican, who took office in 2019 and was re-elected in 2022.

The governor of Ohio has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Ohio State Legislature. The governor can also propose budgets, which are then voted on by the House and the Senate. The governor may also veto individual line items in the budget. The governor also has the power to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.

The governor is the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces and has the power to convene the legislature. The governor also makes all appointments not otherwise provided for, with the advice and consent of the Senate. In addition, the governor must accept a report from the head of each executive department at least once a year, no later than five days before the regular session of the legislature convenes, and include the substance of those reports in the annual address to the legislature.

The governor also plays a role in filling vacancies in key state offices, such as the Auditor, the Treasurer, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General. If the office of lieutenant governor becomes vacant, the governor nominates a new officer, subject to a confirmatory vote of both chambers of the legislature.

The Ohio House of Representatives

Once a budget bill is passed by the House, it is sent to the Ohio Senate for further consideration. If the Senate makes amendments to the bill, it returns to the House for concurrence. This back-and-forth process continues until both chambers agree on a final version of the budget. The agreed-upon budget is then presented to the Governor for their signature.

The House of Representatives also has the power to introduce and consider various types of legislation, including bills that amend existing laws or propose new ones. For example, House Bill 293, introduced in the 132nd General Assembly, sought to amend several sections of the Revised Code related to driver's license requirements and restrictions. Similarly, House Bill 312, introduced in the same General Assembly, aimed to amend sections of the Revised Code regarding the use of credit cards and debit cards by political subdivisions, among other provisions.

In conclusion, the Ohio House of Representatives is a key player in the state's legislative process, with significant influence over the state budget and the passage of laws. Through the introduction and consideration of bills, the House of Representatives shapes the policies that govern the state of Ohio.

The Ohio Senate

In the Ohio Senate, bills are debated and amended on the floor by all members. Once debate on a bill is concluded, the Senate President will call for a vote. If a bill receives a majority of votes (17 out of 33), it passes and proceeds to the Ohio House of Representatives, where an analogous procedure takes place. If the House introduces any modifications, the Senate can vote to concur or not with the changes. If the Senate does not agree with the House's amendments, a conference committee is formed, comprising members from both chambers, to negotiate and reconcile the differences in the two versions of the bill. Once the revised bill is approved by both the Senate and the House, it becomes an "act" and is sent to the governor.

The governor has the authority to either sign the act into law or issue a veto. Should the governor choose to veto, a three-fifths vote of both the House and the Senate is required to override this decision. If the governor takes no action within 10 days of receiving the act, it automatically becomes law without their signature. However, if the governor signs the act, it becomes law after 90 days.

An example of a bill that has passed through the Ohio Senate is the transportation budget, which included provisions to remove the requirement for a front license plate and increase funding for public transportation. Another instance of a bill is the resolution introduced by Senator Coley, which called for a constitutional convention to amend the federal budgeting process. This resolution was proposed to address gridlock in Washington and restore fiscal responsibility.

Amendments to the budget

In Ohio, the Executive branch develops and presents a budget to the Legislative branch every two years. The process begins in July of an even-numbered year and ends by June of the next year, with the governor signing the budget into law. The governor may veto individual line items.

The House Finance Committee hears testimony from state agencies about the proposed governor's budget. The budget is broken up into smaller pieces and given to special subcommittees, which then hear testimony from the public and specialists. Each subcommittee then edits their part of the budget bill and sends it back to the main finance committee with amendments. The House Finance Committee then sends the budget to the House floor, where the entire House votes on whether to send it to the Senate. While on the floor, the budget can still be amended or changed. This is called an "Omnibus Amendment", where numerous changes to the bill are made before it's approved by the House.

The Senate process is similar to the House process, with the Senate Finance Committee creating a substitute bill with all the subcommittees' amendments. The full Senate will then debate the bill and consider additional amendments. After the debate, the Senate will vote to pass the budget bill. The Conference Committee, made up of select members of the House and Senate, will then review the budget and reconcile any differences between the House and Senate versions. The Conference Committee will create a report with the final version of the budget, and the bill will go to the full House and Senate for final concurrence. At this point, the full House and Senate cannot make any more changes and must vote to adopt or reject the report.

The governor has line-item veto powers on budget bills, meaning he can strike out any provisions before signing the bill but cannot add or move any of the bill's language. If the governor vetoes a bill, a three-fifths vote of the members of the House and Senate is necessary to override the veto. A signed act becomes law after 90 days, and if the governor takes no action within 10 days of receiving the act, it becomes law without their signature.

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