Rep. Somani: GOP Budget Chooses the Wealthy 1% Over Ohio's Kids, Seniors, and Working Families

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today voted “NO” on House Bill (HB) 96, the Republican-crafted state operating budget, citing cruel and chaotic cuts and its abject failure to invest in children, public education, healthcare, and basic services – all while shoveling billions to the wealthy and well-connected. 

“This budget abandons hardworking Ohio families, stripping away the support they count on for their children, their health, and their future. At the same time, it protects the wealthy and powerful, making it painfully clear that too many elected officials have turned their backs on the majority,” said Rep. Somani. “A budget reflects the priorities of the legislature, and it’s clear from this budget that the GOP leadership values tax breaks and billion-dollar handouts to the wealthiest few instead of addressing the issues facing everyday Ohioans. Our children, our schools, and our communities deserve better than being shortchanged by those who were elected to serve them.”

Budgets are about choices, and Statehouse Republicans chose to invest in billionaires and corporations instead of making life more affordable for everyday Ohioans. HB 96 protects a broken status quo—leaving local communities, property taxpayers, and families to shoulder the burden alone. It should surprise no one that young people are leaving Ohio every day. 

This budget chooses the wrong Ohioans in so many ways: 

• An Income Tax Scam for the Ultra-Wealthy: Republicans call it a “flat tax” but it’s really a big tax cut  for those making a 6-figure salary. Four out of every five Ohioans will see $5 or less under the bill, while someone making $1M gets a $7K tax break. The choice to institute a flat tax will cost the state $1.67B over the next two years. Cutting taxes only for the wealthiest isn’t going to solve the real problems facing Ohioans. It’s not going to make childcare cheaper; it's not going to make the cost of rent or healthcare go down, and it's definitely not going to lower rising property taxes.  
• Gutting Public Schools: For decades, the state legislature has failed to uphold its share of responsibility to provide adequate state funding for public education. This budget continues to prioritize billions in vouchers for private schools. It does this at the expense of  public schools where 90% of students are actually enrolled. The Fair School Funding Plan is a bipartisan, constitutional solution developed by education experts, and Ohio has the resources to fully and fairly fund it. Unfortunately the Ohio house  republicans deliberately chose to ignore the evidence and continue to underfund our schools.
• Forcing Schools to Put More Property Tax Levies on the Ballot: This budget passes the buck on property tax relief by trying to raid savings accounts that school districts have diligently invested in, while decreasing the state’s investment. This shifts the burden of funding schools to property  owners which will only force schools to put levies on the ballot more frequently so as  to avoid cutting services. 
• Fewer Childcare Slots to Support Working Ohioans: Families need childcare so parents can work, and kids can receive quality early education, but we continue to lag behind the rest of the country when it comes to access and affordability of childcare. This is a question of who we are prioritizing, and the budget is making the wrong choice when it comes to helping families afford childcare.
• Jeopardizing Healthcare Access: Almost 800K Ohioans will be at risk of immediately losing their health insurance and all Ohioans will see hospitals and providers in their communities at risk of closing. For years, Republicans have targeted Medicaid expansion. Now they're using a draconian and unnecessary trigger law to strip healthcare coverage from hundreds of thousands of Ohioans if the federal government lowers its contribution by even a single dollar. 

HB 96 passed the Ohio House of Representatives by a vote of 59-38 Wednesday. It now heads to Governor DeWine for signature. While the Governor may mitigate some harm through a line-item veto, this budget remains one of the most harmful in Ohio history. This is the first budget to pass without a single Democratic vote in more than a decade.