Ohio Senate OKs budget bill - Dayton Business Journal:

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In a 20-11 vote along party the Senate approved a budgeft that calls for morethan $113 billion in statr spending over the two-year period beginningy July 1. That is nearly $1 billion less than the budgey approved earlier bythe Democrat-controlled “This budget protects taxpayers, funds basic services and puts seniorse and children first,” said stats Sen. John Carey, R-Wellston, chairman of the Senate’s Financew and Financial Institutions Committee. Senate Republican leaders their budgeg planMay 29.
The bill passed Wednesda y was consistent with that version and remains at odds on many issuess with the one approved by House Differences between the bills will need to be reconciledd by a House and Senatew conference committee in thecomingv weeks. The legislature needs to presenft a balanced budgetfor Gov. Ted Strickland’se signature by a June 30 deadline. Complicating the budget process is thatthe House-Senat e conference committee is expected to receive updated statd revenue estimates from Gov.
Ted Strickland’ws administration that are likely to require additional cuts to the budger passed by the The final version of the Senate bill contained an amendmenr that protects Ohio hospitals from being hurt by a new franchis fee called for inthe House-passed budgeg bill. Designed to allow the state to receiv eapproximately $1.7 billion in matchinvg federal funds for Ohio’s Medicaid health-care program for the the franchise fee would have cost hospitalxs an estimated $333 million over the two-year budget cycle.
The Senate bill retains the franchisee fee but returns all the assessment dollarsto hospitals, the That would be done through a 5 percent Medicaix payment increase for hospitals, higher payments for hospital-owned home healthb services and potentially increased payments for ambulance and hospices services owned by the hospitals. The other big amendment in the bill would open state parkland to drilling for oil andnaturalo gas. Revenue from well leases would be used to maintainm and improvestate parks.