Senate Democrats are sounding off on the changes Republican leadership made in the House version of the state budget, which the GOP says will deal with a deficit that could be a billion dollars.
Republicans say they boosted school spending and put $6 million more toward the opioid crisis. But Democratic Sen. Michael Skindell of Lakewood near Cleveland says that money was placed in a special fund.
“It really restricts what those dollars can be used for. The opiate crisis is impacting most Ohioans, and we need to make sure we have unrestricted ability to attack this problem.”
The Senate budget cuts state agencies up to 4% and reduces Medicaid spending by $200 million. But Skindell says Republicans put the burden of balancing the budget on working Ohioans, and he’s calling for the elimination of a small business tax cut that’ll costs the state about a billion dollars this fiscal year.
