Press Release:

King Votes in Support of House Budget Bill, Approving Billions in Property Tax Relief for Ohioans

House Bill 96 boosts funding for local school districts

COLUMBUS – State Representative Angie King (R-Celina) recently voted in support of House Bill 96 – the House’s version of the State Operating Budget. This forward-looking, fiscally responsible budget plan invests in Ohio families and the state’s future – approving over $4 billion in record property tax relief for Ohioans and ensuring that every school district in the state receives an increase in school funding in fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

“This budget is a commitment to fiscal responsibility, while also strategically investing in the future of Ohio families and that state,” said King. “We have a made solid commitment to Ohio taxpayers by providing that largest property tax relief in Ohio history, while also ensuring every public school will receive more state funding over the biennium. We were able to achieve all of this without increasing taxes or fees of any kind.”

King helped champion the following budget items:

• $500,000 for the Grand Event Center at the Mercer County Fairgrounds;
• $172,000 for dredging operations of Grand Lake St. Mary’s;
• Increasing the tax credit for educators and home school families and
• Removing the requirement for a Commercial Driver’s License for dredge operators.

PUBLIC LIBRARY FUNDING

The House Operating Budget will transition state funding for public libraries from a percentage of the general revenue fund to an allocated amount each fiscal year. This budget funds Ohio libraries at $490 million in FY26 and $500 million in FY27 for a total of $990 million over the biennium, putting Ohio libraries as the highest state funded in the nation. The budget will also require all public libraries to remove any obscene books from the children’s section and will require all feminine hygiene products to be limited to women’s restrooms.

DELIVERING BILLIONS IN PROPERTY TAX RELIEF TO OHIOANS

In an effort to provide much-needed property tax relief to Ohioans, the bill implements a process for schools that carry forward more than 30 percent in unspent cash at the end of each year to be distributed back to Ohioans in the form of property tax relief, totaling more than $4 billion. District cash carryovers have increased year over year since tracking began in 2012, from $3.6 billion then to $10.5 billion today. In FY24, 486 traditional school districts carried over cash greater than 30 percent of their expenditures for that year.

BOOSTING FUNDING FOR OHIO’S SCHOOLS

House Bill 96 prioritizes the education and well-being of students, ensuring that every school district in the State of Ohio receives an increase in funding over the next biennium.

Compared to today, this budget provides public schools with $207.6 million more in FY26 than they received in FY25, and in FY27, that increases to $347.6 million above their FY25 support. This equates to a $555.2 million increase in state aid for public schools over the coming biennium. Under the House plan, every student in Ohio will receive more per-pupil funding from the state.

EMPOWERING SCHOOL CHOICE

House Bill 96 continues the state’s commitment to school choice by increasing the maximum award for the Autism Scholarship and Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship while also establishing an option for parents whose children attend a non-chartered non-public school to utilize an education savings account to help with the cost of their education.    

PROMOTING MEDICAID TRANSPARENCY

In an effort to promote transparency in the Medicaid program, the bill works to protect taxpayer dollars and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse through a number of provisions, creating a variety of new reporting requirements that the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) must provide to the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee (JMOC) for review, while also removing diversity, equity and inclusion programming.

SUPPORTING OHIO FAMILIES

To help families who need assistance paying for childcare, the budget establishes the Child Care Choice program, providing $100 million each fiscal year for eligible families, helping more Ohioans cover the cost of needed childcare services.

Other key items in the budget include defining only two sexes in Ohio – male and female. The creation of the Welcome Home Ohio Program to help address housing shortages. Changes to the Housing Trust Fund fees to keep revenue local and allow county commissioners to decide how to use the funds to support local housing and residential infrastructure projects and increase funding for Brownfield Remediation projects to help revitalize local communities.

The budget bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.