King Votes ‘Yes’, Governor Approves Ohio Operating Budget

COLUMBUS – State Representative Angie King (R-Celina) announced the Governor of Ohio has approved House Bill 96 – the State Operating Budget, enacting the legislation officially into law. The budget plan, which allocates funding for state programs and operations for the next two years, includes provisions that aim to protect freedom, family and fiscal responsibility – providing tax relief and supporting strong conservative values.  

“I remain committed to investing in Ohio’s families and in the future of Ohio through a balanced budget,” said King. “This budget, I believe, achieves this through providing tax relief, removal of excess fees and strategic redevelopment opportunities.”

A STRONGER ECONOMY WITH A FLAT TAX
Republicans in the legislature have continued to phase down the state income tax in recent years, providing savings for Ohioans. The new budget plan takes the top tax bracket down from 3.5% to 3.125% in tax year 2025 and down to 2.75% in tax year 2026, and into the future. The move to a flat tax makes Ohio more competitive with surrounding states, simplifies the tax code, and spurs revenue. 

REVITALIZING LOCAL COMMUNITIES 
The budget advances a bold plan to invest in Ohio’s communities through strategic redevelopment, expanded housing opportunities, and targeted economic incentives. These efforts are designed to address current challenges and build a stronger foundation for the future through key initiatives.

• Additional funding for the Brownfield Remediation Program will help repurpose contaminated or abandoned properties for future development—turning liabilities into economic opportunities.
• The budget adds $20 million in annual funding for demolition and site revitalization efforts, enabling communities to transform unsafe, abandoned structures into thriving development sites.
• Builds on the success of the “Welcome Home Ohio” program—which has delivered 440 single-family homes to Ohioans over the past two years—the House budget increases funding and updates the program to expand eligibility, giving more families a path to homeownership.
• Two new programs—the Residential Development Revolving Loan Program and Residential Economic Development District Grants—are created to spur housing construction across Ohio. These initiatives incentivize local governments to adopt pro-housing policies, particularly near major economic development zones.
• Expands childcare opportunities for working families including through the Childcare Choice Voucher Program, which ensures that more parents can remain in the workforce and receive access to high-quality childcare.
• First Responder Drone Pilot Program. $2.5 million to establish a pilot program to help local law enforcement agencies acquire new drone equipment, licenses and training.
• Earmark to support dredging at Grand Lake St. Marys.
• $500,000 for the Mercer County Grand Event Center, Mercer County Fairgrounds.
• The cap for the Transformational Mixed-Use Development (TMUD) Tax Credit is increased to $125 million, enabling more ambitious, community-shaping development projects to move forward.

LEVERAGING UNCLAIMED FUNDS TO DRIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH

The Budget will invest $1.7 billion from Ohio’s Unclaimed Funds account, which currently holds more than $4 billion in unclaimed or abandoned money and assets. These funds have gone untouched for more than a decade and will now be used to make targeted investments, while still preserving the ability for rightful owners to claim their assets for an additional 10 years.  These funds will be used to create the Ohio Cultural and Sports Facilities Performance Grant, with $600 million to be used to support the Brook Park–Cleveland Browns mixed-use stadium and economic development project. This project will be monitored by the Ohio Office of Budget and Management and the Browns are required to place $50 million in escrow, with guarantees ensuring the state receives more in tax revenue over 16 years than the original investment. An additional $50 million line of credit is pledged to the state to further minimize risk.

“This is about putting idle money to work for Ohio,” said King. “By unlocking unused resources, we can strengthen our communities, create jobs and position Ohio as a premier destination for major cultural and sporting events.”

CHAMPIONING CONSERVATIVE VALUES

The State of Ohio’s budget plan takes a strong stance on reinforcing conservative values. 

• Establishes a statewide policy recognizing that there are only two genders. 
• Prohibits Medicaid funds from being used for DEI programs, combatting discrimination and indoctrination. 
• Expands the Ohio Department of Health’s report providing statistics for all abortion reports.
• Prevents menstrual products from being distributed in men’s bathrooms in state-owned buildings. 
• Includes $10 million each FY for the Parenting and Pregnancy Program and establishes a $750 tax credit for pregnancy resource center donations, defending the sanctity of life and supporting pregnant mothers. Includes $2.5 million per year for ultrasound machine program.
• Innocence Act, which helps protect children from the porn industry by requiring ID age verification when accessing obscene websites.  Also prohibits a person’s image from being used against their will to create sexual content such as “deep fakes” made by AI.
• Responsible Fatherhood Initiative - $20 million to encourage fathers to engage in their children’s lives and strengthen families across Ohio.
• Increased the capped amounts for the Autism and Jon Peterson scholarships by 5%, with additional increases for category amounts within the Jon Peterson scholarship for qualifying students.
• Public Schools may now teach the Success Sequence – education, work and marriage before children, a proven path to avoid poverty.
• One-time $10 million School Bus Safety program.
• Removes the Governor’s proposed tax increases and several proposed fee increases. 
• Eliminates some affirmative action requirements for state contracts. 

In addition to these items, the final Budget bill included other Republican-led provisions that were ultimately vetoed:

• Excluded the purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages under the SNAP program. 
• Required libraries to keep materials related to sexual orientation or gender identity out of the view of minors. 
• Prohibited state agencies from flying any flag except the American flag, state flag, POW/MIA flag, or a flag with an official state agency logo.
• Prohibited state funds from being distributed to youth shelters that promote or affirm social gender transition.