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State budget woes bigger than holiday break

Strickland urges lawmakers to stay in session.

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By Dave Larsen and Laura A. Bischoff
Staff Writers 10:41 PM Tuesday, December 15, 2009

DAYTON — Gov. Ted Strickland is urging lawmakers to stay in Columbus until the budget impasse is resolved, even if it means spending Christmas at the Statehouse.

“We are not crying wolf,” Strickland told reporters Tuesday, Dec. 15. “This is not a false alarm. This is not the normal political back and forth that sometimes occurs when budgets are being discussed. We are facing a very definite deadline.”

The state faces an $851 million shortfall in the K-12 funding budget, which could balloon to as much as $5 billion if the state is unable to draw down federal funding as well. Strickland said cuts would begin in January if lawmakers don’t act before Dec. 31.

Ohio colleges and universities also face cuts exceeding $309 million.

The governor and Democrat-controlled House endorsed a plan to delay the scheduled 4.2 percent cut to the personal income tax rates for 2009. Action must be taken by Dec. 31 to change the 2009 tax rates because of a prohibition against retroactive tax increases.

The GOP-controlled Senate is balking and insisting that measures to reform how the state handles construction projects and prison sentencing be included in the budget fix.

Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, said there is no need to talk about potential cuts as a way to pressure lawmakers.

“The pressure is there. We want to solve this because it’s not good for the state to go on,” Harris said.

The governor has the authority to order lawmakers into session — something he said he’s prepared to do if necessary, even on Christmas Day. The budget fix “is more important than any individual’s personal schedule,” Strickland said.

Dayton-area public colleges and universities would see millions of dollars in cuts, according to the Board of Regents.

Wright State University would lose $7.4 million in fiscal 2010. Sinclair Community College’s funding would be cut by $7.5 million.

Other area schools that would see funding cuts include Miami University ($10.5 million), Central State University ($1.03 million), Edison Community College ($1.1 million), and Clark State Community College ($1.4 million).

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