Public Policy Advocates

The Ohio Senate announced plans this morning to pass a seven-day budget extension.  With negotiations on House Bill 1 in a stalemate over expanding gambling to include slot machines at Ohio’s seven race tracks, lawmakers have determined that a compromise can not be reached by the June 30 deadline.  In order to prevent a government shutdown on July 1, the Senate has added an amendment to the Industrial Commission budget (HB 16) which would give the legislature an extra seven days to finalize the biennium budget.  The amendment will appropriate funding for government programs and services at 70% of FY 2009 levels. 
 
If enacted, this will be the first time in nearly 20 years that the Ohio Legislature has failed to produce a budget by the June 30 deadline.  In 1991, the General Assembly used a 30-day budget extension to determine how to deal with a $100 million revenue shortfall in a $27 billion budget.  The issue currently facing the Legislature is a $3.2 billion revenue shortfall out of a total $54 billion budget.

Tags: Budget