NE Ohio Times

Representative Sarah Fowler Arthur announced the unveiling of Substitute House Bill 96, the Ohio House's version of the State Operating Budget. Speaker of the Ohio House Matt Huffman and House Finance Chair Brian Stewart presented the bill, which aims to support students and provide property tax relief.

"In the House version of the budget we focused on areas that affect every Ohioans’ quality of life: Education, Property Taxes, Medicaid Transparency and Workforce Readiness, all without raising any taxes," said Fowler Arthur.

The bill plans to increase funding for Ohio's public schools by $81 million for FY26 and $145 million for FY27, ensuring increased state support for education. Property tax relief is another focus, distributing unused school funds back to residents.

Initiatives for community revitalization, such as the Cleveland Browns mixed-use development, will be supported through a $600 million revenue bond. The budget also emphasizes workforce readiness, investing in higher education and continuing the TechCred program.

The House's budget proposal includes promoting Medicaid transparency through new reporting requirements to prevent fraud and waste. Ohio's commitment to school choice will continue with increased scholarships and education savings accounts for parents.

Funding for public libraries sees an increase to $485 million in FY26 and $495 million in FY27. The bill also supports programs for mothers and babies, childcare access, veterans, law enforcement training, and energy generation.

Substitute House Bill 96 was accepted by the House Finance Committee and will undergo further review.