Cleveland Reporter

Ohio State Senate leaders have proposed a two-year state operating budget of $85.7 billion for the upcoming biennium that raises family income levels for school choice scholarships.

The full Senate is expected to vote on the budget bill next week, the Ohio Capital Journal said. Then, constitutionally, the Senate and House have until June 30 to reconcile differences in their budgets, the Journal said. The House passed its version of the budget bill, totaling $88 billion, in April, WKYC reported. 

"Yesterday was a landmark day in Columbus. We outlined a bold agenda for the people of Ohio that includes pro-growth tax cuts and simplification, funding for Ohio law enforcement and universal school choice, among other important reform initiatives. Collectively, it is the most conservative package that will exist during Ohio's budget process," Ohio Sen. Matt Dolan wrote in a June 7 Twitter post.

The school choice provision in the Senate bill raises the family income level for eligibility. Families with incomes up to 450% of the federal poverty line would qualify for a full scholarship, while those above that threshold would be eligible for reduced scholarships on a sliding scale, the Columbus Dispatch said.  The intention is to extend the benefits of school choice to a wider range of families, the Ohio Capital Journal said.

“Challenging the status quo is difficult,” said Senate President Matt Huffman in a press release from his office “Now is the time to make the bold changes necessary to focus on the results our taxpayers should demand, the results our parents should expect for their children’s education and the results our state desperately needs to revitalize crumbling neighborhoods in our city centers.”

“Parents know what is best for their children,” Huffman said in his press release. “Every parent wants the best for their son or daughter, and where they go to school can make all the difference.”

The Senate budget proposal consolidates the existing state income tax brackets down to two, allocates $1 billion to the Strategic Community Investment Fund, and expands the back-to-school sales tax holiday, among other measures, the Dispatch said.