Are Ohio lawmakers cutting library funding?: What we know now

Yahoo

08-04-2025

Apr. 8—The Ohio House of Representatives this week is hashing out a massive two-year state budget. One proposal from House GOP leaders getting a lot of attention deals with Ohio's libraries.
Libraries across the state and prominent Democrats — such as candidate for governor Amy Acton — are railing against a massive "cut" to statewide library funding and urging voters to contact their representatives ahead of voting this week.
Is the state cutting library funding?
Not exactly.
The plan unveiled by Ohio House Republicans would eliminate the Ohio Library Fund, replacing it with line-item amounts appropriated for each year.
They propose allocating $485 million in library funds for 2026 — a decrease from last year's library fund of $489.3 million — and then $495 million for 2027. So funding would be essentially flat over the next two years.
Plus other line-items in the budget would result in an overall increase in state library related spending from current levels.
So where is talk of a cut coming from?
For years, the Ohio Public Library Fund has received 1.7% of Ohio's general revenue fund, which is powered by sales and personal income taxes and other revenue sources. According to the Ohio Library Council, an organization that advocates for public libraries, roughly 51% of the total funding for Ohio's public libraries comes from the state through the Public Library Fund.
If the current funding formula were unchanged, the Ohio Office of Budget and Management projects that the PLF could contain up to $530 million under the current formula by the end of 2025.
The Ohio House's budget proposal differs from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's budget pitch, which would have increased the PLF's slice of the general revenue fund by half a percent. This would generate $531.7 million in 2026 and $549.1 million in 2027.
An Ohio Library Council analysis estimated that the House's version of the budget would reduce state funding for Ohio's public libraries by more than $100 million over the next two years — compared to the governor's proposal to expand the fund, not compared to current funding.
What do libraries say?
Dayton Metro Library officials said they're anticipating a $3 million difference, which could result in decreased operating hours, programming, library collections and even the closure of some lower-traffic branches.
"Ohio's public libraries have had a partnership with the state to deliver services at the local level for almost 100 years and that funding is now at risk," Michelle Francis, executive director of the Ohio Library Council, in a press release. "Public libraries serve all ages, and funding cuts of this magnitude could jeopardize the vital services that our communities rely on."
Similarly, the Clark County Public Library shared a plea with its patrons on social media Thursday evening, saying the Ohio House's proposal could impact services like children's programs, hotspot loans and more. The library called on community members to contract their state representatives to discuss library funding.
"We appreciate the community we serve and your support for the library!" the social media post said.
What do lawmakers say?
In the Republican-dominated Ohio House, moving public library funding away from a percentage model has been framed as a way to be more flexible in determining how much public libraries actually need from the state every two years.
"Many moons ago, somebody decided that the public library fund would be a certain percentage of the general revenue fund. The issue with that is, it doesn't necessarily always reflect all of the other budgetary concerns that are happening," House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, told reporters last week. "If you get 1.7%, you don't have to come in and say, 'Hey, here's why we need all this extra money.'"
Huffman denied that the proposed change had anything to do with critiques of local libraries, like from that of Rep. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria, who publicly criticized the New Lebanon branch of the Dayton Metro Library for carrying tampons in the men's restroom.
With the switch, Ohio House Finance Chair Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, argued that the state should quit "autopilot" spending, where possible.
"I think every two years we need to do our job and say, 'What is the actual amount of money that we believe should be spent here?' and make that decision," Stewart said.
House Democrats, meanwhile, oppose the switch. Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, said she has "huge concerns."
"Listen, we're talking about a 100-year precedent that we've used to fund our public library system here in the state of Ohio — which, by the way, is one of the top public library systems in the country because they have reliable, predictable funding," Russo said.