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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What's the future of state park funding? Ohio Senate uses fracking bonuses for bottom line
When Ohio Republicans pitched fracking in state parks in 2011, one of their selling points was a cash infusion for state parks. But a Senate change would put that money toward regular operations instead. That has some Ohioans who rely on those parks concerned about future funding. "We're very rural and we depend on the income that tourism generates for our local economy," said Shannon Wells, director of economic development for Morgan County, which has three state parks and two wildlife areas. "The reduction in funding could impact law enforcement, other staffing that the state parks find critical to operate." A spokesman for Senate Republicans said those fears are unfounded. Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, told Ohio Public Radio that fracking royalties 'don't belong to ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources). They belong to the people of the state of Ohio.' In December 2024, Ohio approved oil and gas drilling under hundreds of acres of Salt Fork State Park. It was the first − and so far only − state park approved for fracking after state lawmakers kick-started the application process in December 2022. More:Get The Scoop!: Sign up for our weekly Ohio politics newsletter As part of that deal, West Virginia-based Infinity Natural Resources paid $59.7 million in lease bonuses. State law requires 30% of that money to go toward improvements to Salt Fork State Park. In March, Ohio doled out $9.6 million to replace a beach shelter house, build a new concession stand, resurface parking areas and make other repairs. The remaining money is put into a special fund for state parks. Rather than dole that money out, Senate Republicans' two-year budget would cut $35.3 million from Ohio Department of Natural Resources' budget and backfill that money with the signing bonuses, effectively flat-funding the department. Tracy Simons, Morgan County's executive director of tourism, wonders why lawmakers are relying on a pot of money from fracking bonuses that isn't guaranteed going forward. "People could lose their jobs. It's just a snowball effect." Simons said state parks are the lifeblood of tourism for smaller counties like hers. "It would be detrimental to our county as a whole," she said. "Many of our small businesses here rely on tourism and the dollars that it brings in." ODNR is reviewing a proposal, a spokesman said. The Ohio Senate is expected to pass the state budget soon. Then, lawmakers in the House and Senate will hash out differences before sending it to Gov. Mike DeWine. The deadline for a balanced budget is June 30. State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@ or @jbalmert on X. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Locals who rely on state parks tourism worry about Senate budget plan
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio Senate GOP budget increases school funding, gives Browns $600M grant, creates flat tax
Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, speaks at the Ohio Senate Republican Budget Press Conference. Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, stands in the background. Photo: Morgan Trau, WEWS The Ohio Senate has announced its version of the state budget, one that provides a slight increase in public school funding, gives a $600 million grant to the Cleveland Browns for their new stadium and creates a flat income tax of 2.75%. Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) and Finance Chair Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) announced their proposed amendments to the state's biennial operating budget on Tuesday afternoon. House Bill 96, the number for the House's budget bill, passed in April. The senators increased the amount of money going to public schools compared to the House's proposal. The Senate budget gives public schools about $100 million more than the House. Although it follows most of the House's proposed budget – which only gives schools about $226 million for school funding, or $550 million total – the Senate changed the funding 'guarantee' amount. Right now, some districts have guarantees that a portion of their funding will not be reduced, even if their enrollment goes down. However, to be fully funded, based on statistics from the Fair School Funding Plan from 2021, schools would need an additional $666-800 million, compared to the $226 million given by the House. They also raised the House proposal's cap on districts' rainy day funds to 50%, instead of 30%. This would mean that the schools would have to refund anything above that back to the taxpayer in a method legislators want to use to provide property tax relief. The Senate's budget proposal still includes $600 million for a new Cleveland Browns stadium in Brook Park. However, the funding structure differs from what the Browns proposed and what the House approved earlier this year. The House proposed borrowing $600 million by issuing bonds and repaying the debt, with interest, over 25 years, at a cost of about $1 billion. The Senate is proposing a $600 million grant for the stadium using unclaimed funds. That money is property of Ohioans held by the state, things like forgotten bank accounts, rent or utility deposits or uncashed insurance policies. The Ohio Department of Commerce's website says the state is sitting on $4.8 billion in unclaimed funds. The Senate believes the state will more than recoup that investment through sales tax, income tax and commercial activity tax revenues from the 176-acre Brook Park stadium district. The budget also includes a 2.75% flat income tax. This mirrors a bill currently in the House, which would eliminate the separate brackets of the non-business income tax. People making more than $102,400 would have their taxes reduced from 3.5% to 3.125% in 2025 and then down to 2.75% in 2026. The lower bracket would stay at 2.75%. Now, the Senate and House leaders will enter a conference committee, a closed-door negotiation period to create a final budget. Once a decision is made, both chambers must pass the combined bill. If it passes through both sides, it will be sent to Gov. Mike DeWine for review. In the past, he issued dozens of line-item vetoes on operating budgets. Line-item vetoing is the ability for the governor to pick and choose which policies within a larger piece of legislation get to stay or must go. DeWine is adamantly against giving the bond package to the Browns, and we have asked repeatedly if he plans to veto it. He says he hopes it doesn't get to that point. The budget must be passed by the end of June. This is a developing story and will be updated. Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Nothing speaks like money.' Republican Senator wants Ohio higher education funds tied to new law
State Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, spoke during a forum at the City Club of Cleveland. (Screenshot). A Republican Ohio Senator wants higher education appropriations to be tied to compliance to Senate Bill 1, the new higher education law banning diversity efforts and regulating classroom discussion that will take effect this summer. 'We're not kidding around,' State Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, said Thursday during a City Club of Cleveland forum. 'This law will not be ignored. It will be welcomed. … We're going to make sure that all the work we've done doesn't go to waste because it's being ignored. We're going to make sure it happens and nothing speaks like money.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The new law will ban diversity efforts, prohibit faculty strikes, regulate classroom discussion of 'controversial' topics, create post-tenure reviews, put diversity scholarships at risk, create a retrenchment provision that block unions from negotiating on tenure, shorten university board of trustees terms from nine years down to six years, and require students take an American history course, among other things. Cirino introduced S.B. 1 earlier this year which quickly passed the Ohio Senate and House. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed S.B. 1 into law at the end of March and it will take effect on June 27. Members of the Youngstown State University's chapter of the Ohio Education Association are collecting signatures in the hopes of trying to get a referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot. 'Opponents of Senate Bill 1 have said it will destroy higher education in Ohio,' Cirino said. 'Well, the governor signed the bill a couple of weeks ago, and to my knowledge, higher education is still pretty well intact in the state of Ohio.' More than 1,500 people testified against S.B. 1 — including many college students, faculty and staff who said they would leave Ohio if this bill became law. 'Certainly for some of them that would be OK,' Cirino said. 'Some of the ones who came to testify, I will help them pack.' The Ohio Capital Journal recently talked to a Cleveland State University student who is transferring to a New York university after spring semester because of the new law. Cirino talked about the need for a higher education law like this given 'the predominance of left-leaning faculty, which has skewed things on our campuses.' 'Without the very best educational system, we will not have a properly trained workforce, and without a trained workforce, we will not have a robust economy here in Ohio,' Cirino said. 'If our universities and community colleges are fixated on DEI, separating students by race and hiring professors who follow a monolithic liberal agenda, we are not preparing our students to learn how to analyze research and come to their own conclusions.' Cirino said the new law creates more opportunities for speech, reiterated that it's not anti-union and makes education available to everyone. 'Some of our universities have been spending tens of millions of dollars on infrastructure for DEI which has become institutional discrimination,' he said. 'You can't solve discrimination by having other discrimination. The best way to eliminate discrimination is to eliminate discrimination.' The new law also bans faculty strikes, something Cirino said is a student rights issue, not a labor issue. 'When a student signs up for a semester and pays for it, that's a contract between them and the university,' he said. 'Nothing should interrupt that. Nothing at all.' Even though the law only applies to Ohio's public universities and community colleges, private colleges would be required to comply with parts of S.B.1 if they want to continue to participate in the Governor's Merit Scholarship, according to language from the House's version of the budget. The budget is now in the hands of the Senate where Cirino is the chair of the Senate Finance Committee. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Governor signs bill banning DEI at universities
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — With 10 days to take action, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine acted quickly once sweeping higher education bill Senate Bill 1 was sent to his desk Wednesday, signing it into law Friday afternoon. Senate Bill 1 has drawn vast criticism from students and faculty, particularly because of the changes it makes to diversity, equity and inclusion at the collegiate level. S.B. 1 was nicknamed the 'Advance/Destroy Higher Education Act,' depending on who is speaking. Under S.B. 1, public colleges are no longer allowed to have DEI offices or school-sponsored scholarships that relate to DEI, nor can any existing offices be renamed to serve the same purpose. If a university violates the ban on all DEI practices on campus, it now risks losing state funding. Faculty have raised concerns about stipulations in the bill that ban professors from endorsing any 'controversial belief or policy.' Faculty will not be allowed to teach that any race or sex is superior, that anyone is inherently biased or prejudiced because of their identities, that anyone bears responsibilities for past actions or enforce any discomfort for someone's race or sex. Why Columbus fire officials are saying there's a critical vehicle shortage Sponsored by Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), proponents of S.B. 1 say it will protect students from having to conform to more liberal ideologies on campus. Cirino celebrated DeWine's decision, saying it was a long, worthwhile road to pass S.B. 1, referencing several years of attempts to pass it. 'What we have seen on college campuses is college students saying, 'I get to have my point of view and get to shut down people who disagree with me,'' Republican strategist Matt Dole said. 'That is not free speech. Free speech is understanding that everybody gets their own say. And hate speech is just as protected as any other speech.' The bill saw 1,728 opponent testimonies during Senate and House hearings, and 39 proponent testimonies. Of those speaking in favor, nine would be directly affected by the legislation. There were also protests across multiple Ohio campuses. Prohibitions against faculty striking have drawn criticism from labor unions. Faculty told NBC4 they worry new requirements to publicize course syllabi may lead to doxing, and fear the bill will have a 'chilling effect' on what is taught in the classroom. The bill will also establish new faculty evaluation requirements, including a mandatory student questionnaire that asks if professors create a classroom free of bias. The bill also establishes new American civic literacy courses, a three-credit course that will be eventually required for graduation. The course will cover American economics and capitalism, including required readings. 'I've talked to incoming students who are also very concerned about this and reconsidering their admissions decisions based on this bill,' Ohio State junior Molly Hornberger, who participated in student protests against the bill, said. 'And now that it's passed, I think the effects are forthcoming. I think we will see a decline in admissions, and I think the true, true worst parts of the bill won't be seen for a couple of years, but I think they're coming.' Hornberger said she does not want to return for her senior year under Senate Bill 1, and although she will finish out her degree, she will no longer pursue a graduate degree in Ohio like she had initially planned. She also said it was 'disheartening' that neither the General Assembly nor DeWine changed their minds after immense opposition from constituents. The Ohio State University already dissolved its DEI offices, in part out of concern that S.B. 1 might pass. Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson said the university had hoped for more changes to the bill before it passed, although the university had not taken a formal position on S.B. 1. 'Throughout the legislative process, Ohio State advocated for changes to S.B. 1 that would preserve and enhance academic freedom, embrace diversity of thought, and foster civil discourse on campuses where all individuals feel welcomed and respected,' Johnson said. Ohio Republicans form own version of DOGE The Undergraduate Student Government at Ohio Statement issued a statement expressing disappointment that DeWine signed the bill, 'despite significant student, faculty, staff, etc. opposition.' 'We will continue to fulfill our mission of students serving students, and will remain committed to carrying out our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion,' the statement reads. 'We urge university leadership to stand with students in protecting inclusive spaces on our campus. The passage of this bill is a huge step backward, but our resolve to uplift every Buckeye remains unwavering. Students are a determined people and no matter how many people legislate against us, we will remain and we will rise.' Ohio House Democrats strongly condemned DeWine's actions, saying they had joined Ohio students and staff in urging the governor to veto S.B. 1 earlier this week. 'The governor now has to live with the consequences that will haunt his legacy because signing S.B. 1 into law begins the inevitable destruction of Ohio's cherished higher education system by legalizing state-sponsored censorship and discrimination, it will damage our economy and future by making Ohio an extremely undesirable place to learn and work, and it radically undermines the collective bargaining rights of workers,' Minority Leader Allision Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said. The Buckeye Institute, a free-market think tank, has been outspoken in favor of the bill's passage. Institute Research Fellow Greg Lawson said the organization applauds DeWine's decision as one of the most important higher education reforms in the past 25 years. 'The policies in Senate Bill 1 will ensure a diverse intellectual environment for all students and accountability for faculty, and they will cut administrative bloat to focus universities on graduating students who are gainfully employed. These are much-needed reforms that were long overdue,' Lawson said. Senate Bill 1 will go into effect in 90 days. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio House passes Senate Bill 1 that would ban DEI initiatives at public colleges
The Ohio House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 1, also known as the 'Enact Advance Ohio Higher Education Act,' during its Wednesday session. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The vote comes amid statewide protests objecting to the legislation, our news partners WBNS-10 TV and Karmann Ludwig with WTOL reported. Protesters gathered outside the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday as well. TRENDING STORIES: 'Kind of disappointed;' Local Dollar General closes its doors, more to close across the country Former daycare employee facing criminal charges after several infants suffer brain injuries 3 people hospitalized after crash in Darke County Senate Bill 1 aims to do several things, including prohibitions on the usage of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education and prohibiting faculty from going on strike. Senator Jerry Cirino (R-District 18), the sponsor of the bill, said it will enhance diversity of thought on campuses by moving discussions more to the center and including more conservative viewpoints. The bill also aims to prohibit public universities and professors from taking positions on controversial topics. The Ohio Senate passed SB 1 in mid-February. House members voted 58-54 to pass it. Its next steps will be to go back to the Senate for a concurrence vote since an amendment was added. House members brought forth several amendments. including amendments aimed at protecting free speech in public institutions and an amendment protecting DEI-related scholarships. The bill has seen support from several organizations, however, it has also received backlash from opponents. Hundreds of letters were filed in opposition to the bill, as well as hundreds of Ohio State University students, faculty, and staff protesting the bill as Cirino gave his sponsor testimony last week. In addition, the student government of several Ohio universities have formally announced their opposition to the bill, including the student governments of The Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University, John Carroll University and Kent State University, among others. Those showing support for the bill include the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, the National Association of Scholars and the American Council of Trustees and Alumni and other organizations. These organizations are listed in the text of Project 2025 as part of the project's Advisory board. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
