June 3, 2026 · Finance Committee · 958 words · 13 speakers · 49 segments
We'll come to order. Excuse me. Will the clerk please call the roll?
Chair Serino.
Here.
Vice Chair Chavez.
Here.
Ranking Member Hicks-Hutson.
Present.
Senator Blessing.
Here.
Senator Brenner.
Present.
Senator Craig.
Here.
Senator Ingram.
Senator Lange.
Here.
Senator Manchester.
Senator Manning.
Here.
Senator Patton.
Here.
Senator Romanchuk.
Here. Senator Wilkin checked in. All right. We have a quorum, and we'll proceed as a full committee. with the quorum president, we'll ask the committee to review the minutes from the June 2nd meeting, which are on the iPads. Are there any additions, corrections, or objections to the minutes? Seeing none, the minutes are approved and are part of the record. Our first and only order of business today will be the second hearing on Senate Bill 450. The chair would like to mention that while this budget has been moving quickly, being voted out of the Senate Finance Committee today and on the Senate floor later this afternoon, this process has been ongoing for months, and truly every senator on both sides of the aisle, and most of the staff in every senator's office, has been a part of putting together the community projects contained in the capital budget. I would estimate that well over 2,000 projects were requested of us on the March 12th submission deadline. In the Senate alone, 1,531 project requests were submitted by our 33 members on March 26th. second deadline. Those projects requested well over billion in appropriations and of those 1 projects about 815 were ultimately funded at some level The finance staff and I met with every member of the Senate in mid-April. Those meetings were incredibly important in helping us understand and ultimately to advocate for priorities. Our staffs have been working, trading information and other relevant supporting information on many of these projects for months. Lastly, through the reappropriation bill, HB 730, and this capital budget, SB 450, over 60 so-called redirects were approved, sending new dollars to an additional 83 projects. I'd like to thank each member of the Finance Committee and the entire Senate for all of their work and all of their efforts. Lastly, this budget is about a lot more than community projects. This bill allocates an additional $600 million for Ohio school buildings throughout the state, incredibly important. As a note, Ohio since 1997 has spent $15 billion for improving and modernizing Ohio school district facilities. This capital budget allocates $645 million for the Public Works Commission to continue incredibly important programs helping local communities build roads, bridges, and other water quality infrastructure projects. This implements the first allocation since voters in May 2025 approved State Issue 2 sponsored by Senator Chavez which passed with 67 of the vote This capital budget further allocates million for the Department of Behavioral Health for numerous facility renovations and improvements of the state's mental health and additional facilities as well. There are many other important allocations, large and small, but all meaningful and impactful, we believe, for the state of Ohio and for its citizens. With total allocations of roughly $3.7 billion, this bill is fiscally responsible and, we believe, appropriate for Ohio's current strong financial fiscal position. And I would ask all members for their support on the adoption of this bill and the referral vote that we will take in a little bit here. So before I recognize Senator Chavez, I'd like to recognize Senator Hicks-Hudson, our ranking member, for some comments.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I want to, first of all, thank you and the members of the majority staff, as well as our staff, for the collaborative work that we were able to do on this budget. While, you know, no one got everything that they wanted, I do think that this budget reflects the work that we can do when we are focused on benefiting our communities as well as the state. You know having worked in OBM in a previous gubernatorial administration I know how stressful it is to put a budget together and how oftentimes the competing interests sometimes get in the way of us making good decisions I would like to say that the thoughtful process that was done this time was something that I can proudly say that I'm glad to be here in Columbus and working in this legislature because, as I said, I believe that this budget, as you laid out, is going to be impactful in a positive way, maybe not to the extent that some of the recipients want it, but it will help them to jump start some of the projects that are necessary to move our state forward. And with that, I'd like to thank you again for your leadership and for the work that you've done working with our side of the aisle. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Senator. Thank you very much. The chair recognizes Vice Chair Chavez for a motion on the bill.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move to favorably report Senate Bill 450 to the Committee on Rules and Reference.
The question is, shall the bill be favorably reported to the Committee on Rules and Reference? The clerk will please call the roll.
Chair Serino?
Yes.
Vice Chair Chavez?
Yes.
Ranking Member Hicks-Hudson?
Yes.
Senator Blessing?
Yes.
Senator Brenner?
Yes.
Senator Craig?
Yes.
Senator Lange?
Yes.
Senator Manning?
Yes.
Senator Patton?
Yes.
Senator Romanchuk?
Yes.
Senator Wilkin?
Yes. Having sufficient votes, the bill is favorably reported to the Committee on Rules and Reference. Members, please be sure to sign the vote sheet as it makes its way across the dais. This will conclude the second hearing on Senate Bill 450. Is there any further business before this committee? Seeing none, we are adjourned.