South Dayton News

State Representative Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) has cast his vote in favor of Am. Sub. House Bill 96, the House’s version of the State Operating Budget. This plan allocates over $4 billion for property tax relief in Ohio and promises increased school funding across all districts for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

"This operating budget has increased funding for our public schools, maintained library funding, and provided substantial property tax relief for our citizens," stated Plummer.

The bill ensures that every school district in Ohio will benefit from increased funding over the next two years. Public schools will receive $555.2 million more in state aid over the biennium, with a $207.6 million increment in FY26 over FY25 and a further increase to $347.6 million in FY27.

To address property tax relief, the bill introduces a process for redistributing funds from school districts with more than 30 percent in unspent cash at the end of each year. This move is expected to provide Ohioans with over $4 billion in property tax relief.

In addition to educational and tax reforms, House Bill 96 aims to bolster local community initiatives, including Brownfield Remediation and the Welcome Home Ohio program, and manage the housing shortage.

The budget sets aside $100 million annually for the Child Care Choice program to help families cover child care costs. It also increases funding for the Help Me Grow program, supporting pregnant women, caregivers of infants, and families with young children facing developmental challenges.

Further, the budget emphasizes workforce readiness by funding higher education initiatives like the Governor’s Merit Scholarship and Choose Ohio First Scholarship, alongside increasing the State Share of Instruction by 2%. The TechCred program, which aids in workforce upskilling, continues with this budget.

The bill also advances school choice options by augmenting the Autism Scholarship and Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship, and offers education savings accounts for parents of children in non-chartered non-public schools.

In Medicaid, the bill introduces provisions to enhance transparency and oversight, requiring the Ohio Department of Medicaid to report to the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee to curtail fraud and waste.

House Bill 96 now advances to the Ohio Senate for further review.