COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine signed the state’s capital budget bill into law Friday, which includes $3.5 billion in appropriations.
This budget focuses on the development of local community infrastructures and Ohio facilities, largely schools, jails and mental health facilities. The budget was passed in a bipartisan fashion in both chambers, DeWine said.
The bill also includes a $700 million surplus that was carried over from the previous operating budget.
Some of the highlights of the budget include:
- Improving and building mental health care facilities, including the design of a new hospital in the Miami Valley.
- Building new, smaller juvenile correctional facilities.
- Strengthening higher education infrastructure, cybersecurity and workforce readiness.
- Supporting construction and renovation in Ohio’s schools, colleges and universities.
- Supporting construction and renovation of local jails.
- Protecting public safety through investments in the design of a new state-of-the-art crime lab.
- Advancing firefighter training facilities with a new search and rescue training tower.
- Improving and preserving Ohio’s state parks.
- Enhancing guest experience and supporting necessary infrastructure upgrades at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds.
How is the money being dispersed?
DeWine’s office released details on how much money is going to state agencies and initiatives.
Mental health: $133.5 million is going to support mental healthcare in the state. $10 million specifically will go to the design and planning of a new behavioral healthcare hospital in Miami Valley.
Youth services: $130 million will go to the Ohio Department of Youth Services to begin the process of replacing three large juvenile corrections facilities with multiple smaller facilities.
Higher Education and Workforce Readiness: $397 million will be used to improve higher education infrastructure. Included in that is a $7.1 million investment into Ohio Cyber Range, which is a network supporting cybersecurity programs.
K-12 schools: $600 million will go to the renovation and construction of K-12 schools.
Prisons and jails: $255.1 million goes to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for infrastructure repairs in the state prisons.
Ohio State Highway Patrol Crime Lab: $7 million will go to the design of a new Ohio State Highway Patrol Crime Lab.
Fire Academy: More than $23 million will go to constructing new firefighting training facilities and improving existing facilities.
State parks: $298.2 million will be invested in Ohio’s state parks.
Ohio Expo Commission and Ohio State Fair: $196 million will support the revitalization of the fairgrounds.
Ohio’s history and culture: $63 million will support local projects across Ohio that offer tourism and cultural benefits. This funding includes $13.5 million for improvements at Ohio’s first UNESCO World Heritage listing, the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks sites.
You can find a breakdown of the funds here.