COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio House of Representatives passed a $2 billion appropriations bill that will fund Ohio schools, jails, roads and bridges and community projects if it becomes law.
Of that sum, $1.65 billion would be appropriated through bonds for public school buildings, higher education facilities, local jails and local public infrastructure. The other $350 million is cash in the form of a surplus from last year's state operating budget. It will be used for community projects across Ohio.
The bill passed unanimously in the House Finance Committee Wednesday morning, but that was not the case during the House session in the afternoon. Lawmakers approved House Bill 2 by a vote of 75-19.
Republican Speaker of the House Jason Stephens did not allow debate on the measure. Several representatives stood in opposition as the bill was brought up on the House floor. The vote approving it happened a few minutes later.
Finance Committee chair and supporter of the bill, Republican Representative Jay Edwards, called the bill "a huge deal."
"You know, $700 million is a lot of money to spread around the state," Edwards said.
The $700 million is split between the Ohio House and Senate. Wednesday, lawmakers in the House laid out the community projects, big and small, that they want to support with their $350 million.
"We got our members to submit. We knew what their priorities were, which is typically how we do it, and we spent a lot of time amongst leadership talking to members trying to figure this out," Edwards said.
"I think there's a lot of projects in the bill that really invest in people," Democratic State Representative Beth Liston said.
Investments would go to communities big and small.
Here are a few examples.
Franklin County:
- Columbus Symphony Orchestra: $10 million
- Heartland Music Incubator: $500,000
- Grandview Heights McKinley Field Park: $200,000
Delaware County:
- Little Brown Jug Grandstand renovation: $1 million
- Stockhands Horses for Healing for capital improvements: $500,000
- Ohio Fallen Heroes Memorial: $70,000
These are just a few of the 300 different projects across the state.
"[They're] not typically part of the capital projects, but can really build the arts and build development within the city," Liston said.
"We were able to get more money into the rural areas of the state than we typically do proportionally," Edwards said.
The Ohio Senate still has to lay out what it plans to do with its half of the $700 million in funding. There's no word on when that might happen.