The House version of the State Operating Budget (HB 33) passed in late April and received a great deal of praise from organizations. In fact, it passed the House floor 78-19 with only 2 Democrats voting “no.” Organizations were hopeful the Senate would continue on this path. However, the Senate version of the budget, introduced in early June, gutted many earmarks to organizations and received extreme criticism. It passed the Senate 24-7 with all Democrats voting “no.” The House did not concur on the budget — pushing it to a Conference Committee to decide the differences. Conference Committee met in the afternoon on June 30^th, the last day of the fiscal year, to deliver the final budget. The House voted out the budget that afternoon with a vote of 67-30 and the Senate with a vote of 25-6. Governor DeWine signed HB33, vetoing a total of 44 items in the process. A number of the vetoed items addressed the state's Medicaid program. DeWine also vetoed provisions related to requiring the tax commissioner set income tax rates and brackets and that interest earned on the Rainy Day Fund go to the General Revenue Fund.

Some budget highlights include:

• Flattening of the state income tax into two brackets — 2.75% for Ohioans making between $26,000 and $100,000 and 3.5% for Ohioans making above $100,000
• One of the largest expansions of funding for private-school vouchers in Ohio's history. The changes to the state’s EdChoice Expansion voucher program mean that any family is now eligible for some form of financial aid to pay for the tuition of private schools, and families earning up to 450% of the poverty line will receive the full amount: $8,407 for students in high school and $6,165 for students in lower grades.
• Changing the Ohio Department of Education to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. This will make the agency director a gubernatorial appointee, reduce the role of the state board of education, and increase the emphasis on workforce initiatives.
• Creation of the Department of Children and Youth
• $750 million investment over the biennium into the All Ohio Future Fund. This fund prepares locations throughout the state to be ready for large-scale development projects. These projects bring positive economic activity to our state by providing incentives to utility providers and creating jobs.
• $8 billion in FY24 and more than $8.2 billion in FY25 to fund the Fair School Funding Plan.
• $1 billion for the Connect4Ohio Fund to increase accessibility to economic centers for all Ohio workers.
• $50 million for broadband pole replacement to increase access to rural broadband.
• Medicaid-eligible children will now receive continuous Medicaid coverage from birth through age three (4 total years).
• Elimination of sales tax on most baby items after October 1^st including: diapers, wipes, car seats, cribs and strollers.
• Modest increase in the income guidelines for subsidized childcare, raising the amount families can earn to 145% of the federal poverty level —about $35,000 annually for a family of three.
• Expanded eligibility for Ohio's Autism Scholarship Program, which covers a set amount of tuition to private schools for these children. The program will now accept children with an autism diagnosis, those identified by their school districts, and those with an IEP from a district.
• Increases a teacher’s base salary from $30,000 to $35,000 annually and allows for up to $7,500 if teachers commit to teaching for at least four years in a qualifying school needing staff.
• Establishes that Social Media Parental Notification Act which will require certain online companies to obtain verifiable parental consent to contractual terms of service before permitting kids under the age of 16 to use their platforms.