Ohio Senate OKs budget bill - Business First of Columbus:

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In a 20-11 vote alonyg party lines, the Senate approved a budge that calls for morethan $113 billion in state spendinbg over the two-year period beginningb July 1. That is nearly $1 billion less than the budgeg approved earlier bythe Democrat-controllee House. “This budget protects taxpayers, fundzs basic services and puts seniors andchildremn first,” said state Sen. John R-Wellston, chairman of the Senate’s Finance and Financiak Institutions Committee. Senate Republicanb leaders their budget planMay 29. The bill passed Wednesdau was consistent with that version and remainsd at odds on many issues with the one approvefd byHouse Democrats.
Differences between the bills will need to be reconciler by a House and Senate conferencee committee in thecoming weeks. The legislaturr needs to present a balanced budgetffor Gov. Ted Strickland’s signatures by a June 30 deadline. Complicating the budgett process is thatthe House-Senatwe conference committee is expected to receive updatex state revenue estimates from Gov. Ted Strickland’ss administration that are likely to require additionaol cuts to the budget passe bythe Senate. The finalk version of the Senate bill containesd an amendment that protects Ohio hospitalzs from being hurt by a new franchisee fee called for inthe House-passed budget bill.
Designed to allow the statre to receiveapproximately $1.7 billion in matchint federal funds for Ohio’s Medicaid health-carre program for the poor, the franchise fee would have cost hospitals an estimates $333 million over the two-year budget cycle. The Senate bill retain the franchise fee but returns all the assessment dollarato hospitals, the said. That woulfd be done through a 5 percent Medicaie payment increasefor hospitals, higher paymentsz for hospital-owned home health services and potentially increased paymentxs for ambulance and hospice services owne by the hospitals. The othert big amendment in the bill would open statw parkland to drilling for oil andnatural gas.
Revenue from well leasea would be used to maintain and improvestate parks.