Find budget alternative to slots, Strickland tells Senate GOP
Balancing act in Republicans' court with 3 days until deadline
Saturday, June 27, 2009 6:19 PM
By Jim Siegel
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
columbusdispatch.com
If Senate Republicans won't vote for his plan to raise $933 million by placing electronic slot machines at Ohio's seven racetrack, Gov. Ted Strickland said it's now up to them to propose the additional cuts or tax increases necessary to balance the new two-year budget.
With just three days left until the new fiscal year begins, state budget talks are at a stalemate over the issue of expanded gambling. Since proposing slots as part of his plan to fill a $3.2 billion shortfall in the 2010-11 budget, which starts July 1, he has argued that a legislative vote is needed to make it work.
Senate President Bill M. Harris, R-Ashland, has said he is OK with Strickland implementing slots on his own, but he has refused to support a legislative vote. A week's worth of meetings have not brought the two sides closer together, so Strickland has tossed the ball into Harris' court.
"I believe that he and the Senate Majority have an obligation to say what taxes they would increase or what services they would further reduce in order to balance the budget," Strickland said in a statement.
"I look forward to hearing from the Senate what other source of revenue, or what additional cuts, they will suggest in the three remaining days of the legislative conference committee. I continue to be available around the clock and will remain accessible to the legislative leadership."
Strickland proposed a budget fix last week, including $2.4 billion in cuts, but ultimately it's up to the legislature to pass a balanced two-year budget for the governor to sign. The six-member legislative conference committee that is tasked with working out a compromise budget between the GOP-controlled Senate and Democratic-controlled House initially was scheduled to meet today. It was then delayed until Sunday.
Now, Sunday does not look very likely.
If lawmakers cannot work out an agreement, they will need to pass a interim budget. It may be as short as a few days, if leaders believe they are close to a deal, or could go longer some have suggested 45 days.
jsiegel@dispatch.com |
