[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6087427,"mediaKeyId","2890170-6ae0d55f8a612585aa74fe256cd35588","parentId",2890170,"title","Senate, House and Governor’s office present operating budgets; Senate seeks flat appropriations, House reduces earlier ask","audioSeconds",1682,"startMs",2175000,"endMs",3857000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2890170-6ae0d55f8a612585aa74fe256cd35588&start=2175&end=3857","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2890170-6ae0d55f8a612585aa74fe256cd35588/thumbnail_2175000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6087427/Ohio/Senate-House-and-Governors-office-present-operating-budgets-Senate-seeks-flat-appropriations-House-reduces-earlier-ask","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087427-032f574f55633cef073b0369b2416770/orig.mp4?Expires=1773651395&Signature=D8uH1jIoGPT1T1mxi0CC8EIywf2IlNSPkL6s6~qLW0OPt8NX6qcyylrINPfd7DPe2qih5BvGCnNxBkhTXisxnH6tPsQJfnRnj~CzkEZtJ6ZedskHHpJbtzmwWBq3oKU~vZvC5hBg6JW0iVfbNKNf0Nxt7OgFvkMrUqYdq8-~MRSHvC5OFKj3m~F6Exlqmt~moN0NdCR4GJ-u~wl7WN9HD~YdHXg94889KI4FWevqdYfKkIQ13l33zxmf2Tk3R36~kKsUw0Ud26f0x0D70bpKmHWb5IahWpFkGifbr7o4fWxbQQUeCndmAwqVcz8O3gq~ZvBfKSIpM5fYZ20lSIK0uQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Ohio Legislature","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","Officials representing the legislature and the governor’s office delivered briefings to the Senate Finance Committee on internal operating budgets and staffing needs.

Senate clerk Vince (testifying on behalf of legislative administration) presented the Senate’s budget request: a three‑line budget with a GRF request of $27,000,000 for each fiscal year 2026 and 2027, a 0% change from FY25. The clerk said the Senate currently employs about 110 staff and 40 pages and that most spending is for personnel, maintenance and equipment.

Kim Ziano, chief administration officer for the Ohio House of Representatives, presented the House operating budget. She said the House initially requested $37.3 million per year but revised its requested figures to $35.1 million for FY26 and $36.21 million for FY27, a biennial reduction of $3.29 million. Ziano said more than 90% of House spending covers payroll and health care for members and staff and noted the House continues to seek modest, efficient operations.

Lindsey Bergano, deputy director of legislative affairs for Governor Mike DeWine, outlined the governor’s internal operating budget request. She described two primary line items: a GRF line (040321) for day‑to‑day activities of the governor and lieutenant governor’s offices and an intergovernmental fund (40607) used for advocacy and maintaining the Washington, D.C. office; the governor’s request included modest increases for rising rent, supplies and staffing expenses.

Committee members thanked witnesses and asked brief questions about staffing and the ability to recruit and retain employees. All three witnesses said they would answer follow‑up questions and provide details to committee staff as needed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ohio Senate Finance Committee - 04-01-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Multiple executive and legislative offices presented operating budgets to the Senate Finance Committee. The Senate clerk proposed a flat $27 million GRF appropriation for the Senate; the Ohio House requested reduced appropriations after trimming an earlier submission; the governor’s office sought modest increases to support a D.C. office and NGA.","taxTitle","Finance, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Ohio","taxId",37382,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6087432,"Auditor Faber asks Senate to keep House funding to avoid steep local audit rate increases",989,3911000,4900000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2890170-6ae0d55f8a612585aa74fe256cd35588&start=3911&end=4900","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2890170-6ae0d55f8a612585aa74fe256cd35588/thumbnail_3911000.jpg","/articles/6087432/Ohio/Auditor-Faber-asks-Senate-to-keep-House-funding-to-avoid-steep-local-audit-rate-increases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087432-185fe3d89e6d048b2b78f10ab73c2b98/orig.mp4?Expires=1773651395&Signature=co2N4EhLN7VBoeIglIqdRXa4WfivqcLCQ4ZLtFHgt-tQJ68JOwcECFdnKQ0BRhsfWsS7WOu5YPLaA5IaWf5rofdonRNO0LadfPVyWW6VXY2-nvpaDNJUfz~dItwsOwW1Cf7k1JmTk7jWXDu0tL~YKBLGjr6e0nknUMrYKXWNnUVosIquT38jBDbP7ISpZyqPc74xJGpXvhHFYLOq-P7v22qkCf-qTVTq5dt6MtRJSp8yycf~AqQLapQH1ykOfOfQw9u9SrifHTHIYEzf-fp946eKRpBOKkpPJ53EseuY0pz8HdYEixvsM1KTAKSpuPpvGwd3Vc87B2rBdCku-ZH0Vw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Auditor of State Keith Faber told the Senate Finance Committee that insufficient funding from the executive recommendation would require large increases to the hourly audit rates charged to local governments and schools, and he urged senators to retain the House’s funding levels adopted in the substitute version of House Bill 96.

Faber said his office audits roughly 6,000 Ohio government entities and runs the Uniform Accounting Network used by many townships and villages. He described the auditor’s office as “the watchdog on those who spend government money,” and highlighted units that perform investigative work, performance audits and local government assistance.

Under current law and practice, local audits have been heavily subsidized to keep the hourly billing rate low for smaller governments. Faber said the current state audit rate for 2025 is $90 per hour and that rate is expected to rise to about $96 in the next biennium; local government audit rates had been held at $41 per hour since 2011 because of state subsidy.

Faber asked for a modest increase to local audit billing of $1 per hour (to $42 in 2026 and $43 in 2027). He said the governor’s recommended funding shortfalls—about $6 million in FY26 and $10.7 million in FY27, as presented to his office—would have instead required a much larger rate increase: roughly $50 in year one and $56 in year two. \"We asked the House and they agreed to fully fund us at our original budget submission,\" Faber said, and he asked the Senate to do the same so the smaller, incremental increases remain sufficient.

Faber also described other details of the office: an authorized staffing level of roughly 800 employees, a reduction of leased office space by more than 50,000 square feet since 2019 and lease cost savings totaling about $6.665 million. He described enforcement results, including more than 130 criminal convictions closed by the Special Investigations Unit since he became auditor.

He discussed the office’s performance‑audit work (the Ohio Performance Team) and said revising performance audits toward programmatic reviews has increased return on investment; he cited a historical return on investment of more than 20:1 for performance audits. Faber said the House substitute for HB96 included funding at the levels his office requested, and he asked senators to adopt similar funding so local governments and schools do not face steep rate increases.

Committee members asked about Medicaid provider audits, auditing school five‑year forecasts and the office’s regional footprint; Faber said provider audits are federally reimbursed in part and that his office plans a new School District Financial Health Indicators tool to flag fiscal problems earlier.

Faber concluded by thanking the House for adopting his funding levels and asking the Senate to maintain that support.","Auditor of State Keith Faber told the Senate Finance Committee that Governor's recommended funding would force large increases in local government audit rates; the House substitute funded the auditor’s request and would limit rates to $42 and $43 per hour for 2026 and 2027 instead of larger proposed hikes.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6087437,"Secretary LaRose stresses cybersecurity, local election support and Safe at Home funding in budget testimony",670,2400000,3070000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2890170-6ae0d55f8a612585aa74fe256cd35588&start=2400&end=3070","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2890170-6ae0d55f8a612585aa74fe256cd35588/thumbnail_2400000.jpg","/articles/6087437/Ohio/Secretary-LaRose-stresses-cybersecurity-local-election-support-and-Safe-at-Home-funding-in-budget-testimony","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087437-2a5a7dc46bf270e8dcfc30c39c78c8e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773651395&Signature=Pkba28Ko37mDPJjjSUCDpYP3VHpJW0GBncnHTjqnBj8e1Ya0tCZMJzCuSSk7t3s-wjjuw8P3cmevrxj6tvvt5YxDLSLadHDW2xsJgI4v6DkRaTQyZFy-VtAp9ceaKYw4U-r6E9Q9MflUvKeCBtpsnLFTAAulNVZ-MJgdUtSFr0GvFLNI8KeDrrM76UDsUlXSbMU4nMGqua~292xkF1zEJHXoLiIlwKELDiPN~OPNmFMZevr2hQqsWv64k6n73jqibJeX-khGYRjuZKopRmJ5U5w-we-vZVCZYGQR1Z1hZ85~1fpKsXuGVe~bseqQltEntVqCjMWfQ2UkUkbDTBkNVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Secretary of State Frank LaRose told the Senate Finance Committee the secretary’s office is focused on cybersecurity for elections, grants to county boards of elections, and maintaining low business‑filing fees while warning that the office’s fee‑reliant funding model creates a future deficit risk.

LaRose said his office’s mission is “we're the office that helps people vote and helps people start businesses,” and he told senators that Ohio ran “the smoothest election that Ohio has ever had” in 2024, citing record early turnout and post‑election reporting of results. He said the office led on cyber and physical security and stood up multiple operations to track and respond to election‑related social media concerns.

LaRose described several quantitative items: more than 5.8 million Ohioans participated in the 2024 election, and his office recorded 172,000 new businesses created in the prior year. He highlighted tools and transparency initiatives including an elections data portal at ohiosos.gov/data and voter‑tracking features at voteohio.gov/track.

LaRose urged senators to restore funding the House sub bill removed for the Safe at Home program, which provides confidential addresses for voters who are domestic‑violence survivors; he described the cut as $375,000 over the biennium and said the amount is modest relative to the program’s public‑safety purpose. “Nobody should have to choose between their personal safety and their precious right to vote,” he said.

On business filings and fees, LaRose said the office has held the standard business‑filing fee at $99 and intends to keep it to preserve Ohio’s competitiveness. He warned that relying primarily on business‑filing fees to fund the office makes the agency vulnerable to revenue swings; the office’s introduced budget tried to blend some GRF support with fees to avoid deficit spending in future years, he said.

Committee members asked about mailed absentee ballots and postal delays in some regions; LaRose said the office has worked with the U.S. Postal Service, maintains weekly election‑season meetings, and has encouraged county election officials to coordinate with local postmasters. He noted the deadline rule that absentee ballots postmarked by the day before the election should be counted and encouraged voters to use the online ballot tracking tool.

LaRose concluded by asking support for cybersecurity and county grants and for restoring the Safe at Home increase in the overall budget negotiations.","Secretary of State Frank LaRose told the Senate Finance Committee the office prioritized cybersecurity, county board grants and voter confidence; he warned that relying on business‑filing fees leaves the office exposed and asked senators to restore a $375,000 Safe at Home increase cut in the House sub bill.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6087443,"Attorney General urges Senate to keep House funding levels, warns of federal shortfalls for victim services",533,1097000,1630000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2890170-6ae0d55f8a612585aa74fe256cd35588&start=1097&end=1630","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2890170-6ae0d55f8a612585aa74fe256cd35588/thumbnail_1097000.jpg","/articles/6087443/Ohio/Attorney-General-urges-Senate-to-keep-House-funding-levels-warns-of-federal-shortfalls-for-victim-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087443-98c575d9367deaf2c11ce2f6327d38fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1773651395&Signature=Zh6WKXTkzFtq27U2BPhM3WpntSdSUPcM3TELNQ2J9ZPCXyxxUO2Le6qsg33eeq0g~KlGELZ0v~XUBKuhUmWv2rF1BYtVHSWSt-UTV1bi-4wttOHoTneGdEORiJAmpL8w5MgzVt0G509rbev-n1Rr3ZOJGkpoQ4DDOd-AaRx2JNZawt2646NbVpZ9cr9EC~El8Ubb5UzZ1izFzjBm4PxV2LEA~t9HnEQeHoQD5K6g7B~acJNEBiwDPv0zJ-p10IpgCaHLEsoybBlrnSMcWD7l2pCTLo0ld7YDvJNOPON3IvfCTEDwkSe0y~fQUf3PYiDELyeOOJFWaGi9BLub8ur7sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Attorney General Dave Yost told the Ohio Senate Finance Committee that his office’s biennial budget in the substitute House bill is “built on responsible stewardship” and asked the Senate to maintain the House funding levels while the office continues to evaluate statutory and programmatic changes in the sub bill.

Yost told senators the House‑filed substitute would appropriate $472,900,000 for fiscal 2026 and $486,900,000 for fiscal 2027 to support the attorney general’s work across 13 offices statewide. He said those amounts represent a 4.3% decrease from the FY25 estimated end budget for 2026 and a 2.9% increase in 2027.

On victim services, Yost said federal actions over the past several years have reduced the federal share of support for the Victims’ Services Fund (described in testimony as the Victims Scribe Fund), leaving state and local programs underfunded. He attributed the decline to changes in federal settlement handling and said congressional action has not restored the prior stream of funds. “The victim services community does not have enough money currently to properly fund their services,” he said, and added that he would consider asking this committee or the Controlling Board for supplemental funds if federal support does not materialize.

Yost also urged a permanent, predictable funding stream for peace officer training. He described a multi‑year build‑up of training funding and supported Governor DeWine’s proposal to dedicate part of marijuana excise tax revenue to create a $40 million‑a‑year permanent stream for law enforcement training. He reminded the committee that state law requires peace officers to complete a minimum of 24 hours of continuing professional training annually and that agencies may be reimbursed for up to 40 hours.

Yost highlighted his office’s collections work and growth of the claims fund (Fund 4190), which holds fees from the collections and enforcement section; he said that work has permitted some costs to move off the GRF. He cited collections totals he described as records: $564,600,000 in fiscal 2023 and $581,500,000 in fiscal 2024, and said the office was on track for another strong year in 2025.

When asked about a House provision that narrows or alters investment authority for public entities, Yost said his office is still digesting the substitute bill language and would provide follow‑up. He also discussed public records and video‑release policies, noting his office published a model policy that allows local governments to waive fees for matters of public interest and suggesting the General Assembly could statutorily authorize waivers.

Yost closed by asking senators to maintain the House funding levels so the attorney general’s office can continue its current operations and statutory responsibilities.","Attorney General Dave Yost told the Senate Finance Committee the office's budget is mostly steady but cautioned that federal reductions have reduced funds for victims’ services; he urged a permanent funding stream for law enforcement training and said his office has grown self‑generating revenue from collections.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6087448,"Treasurer outlines 51% GRF reduction request, highlights ResultsOhio, STABLE and AgLink programs",518,77000,595000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2890170-6ae0d55f8a612585aa74fe256cd35588&start=77&end=595","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2890170-6ae0d55f8a612585aa74fe256cd35588/thumbnail_77000.jpg","/articles/6087448/Ohio/Treasurer-outlines-51-GRF-reduction-request-highlights-ResultsOhio-STABLE-and-AgLink-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087448-60e66140ab61c7c151aa5044674b9165/orig.mp4?Expires=1773651395&Signature=orNu8ZV3rMobty4E64Gh2K6fBKevVy6sWqXE5CDxGMV29MsooADuaPkVZ2CisO43c9z4uca90ubsn79IfvSTUqJBzEkgbjUJ8HuQd78XJdwxuXT9o7OJG8J9SwGXrkN73b-5QhjHEVomUAJJIEfHlfgjra6Xv4iSPD8E~77gCdv9qrdzrrDO9kTD3QrIy2WjR1T0TRpSNxAG6sN~~VMB8xI1e2Ro~5XmFcED0wOVOnSi8g9hG4unZ8HQhjWr9PGaDAqRK2xyJ1YHB0Zz2iN4Ym49dwMvotWrUjLSALjsKJWILy0CaqANgz8sE3no4zNRSim3Zv5BKpfhpSsJcrqi3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Treasurer Robert Sprague told the Ohio Senate Finance Committee during the second hearing on House Bill 96 that his office is requesting a roughly 51% reduction in General Revenue Fund (GRF) support for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 while continuing to expand several public-facing programs.

Sprague said the requested reduction is “made possible thanks to our prudent budget management, improved operational efficiencies, diversified revenue streams, and forward thinking program implementation.” He described ResultsOhio, STABLE accounts, Ohio Homebuyer Plus and AgLink as examples of the office’s work.

The treasurer said ResultsOhio (a pay-for-results grant model) and partnerships with nonprofit and educational organizations delivered eye exams and glasses to students; his office provided specific counts: 3,974 students received eye exams, 915 were referred for more serious conditions and 3,418 received eyeglasses. He said ResultsOhio remains in demand among Ohio-based organizations and philanthropic funders.

On STABLE (the ABLE program for people with disabilities), Sprague said the program had more than 44,000 accounts and “totals over $526,000,000 in assets under management.” He said the office will pursue a package of STABLE enhancements as stand‑alone legislation in the next biennium.

Sprague described Ohio Homebuyer Plus, launched in January 2024, as having grown to more than 18,000 accounts at more than 60 financial institutions. He also said recent statutory changes and operational flexibility helped the AgLink program set records; in 2024 AgLink assisted nearly 4,000 farmers and saved participants almost $20 million in interest. The treasurer said recent AgLink enhancements increase the loan cap for targeted counties from $500,000 to $750,000 and allow loan durations up to two years with larger interest discounts for drought‑ and avian‑influenza‑affected farmers.

Regarding the proposed GRF reduction, Sprague told senators the cut is primarily the result of two developments: operational modernization enacted via recent Treasury modernization legislation and growth in non‑GRF revenue streams. When a senator asked what line items were being cut, Sprague cited reduced headcount and the shift of some costs off the GRF because of higher recurring fee and investment income. “We're no longer clipping bond coupons in the basement here of the state house. Everything is electronic now,” he said.

Sprague also noted that some additional changes to the Ohio Revised Code will be submitted as standalone bills and that around 30 other statutory revisions remain under consideration; some of those changes were included in the sub bill for House Bill 96, he said.

He closed by asking the committee for continued legislative partnership and offering to answer follow‑up questions and provide more detailed language reviews through his legislative affairs director.

The committee recessed later in the hearing and took up other agency budgets; Treasurer Sprague’s testimony concluded without a formal committee vote on funding levels.","Treasurer Robert Sprague told the Senate Finance Committee the treasurer's office seeks a roughly 51% cut in recommended GRF appropriations for FY26–27, citing modernization, efficiency and new revenue; he described ResultsOhio, STABLE, Ohio Homebuyer Plus and AgLink program results and pending statute changes in House Bill 96.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate, House and Governor’s office present operating budgets; Senate seeks flat appropriations, House reduces earlier ask

Auditor Faber asks Senate to keep House funding to avoid steep local audit rate increases

Secretary LaRose stresses cybersecurity, local election support and Safe at Home funding in budget testimony

Attorney General urges Senate to keep House funding levels, warns of federal shortfalls for victim services

Treasurer outlines 51% GRF reduction request, highlights ResultsOhio, STABLE and AgLink programs