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Attorney general asks Senate to preserve House funding levels, cites federal shortfalls for victims services
Summary
Attorney General Dave Yost told the Senate Finance Committee the House substitute budget provides funding he believes is sufficient, but he warned cuts in federal funding for victim services have left state programs strained and urged consideration of a permanent funding stream for law enforcement training via marijuana excise tax revenues.
Attorney General Dave Yost told the Ohio Senate Finance Committee that the House substitute budget largely reflects funding his office can operate under, but he warned the committee about reduced federal support for victim services and urged lawmakers to preserve or restore specified budget levels.
Yost provided a high‑level budget overview and said the House substitute appropriates $472,900,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $486,900,000 for fiscal year 2027 for his office. He described those amounts as a 4.3% decrease from the fiscal year 2025 estimated end budget for 2026 and a 2.9% increase for 2027.
Why it matters: The attorney general’s office administers victim services, criminal investigations and other programs. Changes to funding can affect services returned to local governments and the capacity of BCI (Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification) forensic operations and statewide training programs.
Victim services and federal funding
Yost told senators the Victims Services Fund historically relied heavily on federal funding and that federal practices changed over time, reducing funds to states. He said the Justice Department diverted settlement money in ways that reduced state flows and that the fund has not recovered. He told the committee he hopes federal enforcement will be restored but cautioned the shortfall has left local victim services underfunded. When asked whether the state can fill the gap without undercutting arguments to the federal government, Yost said the state has provided money in past years but emphasized that supplementing too much at the state level could reduce pressure on the federal government to restore funds.
Law enforcement training
Yost said law enforcement training has been a priority for his administration and praised an existing proposal to dedicate a portion of marijuana excise tax receipts to a permanent non‑GRF funding stream for law enforcement training at $40,000,000 a year. He noted that "peace officers are required to complete under state law a minimum of 24 hours of continual professional training" and said a stable, ongoing revenue stream would help sustain training programs and regional training providers rather than relying on biennial decisions.
Other budget points
Yost described the claims fund (Fund 4190) as the office’s largest dedicated fund group, fed by collections and enforcement activity; he reported record collections in recent years ($564.6 million in fiscal 2023 and $581.5 million in 2024). He asked the Senate to maintain the House funding levels that the substitute bill contained and to consider a permanent funding stream for training.
Ending
Yost said his office is still reviewing statutory and financial implications of the House substitute bill introduced the previous day and that he would answer follow‑up questions as members requested.
