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Senate Finance Committee favorably reports SJR 4 to rules, advancing $2.5 billion bond measure to renew SCIP
Summary
After testimony from business and township proponents, the Senate Finance Committee voted to favorably report Senate Joint Resolution 4, which would put a constitutional amendment before voters to authorize $2.5 billion in general‑obligation bonds to extend the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP).
The Ohio Senate Finance Committee voted to favorably report Senate Joint Resolution 4 to the committee on rules and reference after proponents described the measure as essential to funding local infrastructure.
Matt McLaren of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce testified in support, saying passage would place before voters a constitutional amendment authorizing an additional $2,500,000,000 in general‑obligation bonds to extend the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP). "Bond financing spreads the costs of large infrastructure projects over the life of the bond, aligning it with the lifespan of the project," McLaren told the committee, and he listed roads, bridges, wastewater treatment, water supply systems, solid‑waste facilities and stormwater collection among SCIP priorities.
Township officials who spoke said SCIP dollars have funded tangible local projects. Ed Good, a township trustee in Mead Township and an Ohio Township Association board member, said Mead Township received seven projects totaling more than $1,000,000 through the Ohio Public Works Commission and asked the committee to place the reauthorization on the May ballot to avoid delays. Good also supported a proposed $50,000,000 annual increase to the OPWC allocation, saying rural jurisdictions and small townships rely heavily on the program.
Morgan Macintosh, a Concord Township trustee and president of the Lake County Township Association, said SCIP—first approved by voters in 1987 and renewed multiple times—is set to expire in July 2025 and urged renewal on the May ballot: "Receiving this critical funding helps keep our communities safe and maintain property values," Macintosh said, and urged committee support for the $50,000,000 increase.
After testimony, Senator Serino moved to favorably report SJR 4 to rules and reference. The clerk conducted a roll call; members present registered affirmative responses and the committee recorded the resolution as favorably reported.
What happens next: Favorable reporting sends SJR 4 to the rules and reference process; placing the amendment on a ballot would require final legislative steps and, if approved there, voter approval under the state constitution. The committee did not take up any amendments during the hearing.
