COLUMBUS, Ohio — Time is running out for Ohio lawmakers to pass the state budget by the June 30 deadline. With just three days left to negotiate, the House of Representatives decided Tuesday to hold off on passing a seven-day deadline extension.
"We went ahead and informally passed it. If we need to, we can come back, we've got it ready to roll,” House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Dist. 93, said.
Some lawmakers said Tuesday what’s important now is not to play the “blame game.”
"The serious legislators in the room right now know that blaming is not what we're trying to do here, we're trying to legislate,” Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Dist. 89, said.
"Three days is almost a lifetime in this business of trying to put together a budget,” Rep. Jon Cross, R-Dist. 83, said.
With the new fiscal year beginning this Saturday, Ohio’s House and Senate remain divided on some key issues in the more than 9,000-page budget.
"If we have to extend it, we have to extend it to make sure that we get everything the right way,” Rep. Swearingen said.
Rep. Swearingen and Rep. Cross said the House budget, passed in the spring, places a focus on finding for public education and supporting teachers.
"The Ohio House did some amazing things in our budget for teachers, increasing our teacher salaries to help with recruitment,” Rep. Cross said.
Meanwhile Speaker Stephens said there’s 883 differences between the House budget and the Senate budget, which was passed last Thursday. But there is still some common ground between the two chambers.
"Everyone agrees with tax cuts, and we all want the biggest tax cuts we can get,” Rep. Swearingen said.
"There's not much politics going on here we're both Republican chambers with majority control. We're just working out our differences on policy,” Rep. Cross said.
John Fortney, director of communications for the Ohio Senate Majority Caucus, in a statement, stated:
"Republican voters would be surprised to learn that a super majority of House Republicans would rather support a radical Democrat budget instead of a balanced budget that supports record tax relief and the educational choices of parents for their children. We remain committed to good faith negotiations."
Speaker Stephens said he believes the House’s hesitation in passing the deadline extension means negotiations are heading in the right direction.
"I think it’s a positive sign, and I think that, you know, we'll see, we'll be here late again tonight, and we'll see what tomorrow brings,” Speaker Stephens said.