Ohio's state legislature and the governor’s office have inked a deal and passed a state budget, 17 days after the fiscal year deadline.
As part of the deal, Eastern Gateway Community College and other small Ohio community colleges will have a new funding formula that will be phased in beginning next year. The phase-in will give time for EGCC to adjust to the new funding level, so the program can continue.
Hundreds of OCSEA members and their family members who use or support Eastern Gateway wrote letters to legislators in the final weeks of budget negotiations asking them to support a robust Free College program for union members and families. OCSEA Pres. Chris Mabe said those letters made the difference.
“I want to thank all of our members and families who took the time to send letters and make calls to their legislators on this issue. It made all the difference in the world,” said Mabe.
Ohio was one of at least six states that missed their deadline to pass a balanced state budget this fiscal year, something that hadn’t occurred since the Great Recession of 2008.
Also a part of the budget deal is an across-the-board 4 percent tax cut, a one-year halt to state school takeovers and no freeze on BWC rates for employers.
A floor vote is expected today on the compromise. The package then gets sent to the Governor’s desk for his signature. It’s expected state agencies will resume normal operations as soon as possible.
Read recent OCSEA budget news:
Budget: State agencies continue to hire critical positions