LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – The Ohio House this week unveiled its version of the state’s two-year budget, which does not include Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed tax and fee increases on marijuana, tobacco and sports betting to fund various projects and tax credits.
Your News Now asked DeWine about the House’s budget plan, which diverges from his proposals. The governor expressed his desire for tax credits to support working families with children under 7, helping to offset child care costs. The House version also includes a provision for the state to issue $600 million in bonds to help fund a portion of the $2.4 billion stadium project for the Cleveland Browns.
DeWine remains hopeful that his plan to double the tax on sports betting companies to finance new professional stadium projects will be reconsidered, aiming to avoid using money from the state’s general fund.
“We love our sports. We want to keep these teams in Ohio. And the best way to do it, frankly, is these out-of-state companies that are making hundreds of millions of dollars from Ohioans every year on sports gaming, let them pay a little more. And so the person who's gambling, watching the Reds on TV and decides they want to gamble, they can still do that, and that money is not going to come from them. That money is going to come rather from these out-of-state companies, gaming companies, that are making so much money. So let's charge them a higher fee. Take that money and put that into the sports stadiums. We also propose to put that into youth sports to help our young people. And all that money will be money that we're not getting now, and money that, frankly, is not will not be coming out of the general fund,” DeWine said.
The Ohio House is expected to vote on its version of the budget in the coming days before sending it to the Ohio Senate for revisions.
