Ohio House Bill 168 Signed By Governor To Free Up "American Rescue Plan Act" Funds

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(COLUMBUS)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill that will invest $2.2 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into Ohio’s future.

“House Bill 168 addresses some of the most fundamental responsibilities that we share as public servants — the health of our children and the economic strength of our state,” said Governor DeWine. “The actions that we took over the past year, including cutting state spending, freezing state hiring, and leaving the Rainy Day Fund untouched allow us to direct these recovery funds into forward-looking investments that position Ohio for a stronger post-COVID future. By paying off the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund loan to the federal government, our businesses won’t experience large increases in their federal unemployment payroll taxes, and instead can focus on investing this money in their businesses and employees.”

The bill, sponsored by State Representative Mark Fraizer (R-Newark) and Mike Loychik (R-Bazetta), does the following:

Invests $84 million in a pediatric behavioral health initiative administered by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Funds will increase Ohio’s capacity for youth behavioral health services and increase access and quality of care across all regions of the state.
Invests $250 million to establish a water and sewer quality program administered by the Ohio Department of Development. The program will provide grants to identify and invest in Ohio’s most critical infrastructure needs.
Invests $422 million in more than 2,000 local governments in Ohio that have yet to receive direct funding from the federal government to support recovery from the pandemic.
Repays a loan of approximately $1.5 billion to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund that was needed during the pandemic to pay unemployment benefits. Prompt repayment of this loan will prevent Ohio businesses from experiencing large increases in their federal unemployment payroll taxes.

“When COVID-19 came to our state, unemployment hit a record high, which in turn drained our unemployment insurance fund,” said Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. “Governor DeWine’s signature on this bill removes the heavy burden on businesses to repay that loan so they can spend their hard-earned dollars on other priorities, such as hiring more employees and making updates to their facilities.”

Ahead of the June 30 budget deadline, Dayton Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley is calling on Governor DeWine to use his line-item veto power as Governor and rid Ohio’s budget of several extreme provisions that would negatively impact Ohioans.

Among the provisions Mayor Whaley is calling on Governor DeWine to veto are:

New restrictions directly aimed at closing two abortion clinics. Both Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio in Mount Auburn and Women’s Med in Kettering would be negatively impacted and likely have to close if these restrictions are signed into law.

A conscious clause where doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies can refuse services if it conflicts with their personal beliefs. This provision could open women seeking health care and LGBTQ individuals, among others, up to discrimination and refusal of medical services across the state.

A provision that would give sole ability to Republican leaders to intervene in redistricting cases. This flies in the face of the Ohio Redistricting Commission that voters have approved in recent years.

“Ohioans can be grateful that some of the Republicans’ worst ideas, for school funding and quality preschool, were left out of the final budget. Ohio deserves better than ‘it could be worse,’ though. There remain provisions in this bill that Governor DeWine has a responsibility to eliminate.

“To sign into law a bill that could deny women and LGBTQ Ohioans access to medical care and to further politicize what is supposed to be a bipartisan redistricting process go against the best interests of our state. That’s why I’m calling on Governor DeWine to line-item veto these disastrous provisions,” said Nan Whaley. “We’ve seen in the past that DeWine has refused, or been unable, to stand up to the extremes in his party – I’m hopeful that, for once, he’ll put Ohioans first rather than party politics.”