COLUMBUS, Ohio — There was good news in state budget director Tim Keen's assessment of Ohio's future revenue numbers Wednesday, but it didn't exactly set off any cartwheeling in the halls of the Statehouse.
While Keen predicted that Ohio would have about 425ドル million more flowing into state coffers in 2012 and 2013 than Gov. John Kasich's budget estimated, he said that Medicaid caseload projections used by Senate lawmakers were too low and canceled out any extra money.
"The General Assembly has pre-spent most of the revenue I have forecast today," Keen said. More specifically, Keen said lawmakers will have only about 18ドル million extra to spend in the 55ドル.7 billion general revenue fund if they use his estimates.
Keen delivered the news at the first meeting of the state budget conference committee working to iron out scores of differences in the versions of the state budget passed by the House May 5 and the Senate on June 8.
Keen also told the lawmakers that revenues in this fiscal year -- which ends June 30 -- will exceed original projections by about 1ドル billion.
Because there are leftover bills from the previous administration and other spending the Kasich administration wants to do, Keen said only 325ドル million will be left in surplus. He suggested that money should be kept in the state's rainy day fund, and Republican legislative leaders have said in recent weeks they agree.
But the lobbying for extra dollars will begin anyway. "Oh, there is a going to be a lot of jockeying," said House Finance Chairman Rep. Ron Amstutz, a Wooster Republican on the budget panel.
Sen. Michael Skindell, a Lakewood Democrat, said he wants to use a chunk of the 325ドル million surplus on human services programs hit hard in the budget such as food banks, mental health services and adult protective services. "I believe there are still unmet needs ... that aren't big expenses," he said.
Along with Skindell, the Senate is represented by Senate Finance Chairman Sen. Chris Widener, a Springfield Republican, and Sen. Shannon Jones, a Springboro Republican.
Along with Amstutz, the House members on the committee are Rep. John Carey, a southern Ohio Republican, and Rep. Vernon Sykes, an Akron Democrat.
Lawmakers expect to approve the work of the conference committee and send it to Gov. John Kasich's desk for his signature in time to meet a June 30 deadline.
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