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HungerNetOhio #6.6
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| TO | Advocates for reducing hunger |
| FROM | Hunger Network in Ohio |
| ABOUT | First Not Losing and then Building upon House Gains for Impoverished Ohioans |
Last
week, the Ohio House of Representatives did their part to pass onto the
Senate balanced budget recommendations, adding more humane provisions
to the one they had received from the Governor. Heeding you who
advocated for the most desperate Ohioans (see HungerNetOhio # 6.5: “No
Food for the Kids. What Do You Say? WHAT WE CAN DO!”), they raised
funding for the foodbanks an additional $12 million, retained Benefit
Banks, and replaced $50 million of the $193 million previously lost
from the Department of Jobs and family services.
With that Amended Substitute HB 1 passing on April 29 on a party line
vote of 53-45 (Democratic majority), now the Senate will enact its own
version (likely also reflecting political allegiances which are 21-12
Republican). Then, after a joint Conference Committee resolves
differences between the two Houses, a final passage is due by June 30th.
If my civics is correct and they can't agree or the Governor decides to
tinker with line-item appropriations and the Houses can't override his
veto (2/3rds vote required), the process begins again. The budget is
forced back to Conference Committees and two Houses to come up with
recommendations accommodating the Governor's objections. In that case,
the State will continue to operate under this previous year's
allocations until a new, balance budget is approved by all. Although
this might seem farfetched, given the collision of differences this
budget has brought out, you never know.
Here's where--and why--the “plot thickenith.” Based on rosier
recent state income tax projections, the House overestimated the amount
of money they could spend. And now Senate leaders say they must
cut at least $1 billion from the new two-year state operating budget in
the wake of a continuingly dreadful downturn in collections.
Human service advocates worry that this is likely just the
beginning. More expected cuts could especially decimate programs
for those least able to endure addition deprivation such as food
pantries and already depleted staff at county offices with
responsibilities to register and service low income families and
individuals.
So the statehouse is current the scene of much gnashing of teeth,
through which comes little mincing of words. Like “Help!”
"Everything
accomplished in the House with health and human services would be gone
and we'd be back to the point of jeopardizing the lives and well being
of Ohio's most vulnerable citizens." That's a worse-case scenario drawn
by Gayle Channing Tenenbaum, co-chairwoman of the Campaign to Protect
Ohio's Future, a coalition of health, human-services and education
organizations.
Behind the Current Crunch
This is because of a historic free-fall in income-tax revenue has Ohio
facing a shortfall of $600 million to more than $900 million in the
current state budget. With only weeks before the fiscal year ends
June 30, state leaders have little choice but to tap some or all of the
state's $948 million rainy-day fund to plug the gap -- money that was
planned to be use to help balance the next two-year budget, which will
take effect July 1.
The Senate is now faced with trying to pare down the House-backed $54
billion budget which used more optimistic revenue estimates to help
them spend $622 million more than the Administration had
proposed. Now Senate leaders say the only option they'll consider
is to cut deep.
Advocates for the disadvantaged fear Ohio's neediest residents will
bear the brunt of the reductions. Likely driven back to "bare
essentials," expenditure cuts will start with $1 billion and likely go
further when new and predictably lower revenue estimates are presented
to lawmakers in mid-June.
The Governor already made three rounds of budget cuts and accounting
adjustments to the current budget totaling $1.9 billion. He recently
ordered more agency spending restrictions as the state has continued in
recent months to collect revenue short of estimates that were revised
just before Christmas.
Total state tax receipts through March were about $200 million short of
estimates, and total income-tax collections for April alone were $322
million, or 22 percent lower than projections.
Income taxes account for about 45 percent of all state revenue, and
Ohio has lost nearly 270,000 jobs from the beginning of last year
through March.
As the cleaver replaces the scalpel as the tool of choice for
legislators cutting the budget to a constitutionally-mandated balance,
advocates must work with and on behalf of those who've most to suffer.
Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee
(Republican or Democrat-Senate District #)
R-17 Sen. John Carey (Chair) 614.466-8156; sd17@senate.state.oh.us
R-02 Sen. Mark Wagoner (Vice Chair) 614.466.8060; ds02@senate.state.oh.us
R-04 Sen. Gary Cates 614.466.8072; sd04@senate.state.oh.us
R-12 Sen. Keith Faber 614.466.7584; sd12@senate.state.oh.us
D-23 Sen. Dale Miller (Ranking Minority) 614.466.5123; dmiller@maild.sen.state.oh.us
D-15 Sen. Ray Miller 614.466.5131; rmiller@maild.sen.state.oh.us
R-13 Sen. Tom Niehaus 614.466.8082; tom.niehaus@senate.state.oh.us
R-24 Sen. Thomas Patton 614.466.8056; senate_district_24@senate.state.oh.us
R-08 Sen. Bill Seitz 614.466.8068; sd08@senate.state.oh.us
D-21 Sen. Shirley Smith 614.466.4857; senatorsmith@maild.sen.state.oh.us
R-20 Sen. Jimmy Stewart 614.466.8076; sd20@senate.state.oh.us
R-10 Sen. Chris Widener 614.466.3780; sd10@senate.state.oh.us
D-30 Sen. Jason Wilson 614.466.6508; SenatorWilson@maild.sen.state.oh.us
Public Testimony on House Bill 1, Human Services, etc.
Friday, May 15, 2009; 9:30 am
Wednesday, May 20, 2009; 9:30 am and again After Session
Thursday, May 21, 2009; 9:30 am and again at 1:30 pm
Friday, May 22, 2009 9:30 am (If Needed)
Amendments Due to the Chairman's Office by 12:00pm (Noon)
Tuesday, May 26, 2009; 9:30 am (Introduction of Sub Bill in
Committee- No
Testimony)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009; 9:30 am and again after Session
Thursday, May 28, 2009;9:30 am and again at 1:30 pm
Friday, May 29, 2009 (Amendments Due to the Chairman's Office by Noon)
PRIMARY REFERENCES AND LINKS
To locate your state senator: http://www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/
“Ohio's budget is moving faster toward disaster” by The editors; May
07, 2009:
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/05/ohios_budget_is_moving_faster.html
“Big hole: State income tax revenues plunged dramatically in April.
Will the governor and lawmakers now make the responsible choice?” May
07, 2009:
http://www.ohio.com/editorial/opinions/44513367.html
“Hunger closing in on many Ohio kids: Nearly a quarter under 5 on
'brink'” By Catherine Candisky, May 8, 2009; THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH:
ccandisky@dispatch.com
“Governor Ted Strickland told of tax revenue shortfall a day before
House vote, budget chief says Strickland told the day before vote” by
Aaron Marshall; May 08, 2009; Cleveland Plain Dealer:
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1241771468304430.xml&coll=2
“New budget hole worries agencies: Social service groups could lose recent gains” by Jim Provance; May 07, 2009; Toledo Blade:
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090507/NEWS24/905070367
“Tax shortfall to widen state budget hole” by Jim Siegal, May 8, 2009; THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH:
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/05/08/ohbudget08.ART_ART_05-08-09_B1_LODPV56.html?sid=101
“Budget gap likely to hit Ohio's poor: GOP senators say 'no sacred
cows' in $1 billion cuts” by Mark Niquette; THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH:
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/05/06/budget_hole.ART_ART_05-06-09_A1_PSDP7N8.html?sid=101
One in Four Young Children Live at Risk of Hunger in Ohio: Report finds
more than 23 percent of Ohio children under the age of five are food
insecure; Child Food Insecurity report; c/o Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, May 7,
2009; Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks: www.oashf.org
“FY 2010 - FY 2011 State Budget: The Out-of-Balance House_ Version” by
Richard Sheridan. Center for Community Solutions:_
https://www.communitysolutions.com/images/upload/resources/sbmv5n9.pdf
[haho] New Unemployment Claims Alarmingly High and Accelerating in Ohio by George Zeller; May 7, 2009; George Zeller:
http://www.nacs.net/~georgez/newclaims050209.pdf
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