Governor vetoes property tax relief provisions

SANDUSKY — Gov. Mike DeWine issued a whopping 67 line-item vetoes of the new state budget, and local state lawmakers are unhappy with some of them and vowing a veto override. The governor's vetoes of measures designed to provide property tax relief drew plenty of criticism. Any of DeWine's vetoes can be overridden by a three-fifths majority in both the House and the Senate, 60 out of 99 House members and 20 out of 33 Senate members, who would have to vote to cancel DeWine's veto. The vote can be taken anytime during the current session, so state lawmakers have plenty of time. Taxes The governor vetoed a provision allowing counties to cut school levies when a local school district carries over more than 40% of its general fund expenditures. Critics had complained that the measure punishes school districts for being fiscally responsible. DeWine also vetoed a provision altering how the 20-mill floor is calculated. That provision was designed to slow down property tax increases that hadn't been approved by voters. "The DeWine-Tressel administration recognizes the great need for property tax reform in Ohio and will convene a working group that will include legislators, agency officials, school officials, community members and property tax experts to ensure this critical topic is given the attention deserved," DeWine wrote in his veto message. DeWine also vetoed a provision that would have banned local governments from seeking replacement property tax levies and blocked school districts from seeking fixed-sum emergency levies, substitute emergency levies and combined school district income tax and fixed-sum property tax levies. That would have eliminated "important tools" for school districts, DeWine wrote. DeWine also vetoed an item allowing county budget commissions to reduce levies under certain circumstances that were passed for school districts or other taxing entities. "The veto of substantive property tax reform is a major mistake," said state Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron. "Ohio needs substantive property tax reform, and the veto of the reforms in the budget causes real harm to that end." Added state Rep. Kellie Deeter, R-Norwalk, "I am deeply disappointed that meaningful property tax reform measures were struck from the final version. Ohioans are demanding relief now, not more delays. We do not need another work group or study committee." Deeter said she does not oppose one of DeWine's vetoes. "I would prefer not to cap the cash carryover at 40% of all of those items," she said. "That is the one that I will struggle with if an override is proposed." State Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, said DeWine "habitually listens to the wrong people." "He appears tone deaf to the cries of the people for property tax relief," Click said. State Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, also spoke out against the vetoes. "I'm disappointed that the governor vetoed 67 provisions in this budget and particularly that he vetoed the property tax provisions at a time when people are demanding reform," Gavarone said. "The budget provisions created greater transparency and greater local authority and were largely reflective of an extensive property tax report which was issued last fall." Click also faulted some of the governor's other vetoes. DeWine vetoed a provision that would have required public libraries to put books related to sexual orientation or gender identity or expression out of the view of persons under 18. The Ohio Library Council had asked DeWine to veto the provision. "No child should have access to inappropriate materials or to materials that their parents or guardians deem inappropriate," DeWine wrote. "In Ohio, we have strong laws on obscenity and material harmful to juveniles, and the DeWine-Tressel Administration expects those laws to be enforced." The governor also vetoed a new savings account program for students attending nonchartered nonpublic schools. And he vetoed a ban on using eminent domain to acquire property for recreational trails. "Because Ohio law prohibits bike riding on sidewalks, recreational trails are a safer alternative for cyclists who would otherwise be forced to ride in the street," DeWine wrote. "According to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, since 2020, nearly 900 Ohio bicyclists were either killed or seriously injured in traffic crashes with automobiles." Browns funding approved In one notable non-veto, DeWine allowed the budget bill to retain $600 million for the proposed new domed Cleveland Browns stadium in Brook Park, located just outside Cleveland's city limits and near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Swearingen had hoped the governor would veto the provision. The governor also let stand a provision allowing tourism bureaus to spend bed tax money on economic development, public safety and infrastructure, so long as that spending is related to tourism. Gavarone had inserted the amendment into the budget bill. Here are some of the governor's other vetoes: • DeWine axed a provision that would have weakened his H2Ohio clean water program by banning the use of H2Ohio money to buy land or conservation easements. "Conservation easements and land acquisitions are an important tool for key partners such as local governments, nonprofit organizations and others to improve water quality and provide recreation opportunities. This item would significantly curtail the effectiveness of the H2Ohio initiative's work to improve water quality throughout the state," DeWine wrote. • DeWine also vetoed a measure to ban state money from being spent on youth homeless shelters to "promote or affirm social gender transition." The governor said he agrees that homeless shelters should not promote social gender transition but said the ban goes too far. "The reality is that a homeless child has been through a horrible experience and likely needs to be met where that child is at emotionally. If a shelter has to call a homeless youth a pronoun that is incongruent with that youth's gender to get that person into a shelter so the child won't freeze to death, it needs to be done without fear of getting funding clawed back. No Ohio youth should be denied shelter from a facility that receives state funds," DeWine wrote. DeWine let stand other provisions opposed by the LGBTQ+ community. State law will now ban using Medicaid for mental health services to "promote or affirm gender transition." Also, menstrual products are now banned from the men's restrooms of public buildings. • The budget bill would have required school board candidates to run as partisan members of political parties, but DeWine axed that, too. "Local school boards and (educational service center) governing boards have historically been nonpartisan offices, and this has served the interests of students and communities well," DeWine wrote. "This provision could also have a chilling effect on potential candidates who do not want to run for partisan office but are otherwise well-suited and well-qualified to serve on their local school board. Moreover, making these positions partisan offices would prohibit classified local employees from seeking these offices, potentially eliminating strong candidates," he added. The president of Sandusky's school board, Martha Murray, said she supports DeWine's decision. "I am pleased that Gov. DeWine vetoed the requirement that makes seats on school boards a partisan issue. Education in Ohio has always been non-partisan and it should remain so. Boards of education should stay focused on the needs of children and their futures," Murray said. She added: "Reducing school board races to partisan politics would create a focus on the candidate's political party and not focus on the candidate's experience and knowledge of a school district's educational goals. It would also make it more difficult to encourage good, qualified people to run." Measures affecting newspapers Several measures in the proposed budget would have affected newspapers. Three proposed measures sought to repeal sales tax exemptions historically granted to newspapers, local news consumers and businesses who advertise with newspapers. Two of the three provisions were vetoed by DeWine: • A measure that would have repealed a sales tax exemption on newspaper purchases and subscriptions. • A measure that would have repealed a sales tax exemption on printing supplies used in newspapers. "Newspapers serve a critical role in our society to inform the public about important issues, allow for civic engagement and discourse, and help bolster local communities," DeWine wrote. "Revoking the existing sales and use tax exemptions on these forms of media is unnecessary and will reduce civil discourse in our state." Meanwhile, it appears a third provision seeking to repeal a sales tax exemption on certain forms of print advertising — including newspaper inserts, coupons and flyers — was not vetoed by DeWine.