State Budget update

Just minutes before the midnight deadline on June 30, Governor Kasich signed House Bill (HB) 49 to fund state government from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019. Prior to signing the two-year main operating budget bill into law, he line-item vetoed 47 provisions. Fortunately the language temporarily setting the Public Library Fund (PLF) at 1.68 percent of the state's General Revenue Fund (GRF) was NOT vetoed and became effective immediately. The temporary language reduces by half the more than $7 million cut in FY 2018 originally proposed by Governor Kasich. We wish to thank Senate President Larry Obhof and Senate Majority Floor Leader Randy Gardner for their strong support of Ohio's public libraries in HB 49. This was a very difficult state budget process.