Ohio lawmakers increase library money but nix funding formula guarantee| Reporters Roundtable

Ohio libraries will get more funding under the House's budget, which was passed Wednesday. That after intense backlash over proposed library funding cuts prompted lawmakers to reconsider. Still, there's big worry about future budgets because lawmakers refused to restore the method of funding libraries in place since the Celeste administration of earmarking a set percentage of the General Revenue Fund for libraries in every budget. What will that mean for future library funding? The budget passed 60 to 39 without any support from Democrats and with five Republicans voting against it. The House budget includes the $600 million in 30-year state-backed bonds requested by the Haslam Sports Group to help fund a new domed Browns stadium complex in Brook Park. There was a last-minute push by Republicans to cut the funding, but it fell short. An amendment, though, forced the Browns to sweeten their insurance against failure by putting up $50 million instead of $30 million. We will begin Friday’s “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” with a discussion of the House budget and the various changed made to it before it passed onto the Ohio Senate.