6/19/07 Senate Unanimously Approves State Budget
In a vote of 33-0, the Ohio Senate last week approved its version of the state's biennial budget. The Senate version keeps public library funding at a level similar to that proposed by the Governor and House of Representatives – roughly 2.2% of the General Revenue Fund. The Senate, however, kept the Library and Local Government Support Fund (LLGSF) as the name of the fund rather than changing it to the proposed Local Libraries Fund (LLF).
The OLC submitted an amendment requesting that the new public library funding begin with the state's fiscal year on July 1, 2007 and that public libraries and local governments receive an initial increase of as much as $36 million to help offset funding loses since 2002. However, the Senate did not adopt the amendment.
The budget now moves to conference committee where the differences with the House version will be resolved. Following approval by the House and Senate, the final budget will be sent to the Governor for his signature by the end of the month.
