The House set plans to hear the first crop of mid-biennium review legislation this week, as well as the capital appropriations budget, following last week’s broad introduction to Gov. John Kasich’s latest policy push.
Rep. Jeff McClain (R-Upper Sandusky) introduced the whole MBR package as HB472 last week, but it is expected to be parceled out by topic to about a dozen committees. Legislative leaders hope to share full details on how the proposals will be carved up on Tuesday.
House Finance and Appropriations Committee scheduled testimony from the administration at Wednesday’s hearing on two yet-to-be-introduced bills addressing MBR topics. Rep. Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster), the committee chairman, will sponsor legislation on the appropriations changes Kasich proposed. Rep. Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville), chairman of the committee’s Higher Education Subcommittee, will sponsor the higher education proposals.
The long-awaited capital budget, sponsored by Amstutz, is scheduled for hearings in House Finance and Appropriations on both Tuesday and Wednesday, pending introduction and referral.
Tax reform provisions are expected to stay in House Ways and Means Committee, where Budget Director Tim Keen led off initial testimony on the MBR last week. McClain, that committee’s chairman, said last week he foresees tax changes being addressed in up to three bills, one on severance taxes, a second on other taxes, and a third on tax administration changes. McClain said he expects the HB375 (Huffman), House Republican’s previous severance tax proposals, to remain the vehicle for oil-and-gas tax measures.