Ohio Senate PASSES Pro-Family Budget!
COLUMBUS—Last night, the Ohio Senate passed a state budget that strengthens families, protects children, and restores common sense to public policy in Ohio.
“For too long, our government institutions have undermined parental rights, ignored biological reality, and prioritized ideological agendas over the well-being of our kids. The Senate's budget draft puts parents back in the driver’s seat, protects children from harmful agendas, and affirms foundational truths that should have never been up for debate,” said David Mahan, Policy Director at Center for Christian Virtue.
“From safeguarding children from obscene content in libraries to affirming the biological reality of male and female to empowering families, this is the most pro-family, pro-parent budget we’ve seen in years.”
Key provisions in the Senate's budget include:
Enacting a 2.75% flat tax
Commissioning THC reporting and research
Creating a $5 million grant for ultrasound machines at pregnancy resource centers
Including the Success Sequence curriculum in public schools
Providing funding for Ohio Adolescent Health Centers (OAHC)
Banning student cell phone use during the public school day
Establishing minimum instructional hours for religious released time programs, such as LifeWise Academy and School Ministries Ohio
Funding the Responsible Fatherhood Initiative
Removing obscene materials from children’s sections in public libraries
Requiring transparent abortion reporting, including earlier and more detailed disclosures
Banning the use of Medicaid funds for DEI initiatives
Prohibiting taxpayer funding for gender transition promotion, including in youth shelters and mental health services
“We commend Senate leadership for prioritizing the needs of Ohio families over activist interests,” Mahan added. “This budget is a decisive step toward restoring what matters most: truth, freedom, and the fundamental role of the family in our society. We urge the conference committee and Governor DeWine to stand strong in support of these reforms.”
What's next?
Yesterday evening, the budget returned to the House for a “concurrence vote” to approve the Senate’s changes, but the members did not concur.
The budget is now in conference committee, where members from both chambers negotiate a final version. Once agreed, both the House and Senate must pass the final budget before it reaches Governor DeWine, who can use his line-item veto power to strike specific provisions.
The budget must be signed into law by June 30.
For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or contact@ccv.org. For media inquiries, email media@ccv.org.
As Ohio's largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
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