PLF update
"The
conference report on House Bill (HB) 64, the state’s two year main operating
budget bill, was adopted on a 4-2 party-line vote at about 2:30a.m. this
morning. The Senate is expected to
approve the report later today and the House will vote tomorrow.
Rep. Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell), Sen.
Scott Oelslager (R-N. Canton), Sen. Bill Coley (R-Liberty Township) and Rep.
Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) voted for the report.
Sen. Mike Skindell (D-Lakewood) and Rep. Denise Driehaus (D-Cincinnati)
voted against the report.
PLF
– The Conference
Committee kept the language increasing the PLF percentage to 1.7% of the total
General Revenue Fund (GRF). This is a
huge success because anything can happen in Conference Committee. However, they chose not to include a
provision guaranteeing us the actual dollar amounts estimated in the budget
documents.
Tax
Package – The
Conference Committee made a few changes as they worked out the differences
between the House and Senate tax proposals.
They kept the 6.3% across the board personal income tax cut and revised the
small-business income tax cut and cigarette tax. Under the revised small business tax cut, business
owners would receive a 75-percent income-tax reduction on
their first $250,000 of net income for the 2015 tax year. In tax year 2016, they would pay no state
income tax at all on their first $250,000 of income.
Any income beyond $250,000 would be taxed at a flat rate of
3 percent under the budget plan. As for
cigarettes, they reduced the proposed per-pack cigarette tax hike from 40 to 35
cents..."
--Michelle Francis, Director of Government and Legal Services, Ohio Library Council
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