CTU Brothers & Sisters,
If you read my update from Friday, you know that Governor DeWine line item vetoed several provisions in HB 96, the Ohio budget. Speaker Huffman – and other extremists in the legislature – are trying to override three of the line item vetoes that are important to public education. The three line items that the House will be voting on include:
- Item 55: Would allow county budget commissions to single-handedly reduce a levy approved by voters. This undermines the will of the voters and takes away a district’s local governing authority.
- Item 65: Would weaken a school district’s ability to keep up with rising costs. The “20 mill floor” is a safety valve that buffers districts against the effects of inflation. Changes to the 20-mill floor will especially harm small, rural districts and make it more likely that school districts go into fiscal emergency. According to the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, this item would mean that approximately 200 districts will “essentially have no mechanism to deal with inflation.
- Item 66: Would deprive school districts of important tools to make up the gaps from a lack of state funds. It would eliminate certain kinds of levies (including replacement property tax levies, fixed-sum emergency, substitute emergency levies, and combined school district income tax and fixed-sum property tax levies). These levies are important tools for school districts to maintain long-term financial stability.
We have an updated list of just 5 targeted House representatives to call and email. The message is simple: “I want my local school district to have local control and am asking you to vote NO on overriding line items 55, 65, and 66. Anything other than this will devastate our local school district and the kids and families they support.”
We also have a list of important Senate members to contact. IF the House gets 60 votes on Monday, then the Senate is scheduled to vote on Tuesday, July 22, so we encourage you not to wait to make these four calls as well.
When you are done making these nine calls please forward this email to friends and family members to take action. These provisions will make it difficult for any public K-12 district to raise money moving forward. If you value your job, and you value public education for Ohio’s children, please take the time to make these nine calls.
In Union,
Shari
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