COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio House Republicans have overridden one of Gov. Mike DeWine's school-related vetoes in order, they say, to provide property tax relief to homeowners. Educators have opposed any overrides, arguing that they harm their ability to function effectively.
"They have basically taken the local voters out of the decision-making tree," Cleveland Heights School Board member Dan Heintz said.
House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) wanted to propose three provisions for override, but he submitted only one, Number 66, which pertains to school district property tax levy restrictions.
The provision that was overridden
In the two-year state operating budget, DeWine vetoed restrictions on the ability to put emergency levies on the ballot or request an increase to a current levy. That provision eliminated levy replacements on property taxes for all political subdivisions.
Heintz says the outcome of Monday's vote means massive school cuts are coming. Districts now will no longer be able to put emergency or substitute levies on the ballot, or request an increase to a current levy.
"We're looking at cutting programming, cutting the number of teaching staff, teachers and also closing buildings," Heintz said.
State Rep. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) led the override vote, saying it's essential to provide property tax relief to homeowners.
"End confusing tools that make it just easier for our homeowners to continue to increase and increase and increase their burden," Thomas said.
However, Monday's House action was not enough for Beth Blackmarr. She and her coalition, Citizens for Property Tax Reform, argued that it does not provide actual property tax relief.
"We can't live like this anymore," Blackmarr said. "We can't have property taxes double and triple with no relief."
Advocates questioned why Huffman made the lawmakers come back from recess to deliver so little.
"The legislators are doing nothing to address the injustice of taxing people out of their homes," said Brian Massie, who works with Blackmarr.
Not overridden
While a Republican super-majority was successful in overriding the school-related veto, there were not enough votes to override other provisions, GOP leadership told News 5.
One would have allowed counties to take money from schools. The proposed override would have required that emergency and substitute tax levies, incremental growth levies, conversion levies, and the property tax portion of combined income tax and property tax levies be included in the 20-mill floor calculation for school funding purposes.
The governor also removed a provision that would have changed state funding calculations, allowing county budget commissions to unilaterally reduce funds allocated to passed school levies if they deemed it "reasonably necessary."
"Will you be returning, when you come back in the fall, to do the other veto overrides? Why were those not successful today?" I asked Huffman.
"I frankly think [members] were getting bad information from locals about what those would do," Huffman said, adding that there were several absences. "It's my expectation that we will take veto overrides on those two and likely some others also."
The Senate will have to weigh in before the override is finalized. However, if it is successful, it may disappoint some property tax-cutting advocates because it will not lower property taxes; instead, it will make them harder to raise.
Last week, DeWine said that lawmakers have the right to override him, as he has already made his point:
RELATED: Ohio GOP makes last-minute effort to secure votes to override Gov. DeWine's school-specific vetoes
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