Budget and Appropriations

Budgets and Appropriations - Ohio

Contents

Introduction
Process
Resources
Further Reading


Introduction

The budget process at the state level is very similar to that of the Federal Government and can be researched in much the same manner.  Most states (unlike the federal government) must have a balanced budget.  They cannot spend more than the state has collected in revenue through taxes and fees, etc.  States generally divide their budgets into two types: Capital and Operating.   Capital budgets cover concrete items such as building bridges and roads, equipment, land acquisition, etc.  Capital budgets are generally for a limited time period.  In some states it may also include funding to local governments and public authorities for infrastructure improvements such as economic development.  Operating Budgets on the other hand cover ongoing funding needs of the state and its agencies for such things as salaries.

In Ohio every two years, the Executive branch develops and presents to the Legislative branch a budget. Under the Ohio Constitution, no appropriation can be made for a longer period than two years.  The process begins in July of an even numbered year with the Office of Budget and Management and ends by June of the next year, with the governor signing into law the appropriate acts to fund the activities of the state for the next fiscal year.


Process

Step 1: Budget Requests
The Office of Budget and Management (OBM) in July begins the process and the affected state agencies must submit their requests by early November.

Step 2: Requests Reviewed
The OBM reviews the agencies' funding requests and, after feedback from the agencies, sends its recommendations to the Governor.

Step 3: Preliminary Recommendations
OBM working with the Governor and the Governor's staff comes up with preliminary budget recommendations based on the funding requests submitted, which in turn, are shared with the agencies involved.

Step 4: The Executive Budget
The approved funding requests are compiled as part of the Executive Budget, which includes a report on "tax expenditures" from the Department of Taxation.

Step 5: Governor Presents the Executive Budget
The Governor presents the Executive Budget to the General Assembly between January and March 15th.

Step 6: From Budget to Bill
The Legislative Service Commission turns the Executive Budget into bills which are in turn introduced in the House of Representatives.

Step 7: Committee Hearings and Revisions
The House of Representatives holds subcommittee hearings on the bills. If the subcommittees recommend changes to the bills, these changes appear as substitute bills. The substitute bills are then considered and amended by the full committee, reported, and sent to the House floor for third consideration.

Step 8: Onward to the Senate
Once passed by the House of Representatives, the bills are sent to the Senate where they are reviewed in a very similar process.

Step 9: Conference Committees
Education and main operating appropriations bills are normally sent to a conference committee. The committee holds hearings and prepares a report for the House and the Senate.

Step 10: From Bill to Act
Once both the House and the Senate agree on the wording of the bill, it becomes an act and is reviewed by the appropriate executive agencies, and finally is signed by the Governor. The Governor can veto parts of an Act, but once he signs it, it goes into effect immediately.

Like the federal budget, this process is reiterative until all the agencies, departments, etc., are funded.  Like on the Federal Level, researching state funding is a matter of locating the appropriate documents, reports, bills, newspaper articles, etc., many of which are available online.

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Resources

Acts. (The Ohio General Assembly)  Contains information on bills that both chambers of the Legislature agreed on.

Current Assemblies 131st (2015). (The Ohio Legislature General Assembly) 

Past Assemblies 122nd (1997) – 130th (2014). (The Ohio Legislature General Assembly) 

87th (1927) – 112th (1977/78). (Ohio State University Libraries)

3rd (1804) – 89th (1931). (HathiTrust)

1st (1803) - 2nd (1803). (Early American Imprints, Series II:  Shaw-Shoemaker)

Budget.  Contains information on Appropriations Bills, etc. 

133rd-134th. (Ohio Legislative Service Commission)

124th-132nd. (Ohio Legislative Service Commission – Archived Material)

1935/1936-1971/1973. (The Ohio State University. Book Depository)

1919-1959. (OhioLINK)

The Budget.  State of Ohio.  February 16, 1915 to June 30, 1915.  July 1, 1915 to June 30, 1916.  July 1, 1916 to June 30, 1917.  Ohio Budget Commission.  Columbus, Ohio:  The F. J. Heer Printing Company, 1915. 

Budget 1917-18.  Ohio Budget Commission.  Columbus, Ohio:  [F. J. Heer Print Co.?], 1917. 

Budget in Brief

1969-1971. (Ohio University)

1967-1973. (State of Ohio. Department of Finance)

1977-1983. (State of Ohio. Office of the Governor)

1996-1997. (State of Ohio. General Assembly. Legislative Budget Office)

1968-1973, 1977-1983.  (State Library of Ohio)

Budget Footnotes. Contains additional information about the budget.

v.31 (2008)-v.45 (2022). (Ohio Legislative Service Commission)

1997-2021 Incomplete. (State Library of Ohio. Digital Collection)

Catalog of Budget Line Items.  Describes the purpose, legal basis of and funding source for every line item of an agency.

1997-2021. (Ohio Legislative Service Commission) 

1994-2020 incomplete. (State Library of Ohio. Digital Collection)

1997-2019 incomplete. (State Library of Ohio) 

Digest of Enactments.  Summarizes legislation passed by the General Assembly for a given year.

1997-2020. (State of Ohio. Digital Collection) 

1997-2020. (Ohio Legislative Service Commission)

121st General Assembly (1995)-131st (2016). (Ohio State University Libraries)  Some years have supplements.  

Executive Budget of Ohio:  Together with Budget Commissioner’s Report of Revenues and Expenditures.  Columbus, Ohio:  The Governor, 1919-.   1921-1934.  Title varies slightly over time.

Greenbooks (Ohio Legislative Services Commission)  Information on an individual agency’s current enacted budget.

Hannah Capitol Connection. {Restricted Use}  Contains information on Appropriation Bills, House and Senate Reports, etc.

HatiTrust Digital Library.  (HatiTrust)  {Restricted Use}  Digital repository of books, reports, documents, etc. including budgets. 

House Journals.  (The Ohio House of Representatives)  2016- present.  Contains information on Appropriation Bills.

Journal of the House of Representatives of the … General Assembly of Ohio.  Ohio General Assembly, House of Representatives.  Columbus, Ohio:  National Graphics Corporation, [1975- ].  v.136 (1976)-v.156 (2016).

Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Ohio.  Ohio General Assembly, House of Representatives.  Chillicothe, Ohio:  The State, [1803-1972].  Incomplete holdings v.71(1807)- v.135 (1972).

Journals of the Senate and House of Representatives.  Ohio General Assembly, Senate.  Columbus, Ohio:  [ , 1973-1974].

Journal of the Senate of the State of Ohio.  Ohio General Assembly, Senate.  Zanesville, Ohio:  [The State]/Sawyer & Chambers, [1803-1972]  Incomplete holdings v.7 (1808)-v.134 (1972). 

Journals of the Senate of the … General Assembly of the State of Ohio.  Ohio General Assembly, Senate.  Columbus, Ohio:  National Graphics Corporation, [1975-].  v.135 (1974)-v.156 (2016).

Legislation Enacted by … General Assembly.  Ohio General Assembly, Legislative Service Commission.  Columbus, Ohio:  Ohio Legislative Service Commission, [1961]. 

Legislation:  Enactments, … General Assembly.  Ohio General Assembly, Legislative Service Commission.  Columbus, Ohio:  Ohio Legislative Service Commission, [1963 -1964]. 

LibWeb. (Lib-Web.org)  Links to libraries throughout the world by geographical region then library type such as public, academic, etc.

Main Operating ... – Final Budget. (Ohio Legislative Service Commission)  Current.

Newspapers. (The Ohio State University. University Libraries)  List of newspaper indices. 

Ohio General Assembly. (The Ohio Legislature)  Contains information on Appropriations Bills, Budgets, House and Senate Reports, etc.

Redbooks. (Ohio Legislative Services Commission)  Information on an individual agency’s current proposed budget.

Senate Journals. (The Ohio Senate)  Contains information on Appropriations Bills.

State Government. (USA.gov)  Links to the official website of each state, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, etc.

State Government Offices, Local US Government, City Government and Federal Government. (State and Local Government on the Net)  Links to the official websites of counties and municipalities within a state.  Select a State, then a county, etc.

State of Ohio Budgets. (State of Ohio. Office of Budget and Management) 

Capital Budgets

Operating Budgets

State of Ohio Executive Budget.  Columbus, Ohio:  The Governor, -1973.  1935-1973.  

State of Ohio Executive Budget.  Ohio Office of Budget and Management.  [Columbus, Ohio]:  Office of Budget and Management, [1975-2003].   1975-2003 

States’ Proposed & Enacted Budgets. (National Association of State Budget Officers) 

Summary of Enactments.  Ohio General Assembly, Legislative Service Commission.  Columbus, Ohio:  Ohio Legislative Service Commission, [ -1994].  107th (1967)-120th (1994).

Summary of Legislation … General Assembly.  Ohio General Assembly, Legislative Service Commission.  Columbus, Ohio:  Ohio Legislative Service Commission, [ -1960].  1951, 1956-1960.

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Further Reading

Budget Processes in the States.  Washington, D.C.:  National Association of State Budget Officers, 1975-. [Current]  [Archives]

A Guidebook for Ohio Legislators.  Chapter 8. The Ohio Budget Process.  Columbus, Ohio:  Ohio Legislative Service Commission, 2021, p.82-99.  Explanation of the budget process, and other job-related topics for new Ohio Legislators prepared by the Ohio Legislative Commission.

Legislative Process - Ohio’s State Budget Process. (Advocates for Ohio’s Future)  A brief overview of the Ohio budget process.  

Ohio Budget Process. (Disability Rights Ohio. Ohio Disability Rights Law and Policy Center, Inc.)  Summary of Ohio's budget process.

The Tax Policy Center's Briefing Book - The State of State (and Local) Tax Policy:  What are the Sources of Revenue for State Governments. (Tax Policy Center)  Contains general information on revenue streams for State Governments.

Sustaining the States:  The Fiscal Viability of American State Governments.  Marilyn Marks Rubin and  Katherine G. Willoughby (Editors)  Boca Raton, Florida:  CRS Press, 2015.  Explores the American system bottom-up system of federalism, focusing on state level budgeting and appropriation and the impact that these have on the state and national level. 

Understanding Government Budgets:  A Practical Guide.  R. Mark Musell.  2nd Edition.  Milton Park, England; New York, New York :  Routledge, 2020.  Explanation of various types budgets employed by federal, state and local governments and the information contained in each.

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