Gov. Mike DeWine Signs State Transportation Budget Bill

By Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland.com

Gov. Mike DeWine signed the state transportation budget bill on Wednesday, sending billions of dollars to the state’s network of roads and highways and funding the Ohio Department of Transportation and other road-related state agencies over the next two years.

The bill, passed unanimously by the House and Senate earlier this month, includes:

• $318 million for highway safety projects
• $2.6 billion for state roads
• $2.4 billion for local roads
• $74 million annually for public transit agencies
• $8 million in Ohio EPA grants for electric vehicle charging stations

The budget bill also funds ODOT, the state Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

DeWine signed the bill with no public ceremony, instead announcing it through a news release. As a budget bill, DeWine could have made line-item vetoes but he did not announce any.

“This budget ensures that we can continue to maintain and invest in Ohio’s roadways,” he said in a statement. “Ohio’s transportation system continues to be a critical part of our economy, moving materials and people safely across our state. This budget advances our commitment to invest in state and locally-maintained roadways.”

The bill lacks key elements that DeWine had backed, after Republican lawmakers removed them during the review process.

Legislators stripped out a proposal from DeWine that would have imposed tougher penalties for people convicted of distracted driving violations. They also blocked a DeWine-backed measure that would have increased vehicle fees to help fund the state Highway Patrol.

And, they reversed cuts the DeWine administration proposed for state funding for public transportation, dramatically increasing transit funding from the $7.3 million in the original version of the bill.

India Birdsong, CEO and General Manager of the Greater Cleveland RTA, issued a statement thanking DeWine for signing the bill, which she said would help give its customers access to their jobs and health-care appointments.

“With the passage of this bill, Ohio is investing in its future. With his support for public transit, the Governor is demonstrating a commitment to mobility, equity, and access for all,” Birdsong said.

Notably, the bill was signed on time. DeWine signed the current budget bill on April 3, 2019, three days past the March 31 legal deadline after talks between Republican legislative leaders broke down over a proposed increase in the state’s gas tax.