House Speaker Says He Backs Strickland’s Tax Plan

COLUMBUS, Ohio—House Speaker Armond Budish said Friday he agrees with the governor’s plan to suspend the final year of a planned 4.2 percent income tax cut, a move that would help fill a $850 million budget hole.

Democrats who control the House will also call for a 5 percent salary cut for state lawmakers to show a shared sacrifice, Budish said. Hearings on the bill could begin as early as next week.

Gov. Ted Strickland, also a Democrat, called for suspending the tax cut last month after the Ohio Supreme Court halted his plan to raise revenue by putting lottery slot machines at racetracks. The court said the lottery plan would require voter approval.

Budish said the House bill would keep the tax freeze in place until 2011.

“I believe that Ohioans will look at what we’ve done and recognize this is the right approach at this time,“ Budish said.

Republican leaders who control the Senate have not indicated whether they support suspending the income tax cut.

Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, he said he’s anxious to see details of the House bill and acknowledged that making deeper spending cuts as a way to balance the budget would be difficult.

“I’m reminded as I trim the toenails of my dogs, that if you get too close to the quick, that blood oozes out pretty fast,“ he said.

Harris has not characterized Strickland’s tax plan as a tax increase, though other Republicans have. Strickland has portrayed his proposal as freezing the tax rates at 2008 levels.


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