By now, a lot has been said about the Mid-Biennium Review. Every two years, the state Legislature outlines a budget that the state will operate under until the next budget is presented. This was achieved last year within House Bill 153, but in an effort to address both the positives and negatives of the budget and make necessary improvements, Governor Kasich last month proposed that a review process be conducted, which he called the Mid-Biennium Review.
The governor’s bill totaled 2,833 pages, certainly a major undertaking for anyone tasked with combing through it. Therefore, in an effort to simplify the process and ensure that each portion of the MBR receives ample attention and debate, the House Finance Committee decided to split it into 10 separate bills.
This action also allows the House to separate the bills into issue-specific committees, to be analyzed by legislators who have relevant knowledge and experience regarding certain parts of the legislation. For example, the portion of the MBR dealing with veterans services will be discussed in the House Veterans Affairs Committee and a part of the bill dealing with traffic will be delegated to the House Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
The governor’s proposal included a number of innovative ideas that I believe will continue the pattern we have seen in Ohio of job creation and economic development. I also have confidence that the final product, once it faces votes in committees and on the House floor, will be one that further boosts the private sector and makes government operate in a more efficient, less costly way.
If you have any questions or ideas about the Mid-Biennium Review or any other piece of legislation moving through the Ohio House of Representatives, I encourage you to contact my office and I would be glad to discuss these matters further.
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