COLUMBUS- Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D- Beachwood) released the following statement in response to Gov. Kasich's year-in-review press conference.
Once again this year the Governor talks about the need for bi-partisanship, but failed to invite the Senate or House Minority Leaders to today's press conference.
"The Governor and Republican leadership tout their financial stewardship of the state, but in fact they've been anything but responsible. They balanced the budget on the backs of our kids, by slashing funds from education, on the backs of local taxpayers, forcing local communities to place hundreds of levies on the ballot, and on the backs of those most in need of social services, by slashing funds to people who are poor, older, and disabled. They have saddled local school districts with burdensome new unfunded mandates. Governor Kasich's latest proposal to borrow more than a billion dollars of one time money against turnpike revenue is irresponsible and puts the maintenance of one of our best resources at risk. And their stewardship of our states natural resources has been irresponsible when they allow private businesses to take massive amounts of our precious water resources and big out-of-state oil companies to deposit their poisonous brine in Ohio."
"This year, as I traveled through Ohio, I heard voters consistently say that they are fed up with the hyper-partisanship and extremism of the last two years. I look forward to working cooperatively with the Governor and Republican legislative leaders on a job-focused agenda. Yet I fear that they are deaf to the message, as two of the first initiatives they have focused on following the election are the "heartbeat bill," which would essentially ban a woman's right to choose even in the cases of rape, incest or health of the mother, and a bill to defund Planned Parenthood.
"I hope the Governor will show leadership in the new year and focus instead on job creation and restore critical funds that he cut from our schools, communities, seniors, and mental health services. "
