New Speaker of the House Bill Batchelder says the state `will' balance its budget, and suggests painful cuts will be required.
But the Republican told a Cleveland City Club audience that legislators don't have the option to boost state taxes much higher, being aware how much residents here already pay in additional local income taxes, unlike residents in 46 other states.
BILL BATCHELDER(R) Medina:
"We have less state control over the state budget than any other area because of the Home Rule provisions that allow, even encourage, county, state and local government to undertake the passage of these taxes."
It's that `combined' load he says taxpayers rebel against, which means Ohio ultimately has less to spend on items states traditionally fund.
New House Minority Leader Armond Budish echoed more of a traditional Democratic call, saying that even while the balanced budget is a mandate - there is still spending elected officials will refuse to reduce.
ARMOND BUDISH (D) Beachwood:
"We have to maintain funding adequately for higher education, or we lose our most precious resource, our kids. We cannot cut mental health services any more. We have cut to the bone."
Batchelder and Budish appeared together at the City Club of Cleveland earlier today.
