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Weekend Budget Talks Expected For Conference Committee

State budget director Tim Keen (standing, center) testifying before the Budget Conference Committee at the Statehouse. (Karen Kasler/Statehouse Bureau)

A Republican-dominated committee is expected to work all weekend to smooth out differences in the House and Senate budgets - both of which cut income taxes. Statehhouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports they're starting the process by hearing from critics.

Conference committee member Rep. Denise Driehaus, a Democrat of Cincinnati, says she has lots of concerns about whether cutting income taxes grows the economy.

"It's talking point tax policy, in my view. You can talk about this all you want, but until you can prove this works, that's not a very good situation for the folks in the state of Ohio."

Budget director Tim Keen was the first to testify before the committee, bringing Gov. John Kasich's message about what he wants to see in the budget he'll sign: "…a continued focus on conservative economic forecasts, conservative revenue estimates, and the full allocation of funds necessary to cover our expected programs' costs and obligations."

Kasich had wanted a bigger income tax cut paid for with tax increases that lawmakers mostly scrapped.