Acton Faces Tight Deadline for Ohio Budget Proposal

Columbus, Ohio. Democratic Governor-elect Amy Acton must begin work on the 2028-2029 executive budget proposal immediately upon taking office in January. She has until March 15 to submit her funding plan to the Ohio General Assembly. This timeline gives her only two months to determine how state agencies and services will be financed.

The proposal must pass a legislature where Republicans hold majorities in both the House and the Senate. Democrats retained control of neither chamber, although they lost fewer seats than expected in Tuesday night’s election results. Acton will need to negotiate with the Republican majority to pass her budget. This dynamic follows the 2025 session, when five Republican lawmakers broke ranks to vote against the final budget. All five were reelected in this cycle.

House Finance Chair Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) stated that the now-slimmer Republican majority must unite to pass its policies. “We’re going to have to play a little bit more team ball as the majority if we’re going to get some of our policies in place,” Stewart said in a Thursday interview. He indicated that the party will focus on specific fiscal issues during the upcoming session.

Medicaid, the state’s largest appropriation, is expected to receive close scrutiny. Lawmakers also plan to review the H2Ohio clean water initiative, a program launched by Gov. Mike DeWine. Stewart questioned the program’s effectiveness, noting that it represents a large financial commitment. “I’ve really kind of dug into this, along with some other legislators, about, where’s the money going?” Stewart asked.

State Senator-elect Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake), who served as House budget negotiator, said she is eager to work with the new governor. “Having a governor focused (on), and not being afraid to work with Republicans, because that is what she’s done her entire career, is a remarkable opportunity,” Sweeney said. She noted that H2Ohio recently missed its goal to mitigate algal blooms in Lake Erie. Sweeney attributed the miss to recent appropriation cuts. Acton has stated she wants to increase funding for the water program.

The legislature may also revisit the idea of legalizing online casinos and lottery games. Acton has identified iGaming as a potential new revenue source. Stewart told attendees at an Ohio Chamber of Commerce conference that the topic warrants discussion. In 2025, lawmakers considered measures to tax and allow these digital gambling formats, but the effort did not pass. The 2028-2029 budget process will determine if the program receives increased, decreased, or stable funding next year.