July 1, 2021 — Governor Mike DeWine has signed House Bill (HB) 110, the state’s two-year budget bill. He line-item vetoed 14 provisions before signing the bill into law (see Gov. DeWine’s veto message below). We are happy to report that the budget maintains the Public Library Fund (PLF) at 1.7% of the General Revenue Fund (GRF) for the next two years and became effective immediately.

This is a huge win for Ohio’s public libraries and a direct result of our strong advocacy efforts over the past year. Thank you to everyone who contacted legislators and worked tirelessly to keep the PLF at 1.7% of the GRF. We are extremely appreciative of the Senate for making public libraries a priority and including our PLF amendment in their version of the budget.

Based on estimates by the Legislative Service Commission, the PLF is expected to produce $439 million in FY22 and $454 million in FY23.

Now that the state budget is finalized, the OLC will be hosting a webinar for members on the final version of the bill and its impact on public libraries. The State Budget Wrap-Up Webinar will be held Mon., July 26 from 1-2 p.m. This webinar is free for OLC members, but you must register to attend. Registration is available online.

Please take a moment to thank your legislators for making Ohio’s public libraries a priority in this budget. You can find your legislator and contact information at libraryfunding.olc.org.

Gov. DeWine’s veto message on the 2022-23 budget (PDF)