Lakewood State Senator Votes For Ohio Budget

LAKEWOOD, OH — After a deliberate and contentious process, the Ohio budget was passed through the Ohio House and Ohio Senate this week. The final legislation received the support of Lakewood's State Senator Nickie Antonio, a Democrat.

“Ultimately, I was able to vote in favor of this budget,” said Antonio. “While some concerns remain, overall, this budget makes real investments in our communities. It also shows our commitment to the people of Ohio, as we continue working to make our state the best place for people to choose to live and raise their families.”

Antonio cited Cleveland-area public health investments as her key incentives for passing the budget. Such incentives included $1 million per year for the Cleveland Lead Safe Coalition, increased funding for programs supporting multi-system youth and public health initiatives to curb the opioid epidemic (like syringe exchange services and improved access to anti-overdose drugs).

The state senator was concerned with the lack of action on education measures, like academic distress commissions, state report cards and graduation requirements. She said she was also disappointed in the funding for crisis pregnancy centers, which she argued have been found to provide false and medically inaccurate information to pregnant women.

Antonio's measure to support safe spacing in high infant mortality areas (like Cleveland) was removed from the state budget bill.

Several state Democrats asked DeWine to veto parts of the budget bill, including the rollback of oversight for charter schools, the change of the 2020 primary election date, and repeal of the tax credit for small dollar contributions to election campaigns.

The state budget has been approved by both the Ohio House and Ohio Senate and now awaits Governor Mike DeWine's approval or veto.