$2.4 Billion Capital Bill Clears Ohio Legislature

A nearly $2.4 billion state construction budget that funds an array of community, school and park projects has cleared the Ohio Legislature. The Senate approved the bill on a 30-1 vote. Gov. John Kasich expected to sign it later Tuesday. The proposal directs $675 million toward primary and secondary schools and roughly $455 million toward public colleges and universities for repairs and new buildings. Local road, bridge, sewer and other infrastructure projects would get $369 million. Another $574 million goes for maintenance, renovation and other projects at state-owned facilities, including parks and prisons. An additional $100 million goes to the Clean Ohio preservation program. The proposal includes about $160 million in community projects. Kasich's administration estimates that projects funded under the bill would create 31,000 jobs over several years.