Ohio Gov. John Kasich
Kasich Signs Capital Budget Bill
Praises Legislature for Exhibiting Fiscal Restraint  
April  3, 2012 

COLUMBUS—Governor John R. Kasich today signed Substitute House Bill 482 (Amstutz)—the capital budget bill—which allocates $1.74 billion for priority construction needs at state- and university-owned facilities.  Breaking with tradition and challenging the status quo, Gov. Kasich urged the beneficiaries of these capital funds, namely colleges and universities, to work collaboratively to maximize limited resources and prioritize projects based on need. 

Upon signing Sub. H.B. 482, Gov. Kasich released the following statement:       

“I’m incredibly grateful to Speaker Batchelder, President Niehaus, Chairman Amstutz and Chairman Widener for their leadership in the House and Senate.  Without their strong support and their insistence on the fiscal restraint exhibited by the legislature, we could not have succeeded in passing one of the of the leanest capital budget bills ever signed into law.  This kind of leadership is what is required during challenging fiscal times like we’re in now, and together we’ve ensured that the taxpayers’ limited funds are allocated where needed most. 

“When we started this process, we knew resources were extremely limited and the system in place to allocate funds was based primarily on power, not necessarily on prudence.  I believed Ohio needed to change course to ensure we utilize these limited resources in a way that produces the greatest return on our investment, and I’m very pleased that my partners in the legislature embraced this new approach.” 

In addition to signing Sub. H.B. 482 (Amstutz), today Gov. John R. Kasich signed the following pieces of legislation into law: 

Sub. S.B. 179 (Wilson) creates the “Ohio Geology” license plate, and requires the Ohio Geology Advisory Council to establish and administer a grant program utilizing the contributions paid for obtaining the license plate.  The bill also eliminates the provision in the Special Vehicle Law that permits owners of certain off-highway motorcycles and all-purpose vehicles to register motorcycles and vehicles by presenting affidavits of ownership rather than certificates of title, relocates the portion of State Route 170 designated as the “Cpl. Kenneth Tyler Butler Memorial Highway,” and requires the Director of Transportation to establish the business logo sign program and its fees by rule; 

Sub. H.B. 275 (Young, Slaby) allows suppliers and consumers to enter into a Right to Cure agreement; 

Am. Sub. S.B. 243 (Hughes) modifies the laws governing the Intrastate Mutual Aid Compact and the volunteer database of the Department of Health and the Emergency Management Agency to address the transmittal of certain data to the National Emergency Medical Services Information System and revises ambulance staffing requirements; and