COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is expected to issue vetoes on the state's operating budget on Monday night. The most likely to be axed: provisions dealing with children, health care and home rule.
With the flick of a pen, DeWine can preserve the GOP budget — or kill whichever provision he wants.
All eyes in the statehouse are on the governor's desk.
"What are your top priorities to have the governor veto, and which are the most realistic?" I asked Democratic leaders.
"Unfortunately, there's no shortage of provisions that are gonna do real damage to the people of Ohio," state Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) said.
Our coverage of the budget as it headed to DeWine's desk:
RELATED: Here is what is in the Ohio GOP budget bill going to Gov. DeWine's desk
The governor's priorities as the leader of Ohio have always been clear: children.
Here's where he may use his veto pen
In evaluating how DeWine works, his previous vetoes, and his statements over the past several months, some clues emerge.
"He's disappointed by things that are in the budget," House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said.
This list is non-exhaustive.
State lawmakers voted to restrict access to Medicaid for babies ages 0-3.
They capped funding for lead poisoning prevention each year.
They also eliminated the advisory council on how to handle rare diseases.
Other provisions cut mental health assistance, something the governor has championed.
"Continue our efforts in regard to mental health, this is something that is so vitally important for Ohio to move forward," the governor said in mid-June.
The lawmakers also put restrictions on what H2Ohio, DeWine's clean water program, can do.
"Clean water in the state of Ohio is essential to us," he said, previously saying that the House's cuts to the program worried him.
DeWine has always emphasized the importance of libraries and reading for children. One provision in the budget DeWine may veto requires public libraries to place books referencing "sexual orientation or gender" in an area away from the public. This means that even books that reference a female character in the title could be blocked, according to a Northeast Ohio librarian.
"These libraries are free. They're the center of the community many times. They're places where you can go and your kids can go," DeWine told reporters on Saturday. "I'll have more to say about it."
There are also provisions that stop funding for both youth homeless shelters and mental health services that support transgender or nonbinary identities. The governor has previously vetoed legislation that would ban gender-affirming care for LGBTQ+ youth, but the legislature passed an override. He has spoken at length about how this care was essential for these children's mental health.
Another veto possibility is a provision taking away some of the school districts’ savings, capping the carryover revenue at 40% and requiring anything above that mark be refunded to taxpayers.
"This is a state that, by and large, gives due respect to the local communities in regard to running the schools," he said on Saturday.
Other restrictions include the ability to put emergency levies on the ballot or request an increase to a current levy. In the budget, there are many smaller items impacting how schools manage their money that could all be up for veto.
"As far as the financing and other things, we leave a lot of that to the local community," the governor said.
Legislation that the governor has not supported includes state funding for the new Cleveland Browns stadium — although he likes the most current version using unclaimed funds better than using bonds — and the proposed 2.75% flat income tax.
"Not one time did a company say I can't come to Ohio because your income tax is too high," the governor said in May, adding that a full repeal of an income tax or a flat tax could cause detriments to social services. "We'd have to look at what the consequences are and what impact that might have on our ability to fund education and do other things."
DeWine's vetoes will come out Monday before midnight. He is set to have a press conference to explain his decisions on Tuesday.
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