Columbus, OH – Robert Alt, president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute, issued the following statement after the Ohio House and Senate conference committee passed the conference report on Ohio’s transportation budget Tuesday afternoon.

“The Buckeye Institute applauds the Senate for demanding that some tax relief for working Ohioans be part of the gas tax increase, but more spending and tax cuts need to be done to relieve the burden on Ohio families—the majority of whom have demanded that any gas tax increase be offset by other spending and tax cuts. The Buckeye Institute stands ready to work with the DeWine Administration and Ohio’s House and Senate to identify specific spending and tax cuts to help offset the impact this gas tax increase will have on Ohioans at the pump—especially those least able to afford it.

“As state leaders turn their attention to Ohio’s biennial budget, they have a great opportunity to demonstrate that we can not only make needed infrastructure investments in roads, highways, and bridges, but we can also come together to save taxpayers money in other areas.

“The Buckeye Institute’s report: Sustaining Economic Growth: Tax and Budget Principles for Ohio, along with our forthcoming Piglet Book—which is scheduled to be released next week and will offer $2.5 billion in savings for state policymakers to consider—can serve as useful tools as our elected officials search for sensible ways to reduce government waste and spending.”

Piglet Book® is a registered trademark of Citizens Against Government Waste and is used with their permission.

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