Governor DeWine used his line-item veto authority to strike harmful language on library materials from the state budget, House Bill (HB) 96, prior to signing it into law on June 30. In total, the governor vetoed 67 provisions.
Among the items vetoed were several provisions that directly impacted public libraries, including:
Is the veto the final word?
The Ohio General Assembly has the authority to override a gubernatorial veto with a three-fifths majority in both the House and Senate. Any attempt to override this veto would begin in the Ohio House of Representatives, where HB 96 originated. There is no specific deadline for this process, which means a vote could take place anytime before the end of the 136th General Assembly in December 2026.
What about public library funding for the next two years?
We lost the fight to preserve the Public Library Fund and as of July 1, 2025, funding for Ohio public libraries will no longer be calculated as a percentage of Ohio's annual revenue. Instead, public library funding is now a flat line-item appropriation in state budgets.
Further, the amount of public library funding allocated in this new budget has been reduced by $24.9 million. This allocation takes Ohio's libraries back to 2004 funding levels.
School readiness and early childhood literacy is a fundamental component of our programs and a core service to families. Through programs with preschools and the Ravenna school system, the library supports literacy, provides technology tools and programs, and is an invaluable partner in learning.
We provide free high-speed internet access, public computers, training and software classes and tutorials for both educational and job training needs. We partner with community organizations to help with the opioid crisis with programs and awareness campaigns. During economic hardship, our citizens turn to and depend on the library.
The library also provides many options for people who are looking for work, trying to train for a new career or want to remain relevant in the career they already have. Our community's economy benefits when small business owners can use library resources to make wise business decisions, do printing, scanning, and faxing to support their business. We make our meeting rooms and technology tools available to community groups and small businesses to use for training, workshops, events and more.
Even at its most basic service, lending materials, the library gives you much more than you invest. Here are typical costs for comparison:
