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Proposal: $55 million annually for public transportation

The state Senate approved the amount this week as the GOP-controlled chamber passed the budget, which includes a 6-cent per gallon increase in the state gas tax.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, left, speaks between Ohio Senate president Larry Obhof, center, and Ohio House speaker Larry Householder during the Ohio State of the State address at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, March 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The latest version of Ohio's transportation budget would provide $55 million annually for public transportation in the state.

The state Senate approved the amount this week as the GOP-controlled chamber passed the budget, which includes a 6-cent per gallon increase in the state gas tax.

The Senate public transportation proposal provides less than the $100 million proposed by the House, but more than the $40 million in Gov. Mike DeWine's original proposal.

Republican state Sen. Matt Dolan pushed for the $55 million through a last-minute amendment, calling the amount a Senate statement that public transportation is a priority.

The bill is headed for a conference committee to iron out several differences, chief of which is the gap between DeWine’s proposed 18-cent gas tax increase and the Senate’s much lower proposal.