Federal News:
Hello, Senator Manchin. It’s you again. President Biden’s Build Back Better Plan on the ropes: The Biden Administration’s multi-trillion dollar climate change and economic plan was torpedoed December 19 by Senator Joe Manchin III (D – West Virginia) during a television appearance.
State News:
New ODOD Brownfields & Building Demolition grant funds launched: On December 7, Governor DeWine issued an executive order that immediately released rules relating to ODOD’s $500 million in new funding for site cleanup.
Federal News:
Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill signed, with key help from an Ohioan: On Monday, November 15, President Biden signed the largest public works bill since the Eisenhower Administration’s federal interstate highway program. On November 5, the House voted 228-206 to approve the bill (including 13 Republican House members, who have since received death threats and vitriolic messages from constituents… welcome to our America in 2021). For some local flavor, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D – Columbus), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, led the breakthrough in the House’s logjam in passing this measure.
Pending ARPA changes to expand and add new eligible uses of funds: Legislation currently under consideration in the Congress may serve to dramatically expand the eligible uses of ARPA funds. The proposed State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act does not add new appropriations under ARPA, but rather frees-up funding for (i) those governments which had no or low revenue impacts from COVID-19, (ii) emergency funding related to natural disasters, and (iii) an expanded list of infrastructure projects.
State News:
New Loan Programs for Minority & Women-owned Businesses: ODOD has added to its portfolio two loan programs to support minority- and women-owned businesses: the (i) Women’s Business Enterprise Loan Program and (ii) Ohio Micro-Enterprise Loan Program. Included within the state budget bill (HB110, whose other elements are described in detail, below), the new program offerings are as follows: