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Fact check: Did Ted Strickland cut spending for certain programs when he was governor of Ohio in 2009?
In a race that could affect the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman is facing a challenge from former Ohio Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland. Portman is attacking Strickland’s record as governor, claiming that he cut funding in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 for community health centers, colleges, K-12 schools, drug and alcohol addiction services, and food pantries. The voice-over in a digital ad by the Portman campaign says that Strickland’s budget "shredded the safety net,” going on to list the programs that were supposedly cut.[1][2]
To determine the accuracy of Portman’s claim, we looked at the FY 2010-2011 biennial budget proposed by Strickland in February 2009 and compared it to the budget that was ultimately approved by Ohio’s 128th General Assembly and signed by the governor in July 2009.
Our comparison found that Portman’s ad is correct on some points, but wrong on others.
Background
In 2009, Ohio, like the rest of the country, was in a recession. The state faced a $7.3 billion budget shortfall in its biennial FY 2010-2011 budget.[3]
To address the shortfall and balance the budget, Gov. Strickland’s budget proposal to the Ohio General Assembly for FY 2010 and 2011 called for spending reductions of $3.2 billion from 2009 department-level budget plans. The governor’s budget proposal also relied on $3.4 billion dollars in federal stimulus funds provided to states under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.[4][5]
The biennial budget appropriations passed by the Ohio General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Strickland appropriated $55.7 billion for FY 2010 and $56.6 billion for FY 2011—an increase from the $52.6 billion and $54.8 billion appropriated in FY 2008 and FY 2009.[6][7]
Although total appropriations increased between 2009 and 2011, appropriations for some programs were reduced both in Strickland’s proposed budget and the budget that was ultimately adopted by the general assembly and signed into law.
FY 2010 and FY 2011 appropriations for selected programs
The following table breaks down appropriations for the programs mentioned by Sen. Portman's campaign. It lists the FY 2010 and FY 2011 appropriations levels proposed by the Strickland administration, placing them alongside the actual appropriations for the programs. For comparative purposes, we also include the final appropriations levels for FY 2009. We did not compare appropriations for food pantries because they aren't listed as a separate line item in the budget.[8][9][10][11]
| 2010-2011 Executive Budget vs. Final Appropriations | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program | FY09 actual appropriations | FY10 Strickland's proposal | FY11 Strickland's proposal | FY10 actual appropriations | FY11 actual appropriations | % difference between Strickland's proposal & actual appropriations, combined FY10 & FY11 |
| Department of Education | $11,269,129,303 | $10,884,569,765 | $11,145,244,678 | $12,064,962,135 | $12,047,434,276 | -8.6% |
| Higher Education[12] | $2,885,851,143 | $2,803,382,354 | $2,823,853,844 | $2,588,425,629 | $2,547,524,386 | +9.6% |
| Community Health Centers[13] | $3,500,000 | $1,636,688 | $1,636,688 | $2,686,688 | $2,686,688 | -39.1% |
| Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services | $193,545,626 | $199,554,802 | $199,128,252 | $189,854,681 | $188,686,847 | +5% |
|
Sources: Ohio Legislative Service Commission, "Main Operating Appropriations Bill (FY 2008 – FY 2009)," December 12, 2007, Ohio Legislative Service Commission, "Main Operating Appropriations Bill (FY 2010– FY 2011)," September 22, 2009, Ohio's Office of Budget and Management, "Executive Budget Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011," accessed May 20, 2016 | ||||||
Conclusion
The outcome of the Ohio U.S. Senate race pitting an incumbent senator against the state’s former governor may prove to be critical in determining which party controls the U.S. Senate in 2017.
Sen. Rob Portman’s digital ad campaign claims that when Strickland was governor in 2009, he cut funding for community health centers, colleges, K-12 schools, drug and alcohol addiction services, and food pantries.
We compared spending levels in the executive budget that Strickland proposed to the Ohio General Assembly with the final appropriations for these programs in the FY 2010-2011 budget approved by the lawmakers and signed by Strickland.
We found that Strickland’s budget proposed less spending on K-12 education and federally regulated community health centers than was appropriated over the two-year period, but more spending on higher education and drug and alcohol addiction services than was appropriated in the final budget. Because there is no line item for food pantries, we could not compare appropriations for that program.
Therefore, the Portman campaign ad is only partially accurate.
Launched in October 2015 and active through October 2018, Fact Check by Ballotpedia examined claims made by elected officials, political appointees, and political candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. We evaluated claims made by politicians of all backgrounds and affiliations, subjecting them to the same objective and neutral examination process. As of 2025, Ballotpedia staff periodically review these articles to revaluate and reaffirm our conclusions. Please email us with questions, comments, or concerns about these articles. To learn more about fact-checking, click here.
Sources and Notes
- ↑ Morning Consult, "Portman Hits Strickland Over Ohio Budget Cuts," May 2, 2016
- ↑ Rob Portman for Senate campaign ad, "Shredded," May 2, 2017
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Impasse ends, slots to begin," July 11, 2009
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Full text of Gov. Strickland's State of the State address," January 29, 2009
- ↑ Ohio's Office of Budget and Management, "Executive Budget Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011," accessed May 20, 2016
- ↑ Ohio Legislative Service Commission, "Main Operating Appropriations Bill (FY 2010– FY 2011)," September 22, 2009
- ↑ Ohio Legislative Service Commission, "Main Operating Appropriations Bill (FY 2008 – FY 2009)," December 12, 2007
- ↑ In FY 2010 and FY 2011, Strickland’s budget proposed to spend $8.5 million each year on the Ohio Food and Agricultural Clearance Programs, which are the primary vehicles for funding Ohio’s food banks through the Ohio Association of Food Banks agency, according to the agency's Executive Director Lisa Hamler-Fugitt. According to the Ohio Association of Food Banks' 2010 and 2011 annual reports, actual expenditures for 2010 and 2011 were $12 million in each year.
- ↑ Verbatim Staff, "Email communication with Lisa Hamler-Fugitt," May 19, 2016
- ↑ Ohio Association of Food Banks, "State Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Report Executive Summary," accessed May 19, 2016
- ↑ Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, "State Funded Programs Annual Report State Fiscal Year 2010," accessed May 19, 2016
- ↑ The Ohio Department of Higher Education was formerly known as the Ohio Board of Regents. Higher education expenditures in the FY 2008-2009 and FY 2010-2011 budgets are itemized under Ohio Board of Regents.
- ↑ In the FY 2008-2009 budget, health centers were itemized under Uncompensated Care/Emergency Medical Assistance. That line item was discontinued beginning with the FY2010-2011 budget. Health center expenses have since been itemized under Federally Qualified Community Health Centers (FQCHC).
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