You Can’t “Back the Blue” with one hand and Vote to Defund Officer Training with the Other - HB 96

Chief Scott Hughes:

You can’t “Back the Blue” with one hand and vote to defund officer training with the other.

On June 25, 2025, the Ohio Senate adopted the conference report on HB 96, completing the state’s two-year operating budget. But the critical decisions had already been made in the House on April 9, 2025, and carried forward:

➡️ The budget eliminated $15 million from CPT (Continuing Professional Training) funding, which reimbursed local agencies for mandated officer training.

➡️ It explicitly bars university and college police departments—fully sworn officers on public campuses—from accessing any CPT reimbursement.

Here’s who voted yes in the House (from southwest Ohio) on April 9, endorsing those cuts:

Rep. Cindy Abrams (R‑Harrison) – Yea

Rep. Phil Plummer (R‑Dayton) – Yea

Rep. Adam Mathews (R‑Lebanon) – Yea

By contrast:

Rep. Michelle Teska (R‑Clearcreek Twp.) – Nay (opposed the budget)

Some of those “Yes” votes came from legislators with law enforcement backgrounds or who campaign as strong supporters of police. But when it mattered most—they voted to:

Cut vital officer training funds

Deny campus police access to required training support

Shift the cost burden onto local departments already under fiscal pressure

🧠 Why this matters

As a veteran law enforcement officer, chief of police, and national trainer, I’ve seen the difference professional training makes—in community safety, officer confidence, and public trust. Removing this level of support isn't just a budgetary choice—it’s a values choice.

Support isn’t rhetoric. It’s a vote.

To those who claim to back the blue, but voted yes: we noticed.