Ohio could adopt a spending growth limit that balances the budget over the medium term instead of every year. This would give legislators much more stable and predictable budgets, which would empower them to advance real upgrades for Ohio instead of just responding to volatile revenue estimates from a dynamic economy. Such a statutory “structural balance” rule could let spending growth with a rolling average of recent growth in Ohio’s economy with a deficit brake to keep spending and revenue trends together. The government wouldn’t overspend during especially strong revenue years, since revenue above the caps would go into a reserve fund. The state would tap those funds during weak revenue years when spending would otherwise be above revenue. This approach would strengthen Ohio’s fiscal independence from Washington, D.C., reducing our vulnerability to the red tape and strings that come with federal bailouts.