The deal also would enable unemployed Ohioans who have exhausted state and emergency federal benefits to begin receiving up to 20 weeks of extended federal benefits. Lawmakers agreed to include the additional benefits in the transportation bill as a means of delivering them more quickly to the jobless.

If $250 million in federal money is granted to the state to establish passenger rail between Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, the state Controlling Board, an arm of the Legislature that authorizes certain types of state spending, would have to give approval before construction begins.

Republicans were successful in getting Democrats to rid the bill of two policies that they opposed. Democrats had wanted a pilot project putting speed cameras in highway construction zones, and a change in law to enable authorities to pull over motorists who aren't wearing their seat belts. Current law only enables law enforcement to cite motorists for failing to wear their seat belts if they've already been pulled over for another offense.