Good news and bad news with Senate veto votes
Posted August 22, 2017 in Press Releases
The Ohio Senate joined the House and overrode six of the Governor’s budget vetoes today.
“There was both good and bad news in the Senate votes,” said Wendy Patton, senior project director at Policy Matters Ohio.
- One of the veto overrides shifts authority in fiscal year 2019 for the release of state funds for Medicaid expansion to the Controlling Board – a committee of just six legislators and a representative of the budget director - injecting uncertainty into providers’ planning for patient care and hospital services.
- No vote was taken on the veto of the harmful, so-called “Healthy Ohio” plan. The state will not have to repeat submission of a harshly criticized Medicaid waiver proposal that would cause many to lose their health insurance and was already rejected once by the federal government.
- A vote on the proposed fix of the cut to county and transit agency revenues is delayed pending a new search for solutions between the Administration and stakeholders.
“Shifting authority over Medicaid expansion funding to the Controlling Board could result in a slow chipping away of the program,” Patton said. “But we are encouraged the Senate did not override the veto of the Healthy Ohio plan, which for the time being preserves the heath care of thousands of Ohioans. We are also encouraged that talks will continue to preserve local funding and look forward to an outcome that protects county and public transit services from changes in the structure of one state tax.”