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Mandel Ad Campaign Seemingly Targeted by New Budget Provision

Ideastream Public Media | By Karen Kasler

Published April 29, 2017 at 9:22 AM EDT

photo of Josh Mandel ad campaign — Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel (right) teamed up with Ohio State Football coach Urban Meyer (left) to promote the STABLE savings account in a series of advertisements last year.

There’s a provision in the House version of Gov. John Kasich’s budget that seems to have been inspired by a public service ad campaign last year. It featured Ohio State’s football coach and the state officeholder who’s announced he wants to try again to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown next year.

State treasurer Josh Mandel’s office said the goal was to raise awareness of the STABLE savings account program for disabled people, which Ohio was the first in the nation to establish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbQsAbrUrOo

The ad campaign cost $1.7 million, but the ads were purchased in installments of less than $50,000 – which is the maximum that can be spent before the state Controlling Board, which oversees expenditures, gets involved. An amendment to the budget would require the Controlling Board to approve any spending for ad campaigns over $50,000, even if it’s done in smaller increments.

The ads ended just as Mandel announced he’d be running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate next year.