Former Rep. Peter Beck (R-Mason) is off to prison for four years on fraud, theft and securities violations. And the campaign for this fall ballot is well underway, and it’s already heating up with the battle over the ResponsibleOhio marijuana legalization issue. ResponsibleOhio launched its campaign just hours before a coalition of health and safety advocates - along with politicians - introduced their "vote no" effort. And the state Ballot Board approved the language for the ResponsibleOhio issue - Issue 3. But ResponsibleOhio's backers are angry about that language, and will take it to the Ohio Supreme Court.
The Ballot Board also approved language for Issue 2, the lawmaker-backed amendment that would ban economic interests that benefit only one group or individual from placement in the Ohio Constitution. And over the objections of Democrats on the board, it approved Issue 1, the amendment that would set up a seven member bipartisan panel to redraw state lawmakers’ district boundaries. The Ohio Democratic Party votes next month to officially consider endorsing the issue, though the Ohio Republican Party and many other groups already have.
About a quarter of all Ohioans, almost three million people, are on Medicaid now, with Medicaid expansion having been in operation in Ohio for more than a year and a half. A new study shows that the number of Ohioans who are uninsured has been cut in half since 2012. And while there have been more Ohioans than expected who have signed up for Medicaid now that they’re eligible, the state reports spending on Medicaid is lower than estimated – nearly 8% lower, which means nearly $2 billion below expectations. Two experts share their thoughts in the first of a two-part conversation. John Corlett was the state’s Medicaid Director under Democratic former Gov. Ted Strickland, and is now the president and executive director of the Center for Community Solutions, a public policy research group headquartered in Cleveland. Greg Lawson has written extensively about Medicaid as the Statehouse Liaison and Policy Analyst with the Buckeye Institute, which calls itself a free-market think tank.