Ohio House members voted to override some of Gov. John Kasich’s Medicaid-related vetoes today but not a key one.
For now, that means Ohio will not end Medicaid expansion next summer. But legislators could revisit the issue through the end of 2018. And they did override a veto of another provision in the state budget that gives them more authority over spending in the public health-insurance program.
House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger told the Columbus Dispatch he had the votes to override the expansion freeze, but decided not to move ahead after he talked with Kasich. He said the delay will give Ohio time to figure out what’s happening at the federal level with the Affordable Care Act, which made way for the expansion.
Republicans in the House did vote to override Kasich’s veto of a provision that limits his ability to spend Medicaid money through the Ohio Controlling Board.
Another override lawmakers did approve this morning will likely allow fracking in state parks and other public lands by giving lawmakers the authority to appoint members of Ohio’s Oil and Gas Leasing Commission. That power had belonged to Kasich, who had refused to appoint members for more than five years.
The Senate now must vote on the overrides.
