This last year is unlike anything most of us have ever experienced. We have adapted our activities in so many ways, and how we now engage in legislative advocacy is no different. Thankfully, there are virtual tools and electronic communication that make this a smoother process. These are a few tips we’ve picked up along...
Author: Tara Britton
Governor DeWine introduces 2022-23 executive budget
Governor Mike DeWine introduced the second state budget of his term on February 1. DeWine highlighted the ways his administration’s proposal to utilize one-time federal dollars to buoy the economy and support infrastructure will help the state navigate its way out of the pandemic and resulting economic crisis. The budget includes continued support for many...
Ohio’s budget process for 2021
It’s an odd-numbered year in Ohio and that means we will soon see a state budget proposed by Governor Mike DeWine. Every two years, the governor releases budget recommendations and the General Assembly takes the first half of the year to consider the proposal and develop its own versions of a budget for the state. By...
Community Solutions invited to join Ohio Council to Advance Maternal Health
This fall, Community Solutions was invited to join the Ohio Council to Advance Maternal Health (OH-CAMH). Housed at the Ohio Department of Health, OH-CAMH began its work in 2020 in response to funding from the federal government to address the maternal health crisis facing women across the state and country. Community Solutions is proud to...
Community Solutions’ policy priorities
Early indications show that overdoses are rising again
Drug overdoses are on the rise again. Local information and data from 2019 tracked by media outlets combined with early 2020 indicators show that overdoses are moving in the wrong direction. This is especially concerning after the state saw a decline, across Ohio, in overdoses in 2018. Data reported by county coroners from around the...
Friday webinar series discusses COVID’s impact on health and human services
Since early April, The Center for Community Solutions partnered with Advocates for Ohio’s Future to host Friday webinars about how health and human services have been impacted by COVID-19. A range of leaders at the federal, state and local levels shared how the safety net has responded to help Ohioans in need during the dual...
Ohio’s budget director lays out state agency guidance ahead of budget development
On July 20, the Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) released guidance for state agencies, boards and commissions to develop their budgets for fiscal years (FY) 2022 and 2023. Developing the state budget isn’t just about funding, it also outlines policy priorities, something that is going to be particularly crucial to watch this cycle...
Budget cuts in Ohio, which HHS agencies are affected?
Earlier this spring, Governor Mike DeWine announced that the state faces a roughly $775 million shortfall in its budget for fiscal year 2020 – which ends on June 30, 2020. The governor requested each agency look for cuts of up to 20 percent for fiscal year 2020 and fiscal year 2021.[1] Federal funding associated with...
Ohio General Assembly unanimously passes emergency legislation (House Bill 197)
The Ohio Senate and House swiftly gathered and passed emergency coronavirus legislation (HB197) earlier this week. The bill addressed a wide-ranging set of issues that needed attention in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every element of the bill is effective immediately upon the governor’s signing, unlike most pieces of legislation that go into effect 90...