Last week the Ohio Department of Health released the latest report on maternal mortality in Ohio, A Report on Pregnancy-Related Deaths in Ohio 2017-2018. There is a lot to unpack in the report and we’ll spend more time with the details in the coming weeks. However, we identified some key data points that should be...
Now that fiscal year 2024-25 is underway, state departments are anticipating the funding commitments laid out in the state budget. Much of that funding will help Ohioans that need assistance in health, food, housing, etc. Agency allocations in the health and human services sector will be especially helpful for special populations like older adults and...
When the budget season began, I did not know what to expect. I have done extensive research and advocacy on various policy topics since joining Community Solutions, but this was going to be a new experience. The budget plays a HUGE role in supporting programs across the state and influences administrative structure in different state...
On July 5th, Governor Mike DeWine signed H.B.33 into law. The enacted version of H.B. 33 appropriates $1.2 billion in FY 2024 and $1.1 billion in FY 2025 for the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), totaling $2.3 billion for the entire biennium. Approximately half (50.4%) of these funds come from the General...
Ohioans will go to the polls on Tuesday, August 8. This election is unusual. There is a single item on the ballot: Issue 1 “Elevating the Standards to Qualify for an Initiated Constitutional Amendment and to Pass a Constitutional Amendment.” As the official ballot language shows, voting “Yes” means that future constitutional amendments will need...
The Center for Community Solutions welcomes a new member of the public policy team, based in the Columbus office. Dylan Armstrong joins Community Solutions in the role of Public Policy Fellow. “We are excited that Dylan has joined the team. His advocacy and state budget experience, across several roles and different states, will enhance the...
On July 7th, 2023, Governor Mike DeWine gave a press conference discussing the 988 Lifeline. His press conference outlined significant changes that have occurred since the Lifeline number was federally changed last July. Previous work by Community Solutions has tracked the implementation of the 988 Lifeline number. With the conclusion of the state budget, the...
On July 4, 2023, Governor Mike DeWine vetoed numerous provisions from the state budget, including the preemptive language that would prevent local regulation on tobacco and alternative nicotine products. Originally, the Ohio Senate included the preemptive language about tobacco regulation and retail licensing in its version of the state budget along with other plans to...
The 2024-2025 state budget is wrapped. While we’ll spend a lot more time and blog-space on how this state budget will impact health and human services, this initial reflection on the budget provides a quick look at where The Center for Community Solutions’ budget priorities landed. Improving the health of Ohio’s kids and moms Community...
Community Solutions has been working for several years with the legislature and both the Kasich and DeWine Administrations to improve women’s and maternal health in Ohio. One key element of this work is expanding access to doulas. When we learned that one of Governor DeWine’s budget vetoes was related to doulas, we had to dive...
