Category: State Budget

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$750M in budget cuts DO NOT mean consumer Medicaid benefit/coverage cuts

When the Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) announced on Tuesday, May 6 that April tax revenues were $866.5 million short in this year’s budget it didn’t really surprise me. When one considers Ohio’s record unemployment claims, it was expected that income and sales tax proceeds would take a big hit. OBM Director Kim...

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The ever-expanding role of the American educator

By: Aaron Muttillo, Ph.D. Director, Day Treatment Centers Positive Education Program An educator’s role will always be multifaceted because of the complex, dynamic nature of a growing child. Most educators now embrace a whole-student approach to teaching, one that places great value on activities that address a child’s social and emotional development. As educators consider all...

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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...

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17 Counties Have Health and Social Services Levies on the Primary Ballot 

In the 2020 primary election, voters in 17 counties will have the opportunity to support health and social services by voting on multiple property tax levies. Most of the levies on the ballot this spring are renewals, but several communities are seeking increases or additional levies. Two communities where additional levies to support developmental disabilities...

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Ohio families and advocates praise Governor’s MSY funding announcement

As an advocate for children, youth and families for more than 52 years, I am grateful that Ohio’s Governor, House and Senate listened to parents and young people and have taken action to end the awful practice of forced custody relinquishment of multi-system youth. The term ‘multi-system youth’ refers to children and teenagers with complex...

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Ohio’s new budget includes funding for harm reduction, including syringe services programs

For the first time, Ohio’s state operating budget includes a dedicated line item that will fund harm reduction, including syringe services programs (SSPs) across the state. This funding was proposed and then ushered through budget deliberations by Senators Dave Burke (R-Marysville) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood). While many harm reduction initiatives, such as naloxone access and...

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Improving data reporting and transparency of data improves but more work left to do

Heading into the 2020-21 state budget, The Center for Community Solutions closely examined the cause behind declining enrollment in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, a larger proportion of the TANF caseload consisting of child-only cases (where children are living with another relative who isn’t their parent and receive cash assistance) and the...

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State makes significant investment in Multi-System Youth 

The Center for Community Solutions supports efforts to change the practice of forced custody relinquishment, so families don’t have to give up custody so children can receive needed behavioral health and developmental services.  Multi-system youth (MSY) are children and teenagers with complex needs that cannot be met by a single state or local agency. Multi-system youth (MSY)...

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Ohio’s budget codifies the pregnancy associated mortality review committee

As the state responds to the high infant mortality rate, national reports have increasingly called attention to maternal deaths related to pregnancy, as well as severe maternal morbidity. The executive budget included language supporting the pregnancy associated mortality review process (PAMR) in Ohio, including a representative committee. The Center for Community Solutions began to explore...

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One waiver out, one waiver in

The Center for Community Solutions is committed to monitoring and researching the impact of waivers or other proposed changes to Medicaid eligibility or access. During this biennial Ohio budget process, we kept track of a variety of proposed changes that had the potential to affect this population. After some deliberation, the Healthy Ohio proposal from the House...