COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Latest on Ohio’s two-year state operating budget (all times local):
7:40 p.m.
Ohio’s state budget is headed into compromise talks following Senate passage on Wednesday.
The $65 billion, two-year spending blueprint cleared the Senate, 24-8, after several hours of debate and efforts by minority Democrats to turn back limits on Medicaid expansion and a new work requirement for recipients of the government health care benefit.
The Senate plan calls for extending Medicaid expansion for one year. After July 1, 2018, no new enrollees would be accepted to the program covering some 700,000 poor adult Ohioans - and those who dropped off the program by finding better employment could not re-enroll.
Republicans argued the change would allow the state time to see what happens to health care in Washington, where congressional Republicans are working to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
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1:30 p.m.
Compromise talks on Ohio’s state budget are set to begin Thursday.
The conference committee schedule was announced even before a scheduled vote was taken in the Ohio Senate on the $65 billion, two-year spending bill.
Lawmakers have an unusually short window this year to complete their deliberations before the June 30 budget deadline.
The Senate Finance Committee added an amendment Tuesday that would extend Medicaid expansion for just one more year. After July 1, 2018, no new enrollees would be accepted to the program covering some 700,000 poor adult Ohioans - and those who dropped off the program by finding better employment could not re-enroll. It’s among about 150 last-minute amendments.
The Senate version also closes an anticipated $1 billion budget gap through agency cuts, program eliminations and accounting shifts.
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11:20 a.m.
Limits on health care coverage under Ohio’s Medicaid expansion are among dozens of changes contained in a state budget bill headed for a vote of the full state Senate.
An amendment added Tuesday would extend for a year the expansion that covers some 700,000 poor adult Ohioans. After July 1, 2018, no new enrollees would be accepted and those who dropped off the program by finding better employment could not re-enroll.
Senators have scheduled a vote Wednesday on the two-year, $65 billion spending blueprint for the two years beginning July 1, after making about 150 last-minute changes.
The Senate bill closes an anticipated budget gap of just over $1 billion through across-the-board agency cuts, program eliminations and behind-the-scenes accounting shifts.
Senate approval will send the bill to a conference committee.
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