Hello Team Ohio!
I’m coming to you with a couple of important actions.
First relates to SB1, an OH bill that impacts higher education by eroding academic freedom, attacking DEI, and curtailing union and faculty rights (watch the video). Rather than letting it sail through, Ohio citizens are going to try to stop it. We need 250k signatures to get this effort on the ballot in November so voters can decide the fate of this bill. The petition needs to be signed in person, so find out where you can do that here.
The other action for today is courtesy of Blue Ohio:
Last week the Ohio GOP snuck language into the state budget that would immediately end Medicaid expansion in the state if the federal government reduces its share of funds for the program. Of course a bill that would do just that is working its way through the federal legislature right now. Eek!
If Ohio loses Medicaid expansion, people will die. The impact to Ohioans is so great that some have called it a "cataclysmic ripple effect." That about sums it up.
We need to let our lawmakers know we won’t stand for this by submitting testimony to the Ohio Senate ASAP demanding they remove this language from the budget!
There are two meetings right around the corner:
Thursday 5/29 at 9:00 AM (Deadline for written testimony: 5/28 at 9:00 AM)
Friday 5/30 at 1:30 PM (Deadline for written testimony: 5/29 at 1:30 PM)
Submitting testimony is as easy as 1-2-3-4:
Go to "meetings" tab of the Senate Finance Committee website
Click the date of the hearing you’re submitting testimony for
Click ”upload testimony”
Respond to the witness questions when you upload your testimony; Choose SB96 as the legislation you are testifying about in the dropdown menu.
IMPORTANT — note the deadlines above or it won’t count.
Suggested script (but make it your own!):
Dear Medicaid Committee members,
I am submitting testimony in opposition to SB96, the policy to discontinue Medicaid expansion in Ohio. Medicaid recipients are the most vulnerable citizens of our state. Medicaid expansion covers individuals with income levels below 138% of the federal poverty level. People making less than $20,000 a year are not “taking advantage of the system.” These are people with real needs for healthcare. By eliminating the Medicaid Expansion Program, or putting more work restrictions in the system, people will die. Please vote no and show that you care about the people of Ohio.
Thank you,
name, address
This one is coming up quickly so I hope you can find a few minutes to send your testimony.
Thanks!
Jess (and Andrea who helps with state newsletters)
Share this post