Speak up for expansion
Published: January 24, 2013 - 06:47 PM
Akron Beacon Journal
Sometimes
a speaker must lead his caucus out of a cave. It is such a time for Bill
Batchelder, on the question of expanding Medicaid eligibility to low-income
Ohioans who are uninsured.
The
speaker of the Ohio House told reporters this week that his Republican caucus
has “real concerns” about expanding Medicaid in the state because of the
expense and “philosophical opposition” to implementing the Affordable Care Act.
Indeed,
the caucus’ opposition to the health legislation has never been a secret. Its
members vigorously supported both a challenge to the constitutionality of the
law and a ballot amendment to the Ohio Constitution purporting to block
participation. But the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law. The caucus must bear
in mind that for roughly 1.6 million Ohioans who lack health insurance, the
need for coverage and medical care when they are sick is anything but a
philosophical issue.
Gongwer
1/24/13
House
members broadened the ban on using session video for political ads to committee
hearings in rules adopted this week.
GOP
leaders in the House also plan to switch out reams of paper documents used in
the committee process for iPads in the coming session.
New
rules banning the use of footage from committee hearings in political ads
complement existing regulations prohibiting the use of session video. However,
campaigns have occasionally disregarded the restriction in the past.
House
Republican Caucus spokesman Mike Dittoe said the rule change was not a response
to any specific negative campaign ad the surfaced during last year's election.
The
new rules were designed to conform to Ohio Government Telecommunications'
regulations as the organization prepares to air House Finance &
Appropriations Committee budget hearings on the Ohio Channel in February, he
said. "It's to keep in line with what the rules are governing videotaping
session."
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