President Obama signs SCHIP

Last week, President Barack Obama signed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) re-authorization bill.  The bill provides an additional $32.8 billion in funding for the program which currently enrolls an estimated 7 million children.  It is anticipated that another 4 million children will be added to the program as a result of passage of the bill. Governor Strickland has stated that he wants to fund Ohio’s program up to the original 300% of the federal poverty level as authorized in Ohio’s budget that started on July 1, 2007.

Senate and House Announce Committee Assignments

Last week the Senate and House announced committee assignments. Chairs and Ranking Minority Members of the committees OAHU works with the most are:

SENATE

Finance and Financial Institutions

Chair – John Carey (R-Wellston)

Ranking Member – Dale Miller (D-Cleveland)

 

Health, Human Services & Aging

Chair - Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls)

Ranking Member – Sue Morano (D-Lorain)

 

Insurance, Commerce & Labor

Chair – Steve Buehrer (R-Delta)

Ranking Member – Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield)

 

HOUSE

Finance & Appropriations

Chair – Vernon Sykes (D-Akron)

Ranking Member – Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster)

 

Health

Chair – Barbara Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights)

Ranking Member – Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon)

 

Healthcare Access & Affordability

Chair – Lorraine Fende (D-Willowick)

Ranking Member – Barbara Sears (R-Sylvania)

 

Insurance

Chair – Dan Dodd (D-Hebron)

Ranking Member – Jay Hottinger (R-Newark)

 

House Finance Committee to hold Budget hearings this week

Tuesday, February 10

9:00 am – Presentation by Office of Budget & Management and Department of Taxation

1:00 pm – Presentation by Legislative Service Commission

 

Wednesday, February 11

8:30 am – Presentation by Department of Education

 

Thursday, February 12

8:30 am – Presentation from Board of Regents and Department of Rehabilitation & Correction

                 Presentation from Department of Transportation on ODOT budget

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