Wire report
The Ohio House speaker says he hasn’t decided whether he’ll change the Republican lineup on a panel that’s considering a request to allow federal money to be spent on expanding the Medicaid program.
Ohio recently got approval from the federal government to extend Medicaid eligibility. However, Gov. John Kasich’s administration needs legislative sign-off to spend federal dollars on the thousands of newly eligible residents. Kasich has turned to the state Controlling Board, which is scheduled to vote Monday on the spending request.
The seven-member panel has two GOP representatives, who are designated by the speaker.
House Speaker William Batchelder told reporters he questions whether the governor’s move violates the Ohio constitution. He said he’s signed a letter along with more than 30 other representatives that expresses those concerns.