John Kasich Delivers State Of The State In Lima

Wednesday, February 20, 2013 - 5:56 AM

Ohio Governor John Kasich says extending medicaid coverage to thousands of low-income residents will help the state on multiple levels. The ONN reports Kasich proposed medicaid expansion under the federal law in his two-year budget plan. He's framed the decision as recapturing Ohio taxpayers' federal money.

The state would see $2.4 billion from Washington to cover those newly eligible for medicaid over the next two years beginning in July. Many Republicans are resistant to expanding government programs. Kasich said t he knows the issue is controversial. But he says the most vulnerable shouldn't be ignored, but lifted.

Kasich also called his school-funding proposal an objective plan that applies equally to all districts based on their property tax wealth, residents' income and individual characteristics of students they serve.

Kasich said that Ohio's poorest districts and urban districts get more money than the state's wealthiest districts. Kasich says those districts also get more per-pupil funding before funding guarantees are factored in. The governor says his plan provides a total of $1.2 billion in new money in 2014 and 2015, which means that by the end of the next two years Ohio will be providing students more in state aid than they received at the height of the 2011 federal stimulus plan.