Category: News

Columbus, Ohio- Today, Senator Jon Husted voted for the largest cut to Medicaid in history, giving tax breaks to billionaires while leaving Ohioans behind. Whether it’s raising medical bills, putting the nearest hospital at risk of closing, or ripping away healthcare all together, this budget will be disastrous for Ohio and politically toxic for Senator Husted as he heads into a difficult election cycle.

Late last night, Governor DeWine signed a state operating budget into law that would cut state funding for Medicaid if federal funding dropped below 90%. Now, as many as 770,000 Ohioans are at risk of losing their healthcare. Rural hospitals are at risk of closing, making it more difficult for rural Ohioans to get the care they need. 

“As Ohioans struggle to make ends meet, Senator Husted went to Washington to deliver tax cuts for billionaires while slashing Medicaid and putting hospitals at risk of closure,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde. “There’s no denying Husted prioritizes billionaires over his constituents. This vote gave Ohioans all the proof they needed to vote him out in November 2026.”

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The post VOTE ALERT: Senator Husted Votes to Cut Ohioans’ Medicaid appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Tax breaks for billionaires, gutting public schools, raising cost of healthcare for thousands of Ohioans

Columbus, Ohio — Governor Mike DeWine signed the Republican “Billionaires First” budget into law. Instead of helping Ohio families this budget only helps wealthy Ohioans. Governor DeWine’s refusal to use his veto power for good only further cements his legacy as one of the weakest governors in our state’s history. Republicans will own this disastrous budget and the harm it causes to Ohioans in 2026.

After donating $120,000 to prominent state house Republicans, the billionaire owners of the Cleveland Browns got something in return: millions of dollars for a new stadium funded by Ohio taxpayers. When Republicans in the statehouse realized directly charging voters for a new stadium was extremely unpopular, they jumped through hoops to make sure the Haslam’s still got their money’s worth.

Republicans didn’t stop there. They also gave a tax cut to even more wealthy Ohioans while leaving working families out. They gutted public education, ripped away healthcare from as many as 700,000 people, and more. Meanwhile, billionaires got their tax cuts and a football stadium.

“Republicans just made Vivek Ramaswamy even richer. Instead of supporting Ohio families, the Republican legislature passed a budget that only helps their billionaire friends and special interests,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde. “Ohioans deserve better, and Republicans will have to answer for this disastrous budget in the next election cycle.”

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The post DeWine Signs Disastrous Budget That Will Cost GOP The Governor’s Race appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- This evening, Republicans voted to pass the $60 billion state operating budget just hours after it was finalized. While Ohioans see their bills go up and their quality of life drop, the same Republicans who’ve presided over Ohio’s decline just passed a budget that cuts taxes for the wealthy while taking from Ohio families. 

“Throughout this process, Democrats in the state legislature brought countless ideas to the table that put the people of Ohio first,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde. “Unfortunately, the budget that Republicans passed today only puts billionaires first. It has tax cuts and stadium giveaways for the wealthy while gutting public education and healthcare. Ohioans deserve a budget that works for everyone, not just billionaires. 

“Budgets, at their core, are a collection of choices. This GOP budget chooses to blatantly ignore the relief that everyday Ohioans are asking for and desperately need,” said House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn. “By choosing to benefit the ultra-wealthy while recklessly underfunding our public schools, forcing more local levies, and putting access to affordable healthcare and childcare further out of reach for people across our state, this budget isn’t just fiscally unsound, it’s a deliberate failure to govern for the people of Ohio.” 

“Make no mistake– this is a Republican budget with an agenda clearly outlined to reward the wealthy and well-connected through tax credits, vouchers, and the giving of funds to sports facility owners using Ohioans’ unclaimed funds, without requiring the wealthy to pay their fair share,” said Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio.

While Republicans brag about cutting taxes for the wealthy, there’s no relief for the majority of Ohio families. 

• Republicans just gave wealthy Ohioans a tax break while working families across the state will see no relief as they grapple with rising costs and economic uncertainty from chaos in the state and federal government.

•  Meanwhile, this budget cuts schools, libraries, and healthcare for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans all to give tax cuts to the wealthy and powerful.

Meanwhile, Republicans jumped through hoops to make sure funding for a new stadium for the Cleveland Browns and their billionaire owners made the final cut.

• When it became clear that Ohioans were overwhelmingly against taxpayer funding for billionaire football stadiums, Republicans used political gimmicks to fund it with taxpayer dollars anyway while hoping Ohioans weren’t paying attention.

• In the spring, reporting revealed billionaire Cleveland Browns owners donated $120 thousand to Republicans before making the ask for a new stadium funded by Ohio taxpayers. Even with massive opposition from Ohioans, Republicans had to make sure the Haslams got their money’s worth.

The budget also includes potential Medicaid cuts for over 770,000 Ohioans if current Medicaid cuts in the federal budget remain in place.

• This budget will end Medicaid expansion if the federal government match falls below 90%, which is currently being debated in Congress. Last month, Ohio was near the top in unemployment. Now, Republicans want to rip away healthcare from Ohioans who lose their jobs and Ohioans living in rural areas might have to go even further to find care when they need it most.

• While Republicans at all levels of government drive up costs and Ohioans struggle to make ends meet, the legislature decided to prioritize ripping healthcare away from hundreds of thousands of Ohioans. 

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The post The Big Bad (State) Budget: Republicans Cut Taxes for the Wealthy While Building Stadium for Billionaires appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- Ahead of the third anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs vs Jackson, Ohioans are still facing Republican attacks on their right to an abortion even after overwhelmingly voting to enshrine those rights in the state constitution.

Last week, Ohio Republicans in the state legislature introduced a bill to criminalize all abortions and ban IVF and some forms of birth control, including IUDs. Republican proponents of the legislation openly admitted their goal was to overturn the amendment that Ohioans passed in the Supreme Court. 

This isn’t the first time Ohio Republicans attempted to rip away rights Ohioans overwhelmingly voted for. Here’s tricks Republicans tried as it became clear their extreme agenda was out of touch with Ohioans.

First, Republicans tried to trick voters into changing the state constitution in a move that Secretary of State Frank LaRose openly admitted was 100% about… abortion. Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected them at the polls.

Then, Republicans on Ohio’s ballot board crafted confusing and incorrect ballot language that contained misleading information about what the amendment would do in an attempt to scare voters. Ohioans overwhelmingly passed the amendment anyway.

Now, even after a judge ruled that the amendment voters passed made Ohio’s six week ban unconstitutional, Republicans haven’t gotten the message. Republicans in the state legislature want to charge women who have an abortion at any stage with homicide, ban IVF, and some forms of birth control such as IUDs.

Ohio voters have spoken loud and clear, but Republicans instead are insistent on ripping away the rights Ohioans voted for. While Republicans work overtime to hurt Ohioans, Democrats will always fight to ensure Ohio won’t go back.

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Columbus, Ohio- Earlier this week, Ohio Republicans moved a budget forward that is packed with freebies for billionaires while gutting public education and ripping healthcare from Ohio families. The rigged Republican supermajority that presided over Ohio’s slip down the rankings is back with a budget that leaves working Ohioans behind while making sure to take care of their billionaire donors.

Check out what Ohioans are reading about the billionaire-first Ohio budget as it moves into conference committee: 

Signal Ohio: Near-final version of Ohio budget will knock adults and babies off Medicaid, experts and analysts say

• Lawmakers are close to finalizing a state budget that includes changes to Medicaid that could cause a significant number of Ohioans, including children and babies under three, to lose health care coverage.

• The state budgeting process began in January and is due to be completed at the end of June. But looming on the horizon are federal changes to Medicaid that could have the potential to cost Ohio billions regardless of changes it makes to the state program.

Cleveland.com: Ohio Republicans’ state budget priorities: Helping the rich while aiming to cut spending for the poor

• While lawmakers are still crafting the enormous budget plan, many of their current proposals would generally favor wealthier individuals while potentially creating difficulties for many struggling Ohioans. The Ohio Senate’s draft budget plan, unveiled last week, would offer a $1.4 billion state income tax cut, only for taxpayers making more than $100,000 per year.
• GOP lawmakers also generally agree that two billionaires, in particular, should get an additional $600 million: Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, who want the state money to help them pay for a new $2.4 billion stadium in suburban Brook Park. 

• To balance the budget, GOP lawmakers have taken aim at a variety of programs and services at various points in the budget process, including cutting funding to public libraries (a proposal that has since been removed) and programs that address lead poisoning, which particularly affects impoverished children.

Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio Senate GOP moves to give wealthiest Ohioans tax cut

• Ohio Republican senators have proposed a flat income tax for the state’s top earners, which would result in a projected $1 billion loss in the general revenue fund.

• Many cuts for programs that benefit lower-income families have already been proposed in the budget. Funding for schools, Medicaid, libraries, lead abatement, food banks and child care face funding decreases from the current status or from the governor’s budget.

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The post WHAT OHIOANS ARE READING: Republican State Budget Gives Wealthy Ohioans Tax Cuts appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- This evening, members of the Ohio Democratic Party’s State Executive Committee elected Kathleen Clyde as Chair. As she steps into her new role leading Ohio Democrats to success in 2026, Chair Clyde released the following statement: 

“After years of failed governance from illegal Republican supermajorities, Ohioans are seeing their bills climb and their quality of life drop while billionaires line their own pockets. With every statewide office and a U.S. Senate race on the ballot, Ohio has key opportunities to elect Democrats who actually work for Ohioans and get our state back on the right track.

Already, Ohioans are fed up with Republicans as they push a budget that prioritizes special interests and their billionaire backers while working families fall behind. I’m grateful to Ohio Democrats for putting their trust in me during this critical election cycle, and I’m looking forward to getting to work,” said Chair Clyde.

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Columbus, Ohio- As the Senate prepares to consider Trump’s budget bill, Senator Jon Husted is still dodging questions about his support for Medicaid cuts that could rip away healthcare from as many as 500,000 Ohioans. Cuts to Medicaid are extremely unpopular in Ohio but Husted doesn’t want to admit his vote was bought by billionaires and special interests. 

When asked directly if he supported cuts, he refused to directly address the question- instead claiming a budget that would actually cost working families access to food, healthcare, and more would save them money. He then went on to say there was a need to “find savings” somewhere. 

“While Husted dances around questions about whether or not he’ll vote to cut Medicaid, families across Ohio are anxiously waiting to find out if they’ll be able to access the healthcare they need,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Husted has previously admitted he just does whatever Donald Trump wants. Ohioans clearly can’t count on him to stand up for their healthcare.”

Ohioans can contact Senator Husted at 202-224-3353 to urge him to vote against any bill that will rip away access to healthcare. 

READ MORE reporting from the Columbus Dispatch about what could be at stake if Husted votes to cut Medicaid: 

• As many as 500,000 Ohioans could lose Medicaid coverage under federal legislation that aims to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda.

• The U.S. House passed a sweeping budget bill last week that would slash Medicaid and food stamps, cut taxes and roll back climate policies. The measure would make unprecedented changes to the Medicaid program, which serves over 3 million patients in Ohio.

• While Republicans who backed the bill say Medicaid restrictions will help the government save hundreds of billions of dollars, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating that it would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $625 billion, the decrease in revenue expected to result from millions of Americans losing their health insurance may exceed those savings.

• An early estimate from KFF, a health policy research organization, determined that 307,000 to 512,000 Ohioans could lose coverage – numbers that may increase under the latest version of the bill.

• Medicaid provides health coverage to over 1.3 million children in Ohio and pays for nearly 40% of births in the state. 

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The post ICYMI: Senator Husted Dodges Question on Medicaid Cuts appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio- Following the beginning of Pride Month, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters released the following statement:

“Pride month is a time to honor the contributions LGBTQ+  Ohioans have made to our state, reflect on the progress we’ve made, and commit to continuing to fight for equality for all. 

While there will still be celebrations across Ohio, this year will be undoubtedly tainted by the actions of Republicans in our federal and state government who have chosen to target LGBTQ+  Ohioans at every turn. Instead of addressing our state’s rising cost of living or corruption in our state government, Republicans would rather drive young LGBTQ+ Ohioans away from the state.

Democrats will always stand with the LGBTQ+ community and are committed to fighting alongside them for a more welcoming Ohio where everyone can thrive,” said Chair Walters.

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Columbus, Ohio – Early this morning, almost every Ohio Republican voted to pass the GOP’s budget reconciliation bill, which now heads to the senate for further consideration. Republicans passed a dangerous budget that will rip healthcare away from families, close hospitals, and create even more barriers for Ohioans struggling to put food on the table.

Ohio is expected to be one of the hardest hit states following cuts to Medicaid. The budget reconciliation bill alone could slash healthcare access for as many as 400,000 Ohioans. Over a quarter of Ohioans count on Medicaid to stay healthy. Now, the disastrous and dangerous budget coming from Washington has them questioning whether or not they can get the care they need.

As Ohioans grapple with rising costs of groceries brought on by the Trump administration’s reckless economic policies, this bill also wants to make it harder for Ohioans to receive assistance with paying for food. More than 600,000 Ohioans count on SNAP to put food on the table, but now they’re faced with uncertainty about affording their next meal. 

“Instead of working towards a brighter, healthier future for Ohio, congressional Republicans chose to take away food and affordable healthcare from their own constituents in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires,”  said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Ohioans deserve better than representatives who vote to hurt their quality of life while helping their billionaire friends.”

Ohioans can find contact information for their Republican Members of Congress here to make sure they know the consequences of their disastrous vote.

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The post VOTE ALERT: Ohio’s Congressional Republicans Rip Away Healthcare, Food from Working Ohioans appeared first on Ohio Democrats.

Columbus, Ohio – New research has revealed that if House Republicans pass their budget reconciliation bill and allow affordable healthcare tax credits to expire, as many as 400,000 Ohioans could lose their healthcare. Whether it’s rising doctors’ bills, risk of hospital closures, or ripping away healthcare all together, this budget will be disastrous and dangerous for Ohio.

Over a quarter of Ohioans rely on Medicaid to access the healthcare they need, but Ohio Republicans appear ready to vote for a bill that will rip away healthcare from families, punish workers who lose their jobs, and shut down hospitals and medical practitioners across the state. Republicans who vote for this bill will show their constituents that they’d rather sacrifice their healthcare to give tax breaks to billionaires. 

“Ohioans should be able to easily and affordably access the healthcare they need, but so far congressional Republicans have opted for more tax breaks for billionaires,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “We’re calling on our Republican congressional delegation to stand up for their constituents and vote against this dangerous bill.”

Ohioans can find contact information for their Republicans members of Congress here to call and demand they vote against dangerous cuts to their healthcare.

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The post 400,000 Ohioans Could Lose Access to Healthcare Under GOP Reconciliation Bill appeared first on Ohio Democrats.