COLUMBUS, Ohio – Supporters of Medicaid expansion in Ohio are taking the first steps toward putting the issue before voters if lawmakers fail to enact the provision by the end of the year.
Nearly 6,000 signatures were presented to the Ohio attorney general’s office this week to get the ballot process moving.
If state lawmakers fail to expand the federally-funded healthcare program to people earning less than 138% of the federal poverty level, the issue would go on a statewide ballot in 2014.
The proposal to expand the program to include 275,000 additional Ohioans was included in Gov. John Kasich’s budget proposal but was dropped by Statehouse Republicans under pressure from Tea Party advocates.
The group called Healthy Ohioans Work turned in approximately 5,800 registered voter signatures supporting the initiative. The state constitution requires that 1,000 valid signatures be filed with the initial petition.
After the initial petition is certified by the attorney general, the group says it will have to file another 115,574 valid signatures with the Secretary of State prior to the start of the 2014 legislative session.
In the second step, a draft of the bill is presented to the General Assembly, which will have four months to consider it. If legislators fail to pass it, supporters will have to file a supplemental petition, including an additional 115,574 valid signatures, which will have to be signed and filed with the Secretary of State within 90 days in order to be placed on the ballot.