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April 16th, 2024

Ohio Legislative Update

Last Updated: April 16th, 2024

Overview

Springtime on Capitol Square is getting busy! As the legislature comes back from the primary election and works hard to finish priorities before summer break, G2G is fully engaged in the state capital budget process and planning several events. May is important for a number of reasons as we celebrate both Women’s Health and Mental Health month. Check out our events!

Governor Dewine's Priorities

Also on April 10, Governor Mike DeWine delivered his fourth annual State of the State address, which is the third consecutive year since the pandemic forced him to cancel his address in 2020 and 2021. While always a champion for children’s issues, this year Governor DeWine made this the prime focus of his speech.

Some highlights include:

  • School-based clinics for mental health support for students – Emphasized the Student Wellness and Success Funds and the new Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative to serve 375,000 residents and at least 61,000 students
  • Behavioral health workforce – Addressed how the demand for behavioral health services has increased twice as fast as the current workforce, needing 4,700 new counselors, 4,300 new social workers, 4,500 new chemical dependency professionals, and a substantial number of psychiatrists to meet the growing demands.
  • The Comprehensive Maternal Care (CMC) program – Focused on the need to identify where more practitioners can meet the needs of the state where half of all births are covered by Medicaid and expand on the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s current work with 138 Obstetrics/Gynecology (OB/GYN) practices across Ohio covering over 35,000 Ohio mothers.
  • Outcomes Acceleration for Kids (OAK) – Announced a new program to illustrate that Medicaid-managed care is shifting its focus to positive health outcomes instead of the business of care.
  • OhioRISE - Described how some children in Ohio have extremely complex behavioral health care needs and how this program will continue to connect families and children with the most complicated care to providers, serving an additional 14,000 families since the last State of the State address. There are over 11,000 children getting intensive care, and over 32,000 children enrolled in the program.
  • Family Connects pilot program to launch in 11 counties – Shared information on his new home visiting program called Family Connects that will happen in 11 counties across the state and enable every new birthing parent to be eligible for home visits from a nurse beginning three weeks after the baby’s birth. This aims to reduce infant mortality and address postpartum depression.
  • Childcare expansion - Governor DeWine highlighted two different strategies focused on advancing affordability of childcare and building capacity of childcare providers with the creation of the Childcare Choice Voucher Program. It will be available to families with incomes of up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and an estimated additional 8,000 families will benefit from it. Once a family is approved, the voucher will help cover the cost of tuition for 12 months. Payments will be determined by the child’s age and the type of childcare, with families’ copayments being set at 9%. He also outlined an $85 million Childcare Access Grants program for providers to increase capacity through new or existing programs, complete repairs, or to provide additional support to staff and families to support children with special needs.
  • Workforce development and marijuana - Discussed the recently passed statute that legalizes marijuana in Ohio and asked the legislature to further regulate the use of marijuana to limit smoking in public spaces. He expressed concern about the use of intoxicating hemp, commonly referred to as Delta-8, and asked that the legislature restrict the sale of these products to youth.

Ohio Events

Women Business Owners

G2G is proud to serve as the Public Policy Advisor for National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Columbus. We recently held a Legislative Meet and Greet where NAWBO members had the opportunity to share their business with legislators and what policies would help them grow and thrive! Women own more than 40% of businesses in Ohio. NAWBO was founded on the conviction that women business owners are entitled to a level and equitable playing field when starting and growing their businesses. We are passionate about deepening relationships with policymakers so we can do just that.

 

Mental Health

We invite you to join the Ohio Perinatal Mental Health Task Force on Wednesday, May 1st for a Legislative Reception from 5-7PM in the Ohio Statehouse Atrium. May 1st is World Maternal Mental Health Day and the first day of Mental Health Month. The perinatal period, from pregnancy to the first year postpartum, is a transitional period that can result in anxiety and stress. During the postpartum period alone, about 85% of women experience some type of mood disturbance. During the Advocacy Day, more than 70 advocates will meet with legislators to educate on perinatal mental health and why we must address this in Ohio. We will conclude the day with a reception with legislators, state agency representatives, stakeholders, and advocates. You may register for the end of day reception here.

 

Ohio Women’s Health throughout the Lifespan

Join Ohio Women in Government and G2G for a National Women’s Health Week webinar to educate and raise awareness on the status of women’s health in Ohio and discuss what state government and the nonprofit sectors are doing to help close gaps to improve women’s health. G2G Women’s Health Director Jamie White will join Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran and other experts for a thoughtful discussion on how we can bridge gaps for women in Ohio. This webinar will take place on Monday, May 13th 11am-noon EST. You can register here.

In the News

Shoutout Ohio interviewed G2G’s Founder, Liz Powell to discuss her small business in Ohio and how it has grown over the years. Liz shared why she started G2G, what she has learned since starting her business, and some of her favorite local spots in Cleveland, where G2G was started more than 15 years ago! You can read Liz’s feature here.