With just two days to go before the budget is required to be signed by the governor, state lawmakers are expected to cast a final vote on it Wednesday. And there's a controversial provision that stayed in after Tuesday's all-day negotiations including House and Senate members.
The budget passed on a party line vote after the conference committee negotiations on Tuesday.
The budget includes a freeze on enrollments in Medicaid expansion next year. Gov. John Kasich’s Office of Health Transformation says up to half a million people could lose coverage.
Kasich has touted Medicaid expansion as a tool to fight the opioid crisis, and though there’s an exemption for the mentally ill and drug addicted, that provision is considered a likely veto target.
The budget had to be trimmed because of a projected $1 billion dollar shortfall.
It also includes new options for graduation for the class of 2018, and a sales tax holiday in August.
