Republican leaders in Ohio added a provision to the House's state budget last week in an attempt to take away the governor's authority to decide who qualifies for Medicaid, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The Republican leaders want the General Assembly to be given the authority to decide who in the state qualifies for Medicare instead of the governor.
House Finance Committee Chairman Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell) told The Columbus Dispatch the decision to include the additional language in the House budget was in response to Ohio Gov. John Kasich's choice to expand Medicaid in 2013.
"Our caucus is particularly cautious about abdicating any authority," Rep. Smith told The Columbus Dispatch. "That used to be under the purview of the General Assembly and is no longer that. It's such a big piece of budget that we feel we should have some say in approval."
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