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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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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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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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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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