Legislative Update

[Guest guest]

Dear Friend of ASO:

As Ohio's budget season progresses in the Ohio Legislature, I just wanted to share with you some updates on the Ohio Budget process and progress with the Early Screening initiative.

There are several initiatives that look almost certain to make it into the House version of the budget, which is passed first. The Governor submitted his budget in late March and the House has been furiously debating its version ever since. Included in the Governor's version and almost certain to be in the House version:

- a major increase in the Dept. of MRDD's budget to implement the Settlement. (For more detailed information on what the v. Taft settlement entails, visit http://ddc.ohio.gov/Pub/vStrickland.pdf.) This provides for an additional 1500 waiver slots funded with state money that will be distributed throughout the state. However, this represents an almost 9% increase in the MRDD budget and will have a large "target" on it.

- monies to cover and support Medicaid Buy In (For more detailed information on what is included in Medicaid Buy-in, visit http://ddc.ohio.gov/Pub/FFMBI.PDF.) A version of this passed in the Ohio Senate as SB4 and it has strong support in the House.

- Expanding Medicaid coverage for more children and allowing children over 300 percent of poverty to buy-in to Medicaid

- Modest increases in school funding coupled with efforts to reduce current school choice options, including voucher programs except for the Cleveland voucher program. Currently, this does not affect the Autism Scholarship program that was changed from a pilot to a permanent program under HB699 passed in the lame duck session in December, 2006.

With the exception of expanding medicaid coverage for children - each of these items was a recommendation from the report of the legislatively created Ohio Autism Taskforce.

Additionally, Rep. Bacon has introduced HB128, a Autism Early Screening Pilot program. While currently a "stand alone" bill, he sits on the House Finance Committee and will be amending HB119, the budget bill, with language similar to that in HB128. Dr. Jacquie Wynn, Dr. Suell Denny and myself testified before the House Finance Committee on Thursday, April 19 regarding this legislation. The testimony was very favorably received and Rep. Bacon expects no opposition. With HB128 having over 23 co-sponsors from both parties, we expect that this amendment will be part of the final House budget.

However, the House version of the budget has not yet passed - and we need to make our voices heard with our Representatives. Please encourage your constituents to contact the Representative (Representatives only at this time - especially those sitting on the House Finance Committee [for a complete list of member on the House Finance Committee, visit http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/Committee.jsp?ID=8 ]) to support the items in the budget that I've listed. To find your representative, visit Visit www.house.state.oh.us, click on “Your Representatives†and enter your zipcode+4. Best ways to contact are letters, postcards and fax. You can also call and speak to their legislative aides. Email is easiest, but also probably least effective, as many legislators are inundated with it.

Please check in on our website for updated information. If you would like to receive alerts on action you can take to help us in our efforts, please register on our website on the upper right corner of the Home page marked "Login".

Please support our efforts on behalf of persons with autism and their families throughout Ohio and make your voices heard!

Sincerely,

Barbara C. Yavorcik

PresidentAutism Society of Ohio701 S. Main St.Akron, OH 44311(330) 376-0211fax: (330) 376-1226email: askASO@...home: byavorcik@...web: www.autismohio.org

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