will not look to the full legislature to expand Medicaid
and is instead asking a seven-member legislative oversight panel to consider using federal funds for the next two years to expand Medicaid eligibility to more low-income Ohioans. The Controlling Board, which is made up of one Kasich appointee, four Republican legislators and two Democratic legislators, will make its decision on Oct. 21. The expansion would allow Medicaid, the government-run health insurance program, to cover all Ohioans up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or individuals with an annual income of $15,856.20 or less. The Health Policy Institute of Ohiopreviously found
the expansion would generate $1.8 billion for Ohio and insure nearly half a million Ohioans over the next decade.Cincinnati’s 2013 mayoral and City Council elections
may be on track
for the lowest ever voter turnout. As of Friday, the Hamilton County Board of Elections had processed 3,173 absentee ballot applications in Cincinnati. At the same point in 2011, the board had processed 8,964 applications in the city. The numbers come just one month aftera measly 5.68 percent of voters
cast a ballot
in the mayoral primary election, much lower than the mayoral primaries held on Sept. 11, 2001, the day of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and 2005.Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Hartmann
acknowledges Union Terminal is in need of repairs
, but he says the Museum Center must lower the estimated $180 million price tag on the project. “These are great facilities, but we don't have an unlimited amount of dollars, and I think taxpayers expect us to view their tax dollars in that way. I think that number for the Museum Center is too high right now. I've encouraged them to bring that number way down for (county commissioners) to consider having the property tax payers of this county pay for it,” Hartmann said.say witness intimidation is on the rise
, which could be making it more difficult to put criminals in prison. Judges are so concerned that they banned cellphones from their courtrooms after some residents used the devices to take pictures of witnesses and showed the photos in neighborhoods as an intimidation tactic, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer . Now, some witnesses are refusing to testify even when threatened with jail. To them, the threat of violent crime is so real that some jail time makes more sense in comparison.City officials plan to break ground today for a new police station for District 3 on the west side of Cincinnati. The district serves East Price Hill, East Westwood, English Woods, Lower Price Hill, Millvale, North Fairmount, Riverside, Roll Hill, Sayler Park, Sedamsville, South Cumminsville, South Fairmount, West Price Hill and Westwood.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asked the Ohio EPA to
explain in writing
why a proposed permit for Murray Energy’s coal slurry project doesn’t include certain pollution limits. Without the restrictions on specific toxic gases, the U.S. EPA could reject the project’s permit. Former Ohio EPA Surface Water Division Chief George Elmaraghy previously said his call to adhere to pollution limits for coal companies led the Kasich administration to fire him.Part of Ohio’s electronic food stamp system
temporarily shut down
on Saturday after a glitch cropped up at Xerox, the company that handles the electronic benefit system. The partial shutdown affected 16 other states as well.“eight must-read posts”
on Ohio’s new Common Core education standards.increased this week
, edging toward the U.S. average.Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble appeared in
Reuters’ list of top 100 innovators
for the third year in a row.hosts an in-depth look
at what it will take to find life outside of Earth. Hint: It requires more funding and public support.Early voting for the 2013 City Council and mayoral elections is now underway. Find your voting location
here
. Normal voting hours will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., although some days will be extended.
