Temporary State Budget Already Leading To Cuts

COLUMBUS, Ohio —While the budget stalemate continues at the Statehouse the pain is already being felt across Ohio. State agencies are dealing with 30 percent cuts as part of the temporary budget passed by lawmakers. The cuts have handcuffed state employees from spending monies that would otherwise be there if the state had a working budget.

The Ohio Department of Health is paying for essential services only right now and delaying grant money payments to agencies that provide immunizations.

Programs such as Help Me Grow, which provides health and developmental services for expectant parents, newborns, infants and toddlers, as well the WIC program, providing nutritional supplements for lower-income women, infants and children at risk for health problems due to inadequate nutrition, have seen delays in grant money payouts.

The state is not just spending less, it is taking in less revenue. Nursing homes are getting a tax break of more than $5 per bed per day because the next budget has not been finalized.

“We’re losing almost $1 million a day in franchise fees,“ said Brian Harter, spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. “That’s going to force the counties to really make some
difficult choices and difficult decisions.“ 

ODJFS does not have the money to spend on a Medicaid consumer hotline averaging 1,000 calls a day, or to give to counties that rely on funding for child welfare administration or genetic testing services.

Franklin County Children Services says the temporary budget already is costing them funding for relatives who take in children in need, funding for adoption assistance and monies for foster parent training.
And as the Office of Budget and Management has directed state agencies to halt purchasing and shipping, the Department of Natural Resources staff has instructed staff to decrease vehicle usage, and stop traveling meetings, training and conferences.

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