For the first time in four decades, the Ohio Legislature has gone over the governor’s head to implement policy without his approval.
The votes in the Republican-controlled Senate mostly dealt with Medicaid spending and control of those dollars. Two veto overrides ultimately restrict the power of the Controlling Board, a small legislative panel led by a member of the governor’s administration that Kasich used to expand Medicaid in Ohio. The override means spending approval must now go through the full Legislature.
Republican Senate President Larry Obhof said overriding these vetoes helps restore legislative oversight.
"The administrative state has taken on what were traditionally, or what should be, responsibilities of the Legislature and we are starting to take some of those back," he said.
