Bipartisan JobsOhio oversight bill gets first hearing

Disabled Ohioans. The Statehouse News Bureau’s Karen Kasler reports, “Disabled Ohioans sound alarm at big, sudden changes to Medicaid home health providers.”

A new version of an anti-fraud bill would ban family members from being paid by Medicaid to offer personal care services to disabled Ohioans. Dozens of disabled people and their advocates packed a House committee hearing late Wednesday to share their frustrations and fears over dramatic changes to Medicaid and home health care.

House Bill 795, known as the Safeguarding Healthcare Integrity through Electronic Location Data or SHIELD Act, has already been changed once before. Republicans on the Ohio House Medicaid Committee accepted a substitute bill that would prohibit family members from being paid by Medicaid for personal caregiving, and increases mandatory fines for Medicaid fraud ranging from $1,000 to $15,000. The bill still requires electronic visit verification or EVV, and would put new restrictions on home health care providers and suspend payments to suspect providers. The substitute bill doesn't include provisions related to publicly funded child care, which had been included in the earlier version of the bill.

Ohio State. WOSU’s George Shillcock reports, “Ohio State says nearly all remaining Strauss survivors have agreed to $100 million settlement.”

Ohio State University says nearly all of the remaining survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of former team doctor Richard Strauss have reached a $100 million settlement.

The Board of Trustees voted to agree to the settlement at a meeting Wednesday, saying 279 of the 280 remaining survivors have agreed to the settlement. Hundreds of others had already agreed to the settle with Ohio State in the past, with the university paying out more than $60 million to more than 300 others.

SNAP. Cleveland.com’s Alison Hartzell reports, “Ohio House passes bill targeting SNAP benefit fraud.”

A bipartisan bill aimed at preventing food stamp benefit fraud passed the Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday. House Bill 163 would begin the production of chip-enabled EBT cards, which are used to access Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

SNAP benefits are commonly stolen through skimming devices, which are illegal additions to card-reading machines that steal card information. According to submitted testimony, more than $17 million in SNAP benefits were stolen between 2023 and 2025.

ICE in schools. The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Dan Horn reports, “Supreme Court will hear arguments over Forest Hills schools' ICE plan.”

The legal fight over the Forest Hills school district's secret plan to respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions will go forward at the Ohio Supreme Court.

The court's justices on Wednesday rejected the school board's request to dismiss the lawsuit, which seeks details about a response plan the board approved in a closed executive session earlier this year.

Public court fight. The Akron Beacon Journal’s Stephanie Warsmith reports, “Miller-Moreno marriage ends in abuse allegations, nasty custody fight.”

U.S. Rep. Max Miller is involved in a nasty custody fight against his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno.

Moreno has accused Miller of abuse and he's sued her for defamation. The ugly dispute could have political ramifications for Miller, who faces competition in his re-election bid in November.