Ohio Gov. Kasich Bypasses Legislature, Expands Medicaid

A state board in Ohio on Monday gave Republican Gov. John Kasich permission to expand Medicaid eligibility to about 300,000 low-income adults in the state.

Kasich took the unusual step of going to the bipartisan seven-member Ohio Controlling Board after months of wrangling with the GOP-dominated legislature, which refused to back the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. The vote was 5-2.

Some Republicans and outside conservative groups have threatened to take the governor’s actions to court, arguing that the Controlling Board, which oversees government spending, is not authorized to expand Medicaid.

If Kasich prevails, Ohio will become the 25th state to expand Medicaid and the eighth that is headed by a Republican governor.