COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Supporters of extending Medicaid inOhio have abandoned an effort that could
have put the issue before theswing state’s voters, because they say two actions by state officialshave made
the expansion a reality.Two key players with theHealthy Ohioans Work coalition said Monday they have
withdrawn apetition that was at the heart of their effort. Jon Allison and SeanMcGlone filed the paperwork
with Ohio’s secretary of state Dec. 4.Thegroup of health advocates, labor groups and others launched
theirpetition effort in September, after state lawmakers balked at the ideaof expanding Medicaid, the
federal-state program for the poor anddisabled.The coalition was collecting signatures to force
theLegislature to act on Medicaid expansion. Under their petition, iflawmakers passed, amended or took no
action the proposal, then theycould have sought to get the issue on 2014 ballots.The move todrop the
petition comes after the state’s Medicaid department acted toextend Medicaid coverage and a legislative
board voted in October toapprove federal funds to cover the roughly 366,000 newly eligibleMedicaid enrollees
beginning in January.Two anti-abortion groupsand six Republican lawmakers have sued to overturn the funding
decisionby the state Controlling Board. The Ohio Supreme Court has yet to rulein the case.Both Allison and
McGlone acknowledged the legalchallenge in a statement, saying they "are hopeful that the Court
willconfirm that the Controlling Board’s action was lawful and proper."Theboard’s approval only allows
the state to spend the federal money onthe newly eligible Medicaid group through mid-2015, the end of
thecurrent state budget. Then, additional legislative action would beneeded to make sure future federal
funds continue to cover the expandedpopulation.The Service Employees International Union, District1199, had
been among the petitioners in the effort. The head of thelabor organization said in a written statement that
it was a "dangerousgamble" to withdraw the petition before a decision by the state’s
highcourt."The actions of the Ohio Controlling Board and Departmentof Medicaid were good first steps
toward Medicaid Expansion, however,withdrawing at this time not only places the incomplete solution
oftemporary expansion at risk pending a ruling of the Ohio Supreme Courtbut now also takes away the ability
for voters to take this issue to theballot in 2014," said Becky Williams, president of the
ServiceEmployees International Union, District 1199.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rightsreserved.
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