Critics of the law that will allow state lawmakers to overturn Gov. Mike DeWine’s health orders say that could be costly when it comes to federal funding. Lawmakers overrode DeWine’s veto of that measure this week. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports.
Money in the CARES Act and other federal pandemic relief actions could be at risk if state lawmakers rescind DeWine’s state of emergency order when the law takes effect in June. John Corlett at the policy analysis group the Center for Community Solutions says just in the SNAP or food stamp program alone:
“If the legislature were to end the emergency order, the public health order emergency, that would mean that Ohio would no longer be able to provide about $90 million a month in federal food assistance to about a half a million Ohio households.”
Corlett says that could lead to more food insecurity, when food banks are serving 150,000 more Ohioans a month compared to last year. An analysis by the Congressional Research Service shows some emergency federal assistance and an employee tax credit for businesses could also be lost if the order is overturned.
