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Showing posts with label Ohio Health Care Compact. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ohio Health Care Compact. Show all posts

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Updates:Gov. Kasich (RINO) on renewable energy and other bills


art credit: redstate


In an article “Kasich Veto Draws Cheers From Environmental Lobby,” Steve Byas at The New American reports:

Once again, Ohio Governor John Kasich  used his veto power to kill yet another bill favored by conservatives in his state. On Tuesday, he killed a bill that would have made renewable energy benchmarks voluntary, rather than mandatory, for the next two years.

Kasich defended his action, saying, “Ohio workers cannot afford to take a step backward from the economic gains that we have made in recent years, however, and arbitrarily limiting Ohio’s energy generation options amounts to self-inflicted damage to both our state’s near and long-term economic competitiveness.” Of course, how suspending mandatory benchmarks imposed on electric companies would limit the companies’ “energy generation options," as opposed to doing exactly the opposite, Kasich did not explain.

Not surprisingly, the Environmentalist Lobby cheered Kasich, who ran for president this year as a Republican. The Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, and Ohio Consumers’ Counsel all praised the veto. The “benchmarks,” as they are called, were created by legislation in 2008, requiring electric companies to gradually obtain more energy from “renewable sources,” rather than being allowed simply to make a free market decision to buy the least expensive electricity.

Senator Bill Seitz (R-Cincinatti), however, was not pleased. “It is apparent that Gov. Kasich cares more about appeasing his coastal elite friends in the renewable energy business than he does about the millions of Ohioans who decisively rejected this ideology when they voted for President-elect Trump,” Seitz said in a press release. “We can only hope that President Trump and his amazing cabinet of free market capitalists will save us from this regulatory overreach of Al Gore-style policies that take unnecessary money out of ratepayers’ pockets.”

Seitz said he would move to totally repeal the mandates in the next legislative session.

Kasich made it clear by his veto that he does not trust the free market to sort out which type of energy source is best for Ohio consumers. This veto is a confirmation for many more conservative Republicans that Kasich is simply not a conservative.

Ohio legislators can return to Columbus to override this veto, if they wish. . .

During the Republican presidential contest, Kasich defended the implementation of controversial Common Core standards in his state, and attacked fellow Republican candidates who opposed them — fellow governors Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, as well as former Governor Mike Huckabee, and U.S. Senators Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. At the time, Donald Trump was not mentioned, although Trump also opposed Common Core, seen by conservative opponents as an attempt to nationalize public education.

There have been numerous other deviations from conservative principles by Kasich, including his backing of the expansion of Medicaid in Ohio under ObamaCare. When Kasich was in Congress, he was one of only 42 Republicans who voted for President Bill Clinton’s ban on assault rifles. He also favors granting U.S. citizenship to illegal aliens.

Clearly, Republican primary voters made a good decision to reject John Kasich for the Republican nomination for president.

And another item on the 2017 New Year’s Wish List to Columbus lawmakers: Pass the Ohio Health Care Compact.
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Monday, December 5, 2016

ALERT! Ohio Health Care Compact coming up again in Ohio Senate Committee!




Late last week, Cleveland Tea Party blogged about the re-emergence of the Health Care Compact as a key part of the solution in rolling back Obamacare. Rep. Tom Price,M.D. (R-GA) is President-Elect Trump’s nominee to head up Health and Human Services, and Price is a longtime advocate of the Health Care Compact.

Last year, the Ohio House passed the Ohio Health Care Compact, and then the bill stalled. It was supposed to come to a vote in the Senate but nothing happened. However, with the incoming administration and Rep. Price’s upcoming nomination, something is percolating in Columbus. The Senate Committee is finally planning to reconsider the bill (and hopefully get the bill passed out of Committee for a vote).

The committee reviewing the legislation is the Government Oversight and Reform, and that committee website is here.

At this link, you can access the Chair, Sen. Bill Coley (R); Vice-Chair Bill Seitz (R); and Ranking Minority Member Kenny Yuko (D). You can access these and the rest of the members of the Committee by phone or by email. Urge them to support the Ohio Health Care Compact (HB 34); if you are emailing, just click on the committee member's picture to access the "contact" options, then choose the health-related drop-down subject line and type in that you support putting the Ohio Health Care Compact before the full Senate. That’ll take a few seconds. And if you have a little bit more time, call or email them to let them know WHY you support it.

If you previously submitted proponent testimony in support of the Ohio Health Care Compact in 2014 or 2015, this is the time to update your testimony and resubmit it directly to Chair, Sen. Bill Coley. Or write up a few paragraphs now and email the Chair. 
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Thursday, December 1, 2016

The Health Care Compact: Moving to the front burner?



art credit: before it's news

Richard Fernandez (Wretchard’s Belmont Club, posting at PJ Media) speculates that the Health Care Compact may be one of the best options available to dismantle and repeal Obamacare. Rep. Tom Price, the nominee to head Health and Human Services, is a long-time advocate of the Health Care Compact. Here are a few extracts from Fernandez’s report:

According to the Congressional record the HCC [Health Care Compact]  would give "primary responsibility for regulation of health care to the state. Federal and state laws remain in effect in a member state until suspended by the state.  A member state is responsible for federal funding obligations that remain in effect in the state. Each year, a member state is entitled to federal funds equal to the total federal spending on health care in the state during FY2010, adjusted for inflation and population."  It turns federal funds into what amounts to a block grant, leaving states free to create, cooperate and compete.

The HCC specifically does not affect the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration. "The compact establishes the Interstate Advisory Health Care Commission to collect information and data to assist member states in their regulation of health care. The commission may make non-binding recommendations to the member states."

That would ironically make it an ideal vehicle for states like Vermont or California whose voters are largely opposed to the Trump administration to roll their own health care and effort in which other like-minded liberal states can join them.  HHS nominee Tom Price's rhetoric suggests he would have no objections in principle to  taking Washington out of the picture. In a quote cited by the Wall Street Journal Price said:  “We think it’s important that Washington not be in charge of health care,” the six-term congressman said in an interview this summer. “The problem that I have with Obamacare is that its premise is that Washington knows best.”

The general tenor of an Obamacare replacement plans emphasize giving consumers money to pick and choose policies instead of forcing them to consume Federally prescribed products.
. . .
The HCC like so many other dark horses in this year of unexpected upsets is now a real player.  Too many impossible things have taken place for anyone to easily dismiss anything out of hand now.  The next few weeks will give a clearer indication of where health care policy is trending.  But one thing is for sure.  The long shot's not such a long shot any more.

The article includes a key quote from (gasp) the New York Times. Read it and the rest of Fernandez’s article here.

The last time Cleveland Tea Party reported on the Ohio Health Care Compact was October 2015, when the House in Columbus passed the bill.  At that time, it was headed for the Senate. Perhaps the time has come.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Ohio Health Care Compact vote postponed


art credit: autoenrolment.org. 

Ohio Patriots: The Ohio Health Care Compact (HB 34) vote that was scheduled for yesterday (Tues., June 30) has been postponed. The vote will be re-scheduled most likely after the summer break. We'll send out updates in due course.
Meanwhile, thank you to all patriots who phoned or emailed legislators in Columbus earlier this week. Ultimately, support of the bill in the House looks good.

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Monday, November 24, 2014

Health Care Compact and Common Core Alerts


Photo credit: the pomoblog.com


The end of this legislative session is coming fast, and any Ohio House bills, even if passed out of committee, that have not been brought to the floor for a full vote by December 31st, will be null and void.  
Therefore, there are two House bills that need our immediate and unrelenting attention - Common Core Repeal Bill (HB 597) and the Health Care Compact Bill (HB 227).
It's time our legislators stop hiding in the shadows and show us they stand with the taxpaying citizens of Ohio. 
The Health Care Compact
The Nail in Obamacare's Coffin
After fighting Obamacare for over 4 years, and Ohio citizens' overwhelming support of the Ohio Health Care Freedom Amendment - it is inconceivable that a GOP elected official from Ohio could be undecided on the Health Care Compact, but such is the case.
Please take a few minutes out of your day and call and email ALL the below GOP Ohio House members that are either "Leaning Yes" or "Undecided" on whether they want true health care freedom, and the ability to remove Ohio from the clutches of Obamacare, once and for all.
Your message can be short and to the point: -
"Citizens of Ohio voted in support of Health Care Freedom. We can only achieve this with your support of HB 227, the Health Care Compact."
Let's make the calls & emails and win this fight against Obamacare in Ohio! 

"Lean Yes"

Rep. Peter Stautberg / District 27
Phone: (614) 644-6886
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Stephanie Kunze / District 24
Phone: (614) 466-8012
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Timothy Derickson / District 53
Phone: (614) 644-5094
Contact: Click Here


"Undecided"

Rep. Richard Adams / District 80
Phone: (614) 466-8114
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Marlene Anielski / District 6
Phone: (614) 644-6041
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Ron Amstutz / District 1
Phone: (614) 466-1474
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Nan Baker / District 16
Phone: (614) 466-0961
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Tim Brown / District 3
Phone: (614) 466-8104
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Mike Dovilla / District 7
Phone: (614) 466-4895
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Terry Johnson / District 90
Phone: (614) 466-2124
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Ross McGregor / District 79
Phone: (614) 466-2038
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Dorothy Pelanda / District 86
Phone: (614) 466-8147
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Gary Scherer / District 92
Phone: (614) 644-7928
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Bob Hackett / District 74
Phone: (614) 466-1470
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Michael Henne / District 40
Phone: (614) 644-8051
Contact: Click Here

Rep. Bill Hayes / District 72
Phone: (614) 466-2500
Contact: Click Here

For more information on the HCC you can go to: 


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