Advocates for Ohio’s Future (AOF) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of over 500 state and local health and human services policy, advocacy and provider organizations that strive to strengthen families and communities through public funding for health, human services, and early care and education. We work to empower and support nonprofit organizations in the critical work they do, especially as it relates to lifting up the most vulnerable among us.

In even-numbered years, the Ohio General Assembly is tasked with passing a capital budget for the succeeding two fiscal years. The capital budget provides funding for state-owned infrastructure and community investment projects.

3.9 million Ohioans cast their ballots in the November 2023 election, representing a turnout of about 49 percent of registered voters. The results of Tuesday’s election represent victories for abortion rights advocates and proponents of marijuana legalization, however; the path forward for each issue varies.

Today, Advocates for Ohio’s Future (AOF) and Ohio Poverty Law Center (OPLC) released an overview of American Rescue Plan Act spending based on updates to their ARPA tracker website detailing state and local expenditures through August 2023.

Nationwide, scams targeting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have been more and more common. For a time, there was no recourse for SNAP recipients whose benefits were stolen. Now, you might qualify for replacement benefits.

We write to draw your attention to a provision added by the Senate and passed in the Am. Sub. House Bill 33 Conference Report that seeks to add costly and administratively burdensome barriers to healthcare for low-income Ohioans. We ask you to exercise your veto power to remove this provision from the final version of the state budget.

AOF commends Governor DeWine and the House of Representatives for their significant investments in programs that provide economic security, access to healthcare, help people get to work, and empower Ohio residents.

Unfortunately, the budget bill passed by Senate strips away many of the most transformative policies and investments proposed by the Governor and passed by the House of Representatives and moves Ohio further from that shared goal.

Ohioans from across the state will convene for a large public rally to summon our collective strength and show unified support for prioritizing investments in the real needs of Ohio’s citizens, families, and communities as final state budget (HB 33) deliberations continue among legislative leaders.

As a coalition of a broad range of health and human service organizations, we unite to identify and prioritize the greatest needs of people and families across the state. Though we’d like to think the challenges of the public health and economic crises are far behind us, the impacts are still being felt across our state.

On Thursday, May 11th, AOF Director Kelsey Bergfeld submitted written testimony to the Senate Medicaid Committee on our budget priorities in the Senate.

On Wednesday, May 10th, AOF Director Kelsey Bergfeld testified before the Senate Health Committee on our budget priorities in the Senate.

On Monday evening, the House Finance Committee released Substitute House Bill 33, which includes the first round of the House’s amendments and changes to the Governor’s Executive Budget. These changes are the culmination of more than two months of testimony before House Finance subcommittees from hundreds of witnesses.