COLUMBUS — A former Lima state representative and current state senate candidate has received an endorsement from a small-business political action committee.
The National Federation of Independent Business Ohio SAFE Trust formally endorsed Matt Huffman for the 12th Senate District seat, touting his experience as a small-business owner and his advocacy for reducing taxes and the cost of doing business.
“Matt Huffman has been approved through NFIB/Ohio’s member-driven process that thoroughly reviews candidates’ records, stated positions and understanding of small-business issues before an endorsement is issued,” according to Roger R. Geiger, vice president and executive director of NFIB/Ohio. “A fellow NFIB member, he earned a 100 percent voting record on our issues while serving in the Ohio House of Representatives.”
“The NFIB represents the best in American industry and workmanship,” Huffman said. The thousands of members provide employment and economic stability in communities across the nation. I am very proud to accept their endorsement.”
U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Robert Latta, R-Bowling Green: Legislation authored by Latta to rename the Findlay post office after former U.S. Rep. Mike Oxley was signed into law July 30, officially naming it the “Michael Garver Oxley Memorial Post Office Building.”
“It’s now official that the Findlay post office will bear the name of Mike Oxley, a committed public servant and good man,” Latta said. “Mike’s decades of service in the Ohio Legislature and the U.S. Congress deserve to be honored in his hometown and around the region. The Main Street post office is a central location in any community, including Findlay, and this law ensures his name and legacy will be remembered for years to come.”
U.S. Senate
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio: On Thursday, Brown, along with several other Ohio Democratic lawmakers, penned a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services criticizing a proposal to Ohio’s Medicaid expansion that they maintain would require non-disabled adults, including some pregnant women, to pay premiums for coverage that is currently free.
The state’s 2016-17 budget bill includes a stipulation that would require nondisabled adults on Medicaid to pay a premium to maintain coverage and would also impose caps on yearly and lifetime expenses. Additional co-payments and cost-sharing requirements are also included, according to Brown.
“Out-of-pocket costs should never prevent Ohioans from seeking care for themselves or their child — especially individuals who rely on Medicaid,” he said. “But that’s exactly what Ohio’s proposal would do — force thousands of parents, foster youth, and caretakers to pay more for care. We cannot let this plan be approved.”
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio: On Wednesday, Portman joined a bipartisan group of 29 senators, including Brown, urging the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to improve access to substance abuse treatment options “by amending the Institutions for Mental Disease (IMD) exclusion,” according to a statement from Portman.
Currently, Medicaid prohibits reimbursement to states for services provided by IMDs, such as residential addiction treatment facilities with more than 16 beds.
“Improved understanding of addiction pathologies has also informed novel therapies, and patients with (substance use disorders) can now manage addiction and reach recovery using medication-assisted treatments,” the letter reads. “There are numerous Congressional efforts underway seeking to address this issue, but we strongly urge CMS to use existing authorities to broaden treatment opportunities, such as by removing SUD treatment and facilities from the IMD Exclusion.”
Portman also held several opiate addiction-related appearances this week, including visits to Lakewood, Youngstown, Lancaster, Logan and Chillicothe.
