Ohio’s opioid crisis has been tearing through the state causing one tragedy after another. For months, Democrats have been calling on Gov. John Kasich to release rainy day funds to aid in the fight. One Republican who wants to replace him was asked at a broadcasters' gathering to weigh in on that.
The state is seeing a shortfall in tax revenues right now, and Kasich’s administration is going through the proposed upcoming budget to find out what programs won’t be getting as much money as originally planned.
Many have questioned how that might impact the state’s fight against opioid addiction.
Attorney General Mike DeWine, a contender for governor next year, nodded his head when asked if he would resort to using the rainy day fund in order to bring more assistance to the epidemic.
“Let’s just say we have a crisis, we need to deal with the crisis.”
Kasich has repeatedly resisted calls to use the rainy day fund. He’s says Ohio’s efforts against opioid abuse have been mostly funded by Medicaid dollars on the federal level.
Copyright 2017 The Statehouse News Bureau
