Russo addresses Highland County Democrats at spring dinner

Highland County Democrats celebrated the speakers, the season and some surprises during their Spring Dinner last Tuesday at Hillsboro’s Nazarene Church.

The evening opened with an abundant buffet and an array of colorful, creative silent auction items, plus remarks from Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner.

Democratic Chair Dinah Phillips welcomed the special guest, Ohio State Representative Allison Russo, who is serving her fourth, and final, term in the Ohio House of Representatives. In her wide-ranging comments, the legislator discussed the proposed state operating budget and specific consequences of its adoption.

“I voted against the bill because it slashes critical state funding areas but fails to benefit everyday Ohioans,” Russo said. “It will dismantle the current constitutional, bipartisan, fair school funding formula just to dump more taxpayer money into vouchers for entirely unaccountable charter non-public and private schools.

“It will not benefit the 90 percent of Ohio’s school age children who attend local public schools, like those in Hillsboro and other rural communities. It will force local school districts to recklessly spend down cash reserves or lose funding, which means public school districts will have to rely more heavily on local levies, more often, even though Ohio is already the most levied state in the nation.”

She explained one particular threat to low-income Ohioans.

“This bill makes it easier to kick 770,000 Ohioans off Medicaid by implementing a mandatory trigger to withdraw from Medicaid expansion if there is even just a one-dollar decrease in the federal reimbursement program,” Russo said. “It’s a cruel, unnecessary excuse to keep hundreds of thousands of Ohioans from health care coverage. And, it will put numerous hospitals at risk for immediate closure, particularly in rural communities like Highland County, because Medicaid expansion covers such a large percentage of their patients.”

Russo believes the bill will cost Ohioans more but won’t meet Ohio’s most pressing needs because “it fails to provide real property tax relief, but cuts key investments from childcare, public libraries, affordable housing, pediatric cancer research, lead abatement funding, food assistance and programs that save the lives of mothers and babies.

“It cuts $120 million — nearly 45 percent of funding — to the programs that clean up our waterways and protect our drinking water, but authorizes a $600 million handout to billionaires to build a new Browns stadium,” Russo said. “Our people deserve better than a plan that puts politics over people and will cost Ohioans dearly.”

The bill passed in the Ohio House of Representatives, 60-39 and now heads to the Ohio Senate.

Russo surprised the group with a special guest of her own, former first lady of Ohio Frances Strickland, who was greeted with applause, delight and a throng of well-wishers after the program.

Committee Chair Bootsie Robison said, “This was a great night. Everyone on the committee contributed to a successful event. The silent auction was especially impressive this year, from the original art and beautiful floral baskets to Ohio State memorabilia and honey themed gifts. Allison Russo was charming and informative, and her insight was really appreciated. We need a few more like her.”

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