It may seem like the budget is coming down to the wire. But waiting till the last minute to get the budget in place is pretty typical.
The three budgets Kasich has seen were all signed as the fiscal year was ending on June 30, after being passed by state lawmakers just days before. But the question isn’t whether the budget will be signed on time but how many provisions Kasich will veto. He struck seven items in the first budget he signed in 2011, then issued 22 vetoes in 2013. In 2015, Kasich crossed out 44 items. And this time, he’s expected to veto a big provision – a freeze on enrollment in Medicaid expansion, a program he launched after fighting against lawmakers in his own party. And it’s also notable that Kasich’s Medicaid department would have to ask the federal government to approve the freeze, though Kasich has credited Medicaid expansion as helping with the state’s deadly opioid crisis.