State lawmakers have overridden a quarter of Gov. John Kasich’s 48 vetoes. And they could do more in the next two weeks. And Kasich has said he’d also veto the so-called "Stand Your Ground" self-defense bill and the six-week abortion ban called the Heartbeat Bill that recently passed the House. Those vetoes and what lawmakers do about them could say something about the outgoing governor's relationship with his fellow Republicans in the legislature.
One possible override is Kasich’s veto of the budget’s freeze on Medicaid expansion enrollment, which could kick off 400,000 recipients and switch Ohio to a partial expansion. Kasich said he’s not negotiating with lawmakers on this: “They all understand this issue.”
And Kasich doesn’t speculate on why lawmakers would send the Stand Your Ground and Heartbeat Bills to him though he has promised vetoes. But he said Republicans ran for re-election this year on jobs and tax cuts. “They didn’t run on abortion, guns, taking away people’s health care. I never heard that out of any of them. So I think it’s really important that they remember what their campaign promises were," Kasich said.
Lawmakers have said they want more authority on spending and public policy.
(NOTE: the full interview with Gov. John Kasich, where he talks about Lordstown, graduation requirements, his plans for the future and his thoughts on politics, will air on "The State of Ohio" this weekend.)