A group of Republican lawmakers has filed a lawsuit over the Ohio Controlling Board's decision to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the Columbus Dispatch reported Tuesday.
The suit, filed with the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday, claims the Controlling Board acted in violation of the state legislature by approving the $2.56 billion appropriation of federal funds to expand Medicaid in the state. Governor John Kasich (R), who backed the expansion, turned to the board for approval after the GOP-controlled state legislature balked on the issue.
"The Ohio Controlling Board's expansion of Medicaid violates the clear limits on its own authority, and accordingly, also violates the clear limits of the Ohio Constitution," the filing states, according to the Associated Press.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of six Republican Ohio state representatives who oppose President Barack Obama's health care reform law. Two chapters of Right to Life also signed on to the suit.
“Each representative is disenfranchised in his legislative capacity through the Controlling Board’s exercise of legislative authority,” reads the lawsuit.
Kasich's administration argued Monday that the action was legally sound.
"We believe this action is appropriate,” Greg Moody, the director of the Office of Health Transformation, said. “We were very careful to understand the nature of the authority that’s involved. We believe that we would prevail in a challenge, but it is not within our control to predict what the nature of that challenge might be.”
Last week, 39 Republicans in the legislature signed a letter protesting Kasich's decision to turn to the Controlling Board.
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