Rep. Lepore-Hagan calls for special legislative session to override Kasich veto, save developmental centers

COLUMBUS— State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) has urged Speaker of the House Cliff Rosenberger to convene a special session in order to hold a vote to override the governor’s veto of a budget provision related state developmental centers. Lepore-Hagan’s bipartisan provision in the recently passed state budget would have stayed the closure of the Youngstown and Montgomery Developmental Centers until further review by a 13-member commission.

“The vulnerable population that resides in these developmental centers is at risk of losing a place they consider home and the caregivers they consider family,” said Lepore-Hagan in her letter to Speaker Rosenberger. “It is our responsibility to respond to these quality of life issues with a fair legislative solution that reflects the nearly unanimous disapproval of the closures and its process.”

Text of the letter can be seen below:

July 15, 2015

Honorable Cliff Rosenberger

Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives

77 S. High St., 14^th Floor

Columbus, Ohio 43215

Dear Speaker Rosenberger:

I write to respectfully request that you convene session in order to hold a vote to override Item Number 6 of Governor Kasich’s Veto Message for Amended Substitute House Bill 64.

This provision created a Developmental Center Closure Commission requiring further review and investigation before closing state operated developmental centers.  This Commission was a direct bipartisan response by both chambers of the legislature to address the closing of the Youngstown and Montgomery Developmental Centers. Implementation of the Commission was overwhelmingly supported by the public and the budget language reflects input from community stakeholders, state agencies, employees, families and residents directly affected by this decision.

The Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services heard hours of testimony and received hundreds of letters and phone calls from concerned constituents throughout the state.  The vulnerable population that resides in these developmental centers is at risk of losing a place they consider home and the caregivers they consider family. It is our responsibility to respond to these quality of life issues with a fair legislative solution that reflects the nearly unanimous disapproval of the closures and its process.

I ask that you as Speaker of the House use your authority to take the first step necessary to override a veto by the Governor and hope that the Senate will also take action. I believe that by vetoing this well-vetted and widely supported provision the Governor is ignoring the will of the legislature and therefore the will of the people of Ohio.

I look forward to further discussions on this matter. If you have any questions, please contact my office.

Sincerely,

Representative Michele Lepore-Hagan

House District 58