Recent Webinars
Thursday, July 13, 2023
The Budget is OVER! Reviewing the Final Bill
AOF hosted this comprehensive review of the final budget bill, including what was removed by conference committee, what the Governor vetoed, what we won, and what we'll keep fighting for.
Thank you to our speakers!
Beth Kowalczyk, Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Kalitha Williams, AARP Ohio
Sarah Kuhns, Ohio Association of Foodbanks
Darold Johnson, Ohio Federation of Teachers
Amy Meade, Groundwork Ohio
Kelsey Bergfeld, Advocates for Ohio’s Future
Zach Schiller, Policy Matters Ohio
Download the slides here and view the recording below.
Friday, June 9, 2023
Run-Down of Senate Budget Changes
The Senate released its first round of changes to the state budget on Tuesday. AOF and our partner organizations were disappointed to see significant cuts and lost progress from the Governor's and House-passed versions across health and human services. Join us for an in-depth review of the first round of changes and a discussion of what's next.
Thank you to our panelists!
Joree Novotny, Ohio Association of Foodbanks
Amy Riegel, Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio
Elizabeth Hess, Groundwork Ohio
Steve Wagner, Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio
Mary Wachtel, Public Children Services Association of Ohio
Guillermo Bervejillo, PhD, Policy Matters Ohio
Download the slides here and view the recording below.
Friday, May 12, 2023
The Education Budget: Opportunities, Successes, and Threats
We hosted this webinar to dive into what's next for the state education budget in the Senate - including conversations on school funding, school meals, Student Wellness and Success funds, teacher salaries, school-based health care, and more.
Our incredible panelists were:
Darold Johnson, Legislative and Political Director, Ohio Federation of Teachers
Zach DeCamp, State Program & Policy Director, Mental Health and Addiction Advocacy Coalition
Jillian Russell, Hunger Advocacy Fellow, Hunger Network in Ohio
Download the slides here and view the recording below.
Friday, April 28, 2023
Run-Down of House Budget Changes
As part of our Budget Webinar Series, we're convening a roundtable of experts to cover all that was included in the House's first and second round of changes, the substitute Bill and the omnibus amendment. Thank you to our speakers!
-Angela Sausser, Executive Director of the Public Children’s Services Association of Ohio
-Guillermo Bervejillo, Ph.D., State Policy Fellow with Policy Matters Ohio
-Erin Ryan, Director of Policy Advocacy & External Affairs at Groundwork Ohio
-Amy Meade, Director, Center for Early Learning at Groundwork Ohio
-Kelly Vyzral, Senior Health Policy Associate at Children’s Defense Fund Ohio
-Gina Wilt, Advocacy Director at the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio
-Tim Johnson, Senior Policy Advocate with Ohio Poverty Law Center and Co-Chair of Ohio Lead Free Kids Coalition
Download the slides here and view the recording below.
March 24, 2023
Home and Community Based Services 101
In this webinar, we were joined by Beth Kowalczyk of the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Jordan Ballinger of Disability Rights Ohio to dive into what HCBS waivers are, what rates are, how do rates differ across systems of care, and why we're hitting a breaking point on rates in many care settings.
Download the slides here and view the recording below.
March 10, 2023
The Bottom Line: Tax Cuts, Deductions, and Credits in the Legislature
Between proposed tax changes in the state budget and the Ohio House Majority's top bill, House Bill 1, there are a number of possible tax changes on the table this General Assembly.
In this webinar, we're thrilled to be joined by Guillermo Bervejillo, PhD, and Will Petrik from Policy Matters Ohio to dive into what these tax provisions mean for Ohioans, health and human services, and the state's general revenue fund.
Download the slides here and view the recording below.
February 17, 2023
Budget Webinar Series: The End of COVID-Era Programs
This month, as the state budget process kicks off in the Ohio House, Ohio is also gearing up for the end of temporary Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit increases and for the re-start of Medicaid eligibility reviews.
We are thrilled that AOF Director Kelsey Bergfeld, Joree Novotny from the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, and Loren Anthes from The Center for Community Solutions could join us to dive into what’s coming, how Ohioans can prepare, and what advocates need to know.
Download the slides here and view the recording below.
February 3, 2023
AOF’s Priorities and The Executive Budget: What’s Good, What’s Missing, What’s Next
The Governor’s Executive Budget lays the groundwork for all budget work to come in the legislature - which is why we hosted a conversation with expert AOF members to break down the Executive Budget and analyze what’s good, what’s missing, and what that means for the next 6 months of advocacy.
Speakers Included:
Soley Hernandez, The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health and Family Services Providers
Tim Johnson, Ohio Poverty Law Center
Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, Ohio Association of Foodbanks
Darold Johnson, Ohio Federation of Teachers
Kelly Vyzral, Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio
Gina Wilt, Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio
Jordan Ballinger, Disability Rights Ohio
Beth Kowalczyk, Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Download the slides here and view the recording below.
August 19, 2022
A Billion Here, A Billion There: Where Have All of Ohio's COVID Relief Dollars Gone?
AOF and OPLC hosted this webinar to delve into how federal COVID relief funds have been spent and recommendations for immediate and long-term investments of the $1.9 billion Ohio has left to allocate.
Download the slides here and view the recording below.
May 2, 2022
Unwinding the Public Health Emergency: Ensuring Client Rights Are Protected
When the federal Public Health Emergency ends later this year, pandemic-related flexibilities and expansions for programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, and others will end. AOF hosted a conversation on client rights and legal options for ensuring eligible Ohioans maintain coverage for essential benefits.
Speakers included Ashley Socha, Managing Attorney, Public Benefits Team at The Legal Aid Society of Columbus; and Loren Anthes, Senior Fellow, The Center for Medicaid Policy at The Center for Community Solutions.
The full webinar recording is available below and the full slide deck is available here.
april 25, 2022
Ohio covid recovery coalition: public health emergency unwind webinar
In this webinar, the Ohio COVID Recovery Coalition, convened by Advocates for Ohio's Future, reviewed the impact of the end of the Public Health Emergency on Health, Nutrition and Family Stability & Supports.
Speakers included Loren Anthes, Senior Fellow, The Center for Medicaid Policy at The Center for Community Solutions; Kelly Vyzral, Senior Health Policy Associate, Children's Defense Fund-Ohio; Hope Lane, Health Equity Fellow, The Center for Community Solutions; Joree Novotny, Director of External Affairs, The Ohio Association of Foodbanks; and Tara Britton, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, The Center for Community Solutions.
The full webinar recording is available below and the full slide deck is available here.