Improving Medicaid, stopping gun violence, and addressing housing discrimination

Each day in our newsletter, we are highlighting stories and commentary from other media big and small throughout Ohio and the nation. If you’d like to get this feature directly to your inbox, please sign up for our newsletter here. 

Catching Our Eye:

History Thursday

The creative characterizations of the impeachment of Andrew Johnson given by President Donald Trump’s lawyers during the U.S. Senate impeachment trial caught my attention. I’m not the only one. University of Colorado history professor Paul Harvey sets the record straight in today’s History Thursday commentary.

All part of the experience. The Associated Press is reporting, “Ohio Medicaid seeks ideas for improving patient experiences.”

“Ohio’s Medicaid department is asking for input from companies and organizations familiar with the program on how to improve the experience of patients.

“A formal request for information released Tuesday outlines the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s vision for reimagining the program. The request is specifically directed at providers, associations, advocacy groups, data and information technology vendors and managed care organizations…

“It’s part of a DeWine initiative to examine the current health care experience of the government health insurance program’s 3 million consumers by reducing barriers, streamlining access and enhancing the delivery of health care.”
Ready, Aim… aim… aim… aim… The Dayton Daily News’ Laura A. Bischoff is reporting, “6-months after Dayton shooting, lawmakers still at odds over gun bills.”

“Six months after the mass shooting in Dayton’s Oregon District, legislative leaders remain deeply divided over the best way to address gun violence across the state.

“Minority Leaders Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, and Kenny Yuko, D-Richmond Heights, expressed disappointment that lawmakers have failed to fully embrace gun control bills while Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, and Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof, R-Medina, stressed the importance of self-defense…

“(Ohio Gov. Mike) DeWine asked lawmakers to read the details of his proposals.

“‘These are rational things to do. Again, I would ask members of the Legislature to look at this and read the bill, look at what it actually does. What you’ll find is it is very consistent with the Second Amendment,’ DeWine said. ‘This bill will save lives and we need to get it passed in the General Assembly this year.'”
Centuries of housing discrimination. WEWS in Cleveland’s Taneisha Cordell is reporting, “Zoning practices reveal racial segregation in Cuyahoga County, according to study.”

“The Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research’s January 2020 study shows zoning practices in Cuyahoga County fuel racial segregation…

“The U.S. Supreme Court struck down racial zoning in 1916 (Buchanan v. Warley) and racial deed restrictions in 1948 (Shelley v. Kraemer). It is within this context that white Americans came to identify apartments as a noxious use and renters as a proxy for race and class. Their solution would be the exclusive single-family use district, according to the Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research’s study…

“(Senior Research Associate Micheal) Lepley said 11 cities within the county ban rental properties like duplexes and apartments, according to city codes. He said in some cases this was done to keep people of color and lower income families from living in those cities.”