Ohio surplus due to Medicaid expansion, not to John Kasich's special skills

The Toledo Blade reported here . . . a year ago:

COLUMBUS — The infusion of billions in federal funds to pay for expanded Medicaid coverage in Ohio has had the side effect of dramatically increasing the state’s ability to put away money for a rainy day, as well as its power to borrow.

Ohio expects to finish the current fiscal year with a surplus of $970.4 million. It will transfer more than half of that amount at the last minute to help pay for proposed income tax cuts, unemployment compensation interest payments to the federal government, a proposed student debt reduction program, and other items.

But the remaining $374 million would be transferred to the state’s so-called rainy-day fund, budgetary reserves capped by law at no more than 5 percent of the general revenue fund. That would bring the balance in the fund to just under $1.9 billion, well above the current balance of roughly $1.5 billion.

FEDS RELENT: HUTAREE MILITIA RELEASES BEGIN

"Three of nine members of the Lenawee County-based militia charged with attempting to overthrow the government were released yesterday from Detroit-area jails," reports The Toledo Blade today. Defense attorneys do not seem to know why the government suddenly changed its mind about the conditions of release stipulated by Judge Roberts earlier in the month.

They have to wear electronic tethers, live with relatives in a weapon and ammo-free environment, cannot get gun permits or passports, drink booze, use drugs, listen to police scanners, and can't go out except to the doctor, to church, court and law appointments, and to work, among other restrictions.

The other six remain jailed pending decision on their release, presumably until similar arrangements for them are in order.

Read all about it here, here, and here.

FBI Looks Incompetent in Hutaree Militia Case

The lead FBI agent in charge of the Hutaree militia case, Leslie Larsen, was questioned by militia defense lawyers yesterday and couldn't remember many of the details from what turns out to have been a two year investigation, according to the Toledo Blade.

A judge was surprised that the FBI agent was unprepared to answer despite being notified to be ready last week, saying "she doesn't know anything."

The agent indicated she hadn't yet finished listening to the recordings made by an infiltrator of the group, and couldn't say whether the Hutaree weapons were in fact illegal because they were still (!) being examined. She also seemed unfamiliar with other reports from the investigation, nor would she say definitively that the group's leader had taught anyone how to build a bomb.

Read more about it, here.