COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cuyahoga County would lose a large chunk of state funding if county officials mail out unsolicited absentee ballot applications, under changes made Monday to the mid-biennium budget review.

Under an amendment adopted by the House Finance and Appropriations Committee, any county that doesn’t follow state law regarding absentee ballots would have its local government funding cut by 10 percent.

The amendment appears to be aimed at Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, who has submitted legislation to County Council asserting his right to mail out unsolicited absentee ballot applications to all registered voters in the county. FitzGerald is the likely Democratic nominee for governor this fall against incumbent Gov. John Kasich.

Cuyahoga County will receive an estimated $16.9 million in local government funding this year, according to a county budget summary. The measure wouldn't affect the $40 million or so that the county is expected to pass on to the city of Cleveland and other municipalities, according to House GOP spokesman Mike Dittoe.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/7950002/"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Should counties in Ohio be allowed to send out unsolicited absentee ballot without risking funding cuts?&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

In February, Kasich signed Republican-backed legislation that only allows the Ohio secretary of state to send unsolicited absentee ballot applications -- and then only if the legislature appropriates the money.

House GOP spokesman Mike Dittoe said in an email that the proposal was similar to the federal government requiring states to raise their minimum drinking age to 21 or lose 10 percent of their federal highway funding.

A final committee vote on the legislation, House Bill 483, will likely come Tuesday.

State Rep. Mike Foley, a Cleveland Democrat, called the measure “a direct attack" on his county.

In a statement, FitzGerald said the amendment was “not only politics at its worst” but a direct attack by House Republicans on how local governments pay for police, fire and other vital services.

“I would say they should be ashamed of their behavior but it is clear they have no shame,” FitzGerald said.