Rep. Weinstein calls GOP veto override vote dangerous for Ohioans

Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) joined House Democrats today to vote opposition to a motion to override the governor’s veto of Senate Bill (SB) 22, controversial Republican legislation that would threaten the health and safety of Ohioans by curbing authority from the governor and health director during public health crises.

“It remains my fervent belief that public health decisions should be left to public health professionals,” said Rep. Weinstein. “Republican legislators, who gave up on mask wearing and social distancing months ago, simply cannot be trusted to follow the science that keeps us safe.”

Democrats voted in unison against SB 22 earlier this month and sent the governor a letter urging his veto. A number of Democratic lawmakers issued statements Tuesday applauding the governor’s veto. 

Proponents of SB 22 made a number of false, inaccurate and misleading claims about the virus and the state’s response. Similarly, YouTube pulled down a recording of testimony from a Feb. 17 House committee hearing on House Bill (HB) 90, legislation that mirrors many of the same provisions of SB 22, for violating the site’s terms of service for spreading COVID-19 misinformation.

Opponents of both SB 22 and HB 90 include top state public health officials, who said the effort to roll back health orders would slow the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Statehouse researchers also called into question the constitutionality of the effort to strip executive authority from the governor.