Rep. Kent Smith calls GOP veto override vote dangerous for Ohioans

Rep. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) 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.

“Senate Bill 22 strips local health departments and the Ohio Department of Health of their ability to protect Ohioans from future public health threats. Republicans in the Ohio House and Senate were wrong to overrule this veto. Unless my Republican colleagues can guarantee all current and future Ohio residents that there will be zero pandemics in the future, this legislation born out of political spite is dangerous and reactionary.

“SB 22 originated in personal grievance and bruised egos - which is a terrible foundation for making public policy decisions. Everyone wants life to get back to normal but the goal should be to keep as many Ohioans alive as possible until that happens. Overriding the veto of SB 22 will make a few General Assembly Republicans feel more important tonight around their dinner table, but the reality is that there will be fewer Ohioans around future dinner tables because of this poorly conceived idea,” said Rep. Smith.

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.