Rep. Brigid Kelly statement on latest GOP attempt to stymie state's Covid response

COLUMBUS –Ranking Democrat Rep. Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati) today issued the following statement as the House State and Local Government Committee prepares to hear testimony on House Bill (HB) 618, Republican-backed legislation to curb executive authority from the state’s health director during public health emergencies:

“HB 618 is a threat to the lives and livelihoods of our fellow Ohioans. This surge is taking a toll – on families, on frontline workers and on our economy. We all want to get through this crisis and reopen our economy, but that can’t happen until we get this virus under control, ensure the health and safety of workers and restore consumer confidence. That means listening to best health practices and heeding advice from the experts, not casting it aside simply due to petty politics. Ohioans are counting on us to do the work we need to do so that we can control the spread of this virus, get Ohio open for business again and build our economy back better than before. This bill will only slow our response, cost more lives and force more businesses into financial ruin. We can’t have a healthy economy without healthy Ohioans to power it. HB 618 is bad policy, plain and simple.”