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DeWine Warns He'll Veto Bill To Curb His Health Order Authority

By Karen Kasler

Published February 16, 2021 at 9:59 PM EST

Gov. Mike DeWine, at a press conference in his home in January 2021. [Office of Gov. Mike DeWine] — Gov. Mike DeWine, at a press conference in his home in January 2021.

Gov. Mike DeWine says while Ohio’s COVID numbers are trending in the right direction, the pandemic isn’t over. So he’s warning that he will once again veto a bill that would pull back on some of his power to issue health orders if state lawmakers send it to him.

Senate Bill 22would "establish legislative oversight over Governor's and health orders" and could come up for a vote in a Senate committee Wednesday.

But DeWine said the bill, which would create a panel of lawmakers that could review and rescind orders from the governor or his health department.

“This is not the time for us to be cutting our authority [or] the health department’s authority back in regard to protecting the people of this state," DeWine said. "It also has long-term ramifications well beyond this governor, well beyond this health department, well beyond this pandemic.”

And DeWine, the former Ohio Attorney General, also said he thinks it has a major flaw.

“It is, in my opinion, not constitutional," DeWine said. "So I think it would just be a grave, grave mistake and I’ve made it very clear to my friends in the legislature that if this bill would be passed I would have no choice as governor of this state to veto it.”

Medical experts opposed to the bill testified last week.

After criticism about a crowded room and virtually no masks in an Ohio Senate hearing on limiting Gov. Mike DeWine’s health orders last week, the room looks different today, as @OHdeptofhealth chief medical officer Bruce Vanderhoff and others testify against the bill. pic.twitter.com/E58KGVTrYd
— Karen Kasler (@karenkasler) February 10, 2021

Their testimony came after business owners, people opposed to vaccines and others spoke in support of it the week before.

Last year DeWine vetoed two bills proposed by his fellow Republicans that sought to curb his authority on closing businessesand levying fines for violating health orders. More were proposed, including a measure to cancel the state of emergency declared last spring and a bill to require lawmakers' approval for health orders, but they didn't pass.