After Ohio extended its stay-at-home order -- now known as the "Stay Safe Ohio" order -- until May 29, those who have opposed the state's coronavirus (COVID-19) policies were critical of its top decision-makers, in particular Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton.
Asked about the criticism Acton has received from some, including members of the Ohio House of Representatives, Governor Mike DeWine made it clear that when it comes to the state's coronavirus policies, he's the one in charge.
"The buck stops with me. I see some of the tweets. I see some of the things that people write. And that's fine. In a democracy, in a country like ours, a state like ours, people have every right to look at a state official and say, 'Hey, you're not doing a good job. I don't like what you're doing. Here's what you should be doing. Fair game,'" DeWine said. "But I would remind everyone that every member of the cabinet, I appointed. And I'm responsible for every member of the cabinet. And for those who want to write something about Dr. Acton or any other member of my cabinet, come to me.
"I'm the responsible person. The buck stops with me. I have no problem with that at all. As far as popularity, my wife, Fran, is pretty wise about a lot of things. And she's very wise about that. As we're moving forward and people would be saying, 'Hey, you're doing a great job, etc.' Fran would always remind me that things will always change. This is not a popularity contest. That is not what this is about. We have lives at stake, we have an economy at stake, we have jobs at stake. So I literally don't pay any attention to -- people saying, 'you're doing a great job,' I appreciate it. People saying, 'you're doing a bad job,' I understand it. I try to listen. But ultimately, our job is to listen; our job is to take all the input. But I'm ultimately responsible. For those who want to say something about Dr. Acton -- it's a cheap shot. Don't call them her orders. Call them my orders."
Earlier this week, DeWine announced plans for Ohio to begin the process of reopening its economy, with some businesses including dentists and veterinarians reopening on Friday. The extension of the "Stay Safe Ohio" order as businesses such as restaurants, gyms and salons, however, resulted in criticism of DeWine and Acton, with protesters gathering at the Statehouse during their daily press briefing and some Republican state representatives calling for a full reopening of the state.
While the "Stay Safe Ohio" order remains in effect until May 29, DeWine said not to read too much into that date and that he expects to announce plans to reopen restaurants and salons as soon as next week.