Shortly after the Ohio House passed an amendment intended to curb the power of Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, Governor Mike DeWine revealed he would veto the amendment should it pass the Ohio Senate and make it to his desk.
At his daily press briefing on Thursday, DeWine explained why.
"Any attempt that gets in the way of our ability to protect the state of Ohio is a bill I will be forced to veto," DeWine said. "The actions we have taken under [current] law have been highly successful."
Under the proposed amendment to Senate Bill 1, any stay-at-home order issued by the Ohio Department of Health would be limited to 14 days. Should the Ohio Department of Health want to extend the order, it would need to be approved by an existing bipartisan committee called the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, which consists of five representatives and five senators.
That committee would then decide how long the order would be extended until, if at all.
The amendment was proposed by Republican lawmakers who have taken issue with DeWine and Acton's response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic), which has included a stay-at-home order in the state since March 23. As of May 1, Ohio began the process of reopening its economy, with plans in place for retail, hair salons, and bars and restaurants to reopen in the coming weeks.