July 18, 2020 Zachery Schmidt
For the first time as governor, Mike DeWine vetoed a bill Friday that restricted penalties for people who violate public health orders. Senate Bill (SB) 55, which was introduced by state Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), would have allowed Ohioans who violate public health orders to receive a warning rather than receive fines. According to the bill, if people did not follow the public health orders then it would result in a fine no more than $100 for each subsequent violation.
According to The Toledo Blade, a violation of a public health order related to an epidemic can be charged as a second-degree misdemeanor. If found guilty of this crime, a person could receive up to 90 days in jail and a maximum of $750 fine. When this bill was introduced in February 2019 it wanted to increase penalties for people who committed drug trafficking offenses near substance addiction services. In May, the clause about restricting fines became apart of the bill.
In his objection letter, DeWine says he supports the drug trafficking part of the bill, but not the one pertaining to the public health orders. “In the midst of this pandemic, now is not the time to change tactics and impede local health officials’ ability to protect all Ohioans,” the governor wrote. “Our collective goals are always to ensure the safety of the public, guard against the health care system from being overwhelmed, and allowing all Ohio workers and businesses to do what they do best, which is grow our economy.”............To Read More.....
My Take - I'm not entirely sure whether DeWine deserves the Darwin Award or the George Orwell Award, but either way, he's definitely qualified to be a member in good standing of the Club For the Galacticly Stupid.
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