Press Release From the Buckeye Institute

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 9, 2021 Lisa Gates, Vice President of Communications, (614) 224-3255 The Buckeye Institute: Ohio Senate Budget Includes Some Bold Reforms, But Overall Spending Levels Remain Unsustainable Columbus, OH – Robert Alt, president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute, issued the following statement on Substitute House Bill 110, Ohio’s biennial operating budget, which was passed by the Ohio Senate on Wednesday.   “The budget passed by the Senate contains some good policies, but—at $160 billion—it unfortunately still leads Ohio down a path of unsustainable spending. Ohio policymakers—at the state and local level—must prepare now for when the federal spigot is turned off and there is less money pouring in from Washington.   “The Senate established Ohio’s first-ever education savings account program, which will give Ohio’s children the best chance to succeed and offers a huge step forward for students in every corner of the state. The Senate also recognized what The Buckeye Institute has argued in significant court cases across the state: municipalities taxing people who do not live or work within their jurisdiction is unconstitutional. Although the Ohio Senate expanded our state’s successful Targeted Community Alternatives to Prison (T-CAP) program, the Conference Committee must adopt the House policy to ensure Ohioans in need of treatment and rehabilitation receive it.   “As the Conference Committee begins its work to finalize Ohio’s budget, The Buckeye Institute looks forward to helping lawmakers ensure the fiscal strength of our state is sound.”  # # # Founded in 1989, The Buckeye Institute is an independent research and educational institution – a think tank – whose mission is to advance free-market public policy in the states. The Buckeye Institute is a non-partisan, non-profit, and tax-exempt organization, as defined by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. As such, it relies on support from individuals, corporations, and foundations that share a commitment to individual liberty, free enterprise, personal responsibility, and limited government. The Buckeye Institute does not seek or accept government funding. Donate Today! Support The Buckeye Institute Support The Buckeye Institute by setting us as your designated charity through AmazonSmile. Every time you make a purchase, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the total to The Buckeye Institute at no extra cost to you! AmazonSmile and the AmazonSmile logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

 

BREAKING: Republican Lawmakers Override DeWine Just One Day After SB22 Veto

March 24, 2021 Jack Windsor @ Ohio Star

COLUMBUS, Ohio – One day following Governor Mike DeWine’s veto of Senate Bill 22 (SB 22) – legislation aimed at rebalancing power by giving the Ohio Legislature oversight of government rules and orders – the Senate and House both took up the bill and both chambers voted to override the veto.

SB22 will become law in 90 days.

The Senate was first and voted 23-10.  Minutes later the House began floor debate and then voted to override 62-37.

House Majority Floor Leader Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) addressed questions about the constitutionality of SB22 in a floor speech Wednesday citing the Joint Commission on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) – a bicameral, bipartisan commission primarily responsible for reviewing rules of Ohio’s 100-plus agencies.  Seitz surmised that if a joint commission can make decisions regarding agency powers, then SB22 can check administrative rules and orders with a concurrent resolution (the law allows the General Assembly to cancel orders by concurrent resolution – which wouldn’t require a governor’s approval).

Seitz acknowleged the bill isn’t perfect, but noted that “changes down the line” that lawmakers could make “shouldn’t obfuscate the reason” SB22 was passed.

House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) delivered a speech against the bill, claiming that voting to override the veto was akin to “dragging 11.7 million Ohioans” into an argument over whether someone [DeWine] didn’t call you back [legislators] – saying that the General Assembly is out of their lane in matters of public health, as evidenced by non-mask wearing, non-social distance honoring members.

Senator Terry Johnson, SB22 co-sponsor, said during his floor speech in the Senate “it intrigues me when the word science is brought up.”

Johnson, a student of science who has practiced medicine for over 30 years, pointed out that opinion and emotion are not science – and the fact that the votes for and against the bill go along party lines is “politics, not science.”

Johnson, as he did in his first floor speech in favor of the bill before it went to DeWine for a veto, highlighted the 300 Ohioans who testified in favor of the bill when it was in committee.  “These are people who wanted to be heard.”  He continued, “I challenge the media to not do the stories about Terry Johnson” but to look into the 300 proponent testimonies.

“Ask them, ‘What happened to you over the last year?’ ‘What’s your opinion?’ Crickets are what I hear from the media.”

Major elements of SB22 include:

• 90-day limit to declarations of health emergency unless General Assembly chooses to extend
• General Assembly can act to rescind emergency declarations after 30 days with a concurrent resolution
• Orders and agency rules can be rescinded immediately by concurrent resolution of the House and Senate
• Oversight of orders applies to all state agencies, not just the Ohio Department of Health
• Oversight of orders applies to not just the Governor, but every state employee empowered to issue an emergency rule or order
• Ohioans who contest an order, rule or mandate will have the court case heard in their home county, as opposed to a Franklin County court
• Ohioans who bring legal action against rules, orders and mandates will be reimbursed for legal fees if the citizen wins the case
• Health departments cannot issue public health emergency orders or rules against a broad group or class of people – SB22 defines quarantine and isolation and thus applies lockdown restrictions to people infected or in direct contact with a medically diagnosed person
• Health orders have no automatic expiration date – a 120-day expiration is already part of Ohio Revised Code

The Ohio Star reached out to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for comment on the override and to find out if he intends to legally challenge the law.  Through his Press Secretary Dan Tierney, DeWine released the following statement:

It is too early to tell if there will be legal action. Governor DeWine will review the issue with legal counsel.

Governor DeWine, through his letter Monday and his veto message yesterday, made his serious concerns regarding Senate Bill 22 known to the members of the General Assembly and to the public.  In addition, those who provide healthcare and public health services across Ohio, as well as colleges, local officials, and community organizations, also expressed their deep concerns about Senate Bill 22. Governor DeWine remains focused every single day on doing all he can to ensure every Ohioan who wants a COVID vaccine can get one in the coming weeks, which is truly what will help Ohio put this pandemic behind us.

Jack Windsor is the Statehouse Reporter at The Ohio Star. Windsor is also an independent investigative reporter. Follow Jack on Twitter. Email tips to jwindsor@theohiostar.com.