Today, state Senator Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) released the following statement after the Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 22, which would give lawmakers the power to strike down executive orders during public health emergencies:

“I believe Governor DeWine needs to veto this bill. The Ohio Department of Health needs flexibility when responding to the Covid-19 crisis, especially as new variants of the virus arise. Yet the Republican majority is focused on passing what I believe is an unconstitutional bill that only further endangers lives by limiting emergency authority. This chamber’s priorities are wildly out of order.

“Ohio has already had over 943,000 cases of Covid-19 and over 16,000 deaths. Hundreds of thousands of people across our state are unemployed. One in ten households have reported food insecurity, and food banks are overwhelmed. In addition, 800,000 Ohioans are at risk of eviction.

“Are we really so far removed from reality that we are worried more about our own power as a legislative body than we are about the deaths of our constituents? We have a duty to protect lives, not endanger them while empowering ourselves. 

“We should be focused on building back our economy and helping the people in our state who are struggling the most. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to check their priorities and start doing the work Ohioans elected us to do.”