In this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss Republican state lawmakers overriding the veto of a bill that limits the governor's power to issue emergency health orders. Former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft joins the show.
In this week's episode:
DeWine's Veto Problem
Gov. Mike DeWine has lost control of the state legislature, which is dominated by his own party. On Wednesday – in lightning-fast fashion – the Senate and then the House voted to override the governor’s veto of a bill limiting states of emergency and health orders.
The law, SB22, allows the legislature to reject or change any state health order as soon as it’s issued. It also limits a local board of health's ability to issue health orders. And the legislature would also have a say in extending or ending a state of emergency.
The governor tried to work out a compromise with lawmakers, but they rejected his last-minute attempts.
Lawmakers who are still upset by the many orders issued by the DeWine administration during the pandemic say the law provides a good check and balance on the governor. The governor and Democrats, who all voted against the bill and subsequent override, say the law unconstitutionally infringes on the executive’s authority to quickly issue life-saving orders.
It's not clear yet if DeWine will challenge the law in court.
Snollygoster Of The Week: Secretary Marcia Fudge
Former Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) is now the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. A week into her new job, she got a question about who she thought would win Sen. Rob Portman’s soon-to-be-open U.S. Senate seat. She did not endorse a candidate but did mention two Democrat friends who are considering a run.
Ethics experts told the Washington Postthat Secretary Fudge may have violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal government employees from engaging in politics while on government time or at a government facility.
Fudge later released a statement saying she should have stuck with her first instinct and not answered the reporter’s question.
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