Dewine: GOP bill to limit orders threatens Ohioans

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Gov. Mike Dewine predicted a chaotic future for Ohio in a letter Monday pleading with fellow Republican lawmakers to compromise on a health bill that would handicap the state's ability to issue any orders during an emergency on the same day the state surpassed 1 million COVID-19 cases.

The Republican governor vowed on Tuesday to veto a bill that was passed by the Gop-controlled Legislature earlier this month. The promise came hours after he issued a five-page letter outlining how the proposal would impede the administrative branch's ability to protect Ohioans, not only during the coronavirus pandemic but also amid weather emergencies, food contaminations, prison riots or terrorist attacks.

During his briefing Monday afternoon, Dewine said without providing details that he sent House and Senate leadership a compromise that would include their concerns for legislative oversight.

But for some lawmakers in his party, the governor's attempts to find common ground came too late.

Dewine's proposals over the weekend were just a last-minute attempt to delay the veto override, Senate Republican spokesperson John Fortney said Monday.

He added, if the governor "wanted to work with the General Assembly, that process should have started weeks ago when SB22 was in committee." The Senate still plans to override a potential veto Wednesday, Fortney said.

In his letter, Dewine also warned members of his party of the onslaught of lawsuits that will flood the state's courthouses under a provision of the bill that would allow anyone who feels aggrieved by a local or state health order to sue.