Ohio AG rejects petition from anti-vaccine mandate group
An effort to ban all vaccine mandates and so-called vaccine passports did not clear its first hurdle Thursday.
It must go back to the drawing board after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost rejected some of the petition’s language.
Yost, in a letter rejecting the petition, said basic terms like “passport system,” “school,” and “businesses” were not defined.
He also said that the summary of the law being proposed missed out on important provisions.
The petition mirrors House Bill 248, legislation that impacts not just COVID-19 vaccines but all shots. That bill has stalled as state lawmakers focus instead on HB 218, which allows broad exemptions to mandates but could require vaccines for intensive care unit employees and children’s hospital workers.
For Stephanie Stock, who leads Ohio Advocates for Medical Freedom, HB 218 does not go far enough. Stock was one of the parties who filed the petition.
“House Sub Bill 218 leaves Ohioans with scraps of liberty and codifies vaccine discrimination among our workforce, school children and college students,” she said in written testimony, calling the bill “an attempt to pacify Ohioans” who want HB 248.
Some GOP lawmakers have attempted to force a vote on HB 248, but that hasn’t gained enough momentum. With the petition process, outsiders could force lawmakers to act or even put the issue in front of voters.
But Yost rejected the petition language, saying the summary of what the petition is proposing to put in law was misleading.
For instance, Yost pointed out the proposed law prohibits discrimination against an individual or a business for their choices regarding vaccination. But the proposal also defines discrimination as giving aid or incentives, which is not normally understood as discriminatory.
Yost also pointed out that the summary did not list exceptions, such as insurers requesting vaccination status for billing or care purposes.
“In total, the summary does not properly advise a potential signer of the proposed statute’s character and limitations,” Yost wrote.
Those pushing for the new law can revise their language and try again.
To propose a law to legislators, individuals must first file their proposal to the attorney general’s office with signatures from 1,000 Ohio voters. If Yost and the Ohio Ballot Board determine the measure can move forward, they need to collect roughly 132,000 signatures to send it to the Legislature for action.
If lawmakers don’t pass their proposal within four months, petitioners can gather signatures and put it on the ballot for voters to decide in the next general election.