Senate president promises override vote if DeWine vetoes oversight bill

(The Center Square) – If Gov. Mike DeWine vetoes a bill limiting his emergency powers, the Ohio Senate president quickly will schedule a vote to override – a change from what happened at the end of last year.

The General Assembly passed a similar bill in December that DeWine called dangerous and a disaster. He vetoed it, and, despite holding majorities in the House and Senate to override, Senate lawmakers let the legislation die.

That won’t be the case this time, said Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, who issued a news release after the House passed Senate Bill 22 and the Senate approved final changes to it Wednesday.

Huffman said if the bill is vetoed, he would schedule an override vote for the next Senate session.

“Thirty states have this type of oversight in place. The General Assembly truly represents the voice of the people from district to district and town to town,” Huffman said. “The governor’s office can still issue health orders during times of emergency. This simply puts the people at the table to not only monitor but also be part of the process.”

DeWine has said he would veto the bill.

The Senate would need 20 of the 25 Republicans to override. The bill passed the Senate with a 25-8 margin, a veto proof supermajority, according to Huffman’s release.

The House would need 60 votes to override. The legislation passed 57-38 on Wednesday, with nearly all Republicans voting in favor and nearly all Democrats voting “no.” Five Republicans were absent for the vote, however.

House Speaker Bob Cupp, R-Lima, said late Wednesday afternoon he is positive there are enough Republican votes in the House to override.

Senate Bill 22 limits the governor’s ability to create ongoing orders and creates an Ohio Health Oversight Advisory Committee, which would be made up of members of the House and Senate to review health orders.

The bipartisan committee would have the authority to rescind an executive order issued by the governor or a special standing order or rule issued by the Department of Health for preventing the spread of a contagious disease.

It also allows the General Assembly to rescind health orders by resolution, allows individuals to sue to the state over orders and stops local health departments from closing schools on their own, putting the decision in the hands of school boards.

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