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Debate in Ohio over responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

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These pages were updated from March 2020 through June 2020 and do not contain the latest commentary available. To submit arguments for inclusion on this page, email editor@ballotpedia.org. To learn how Ballotpedia decides which arguments to feature, click here.


Ballotpedia is providing comprehensive coverage of how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting America's political and civic life. In addition to monitoring federal, state, and local responses to the coronavirus, we are also capturing the nationwide and local debates on whether to extend or lift coronavirus-related restrictions affecting the economy, schools, government operations, public health, religious services, and travel.

These arguments come from a variety of sources, including public officials, journalists, think tanks, economists, scientists, and other stakeholders. We encourage you to share the debates happening in your local community to editor@ballotpedia.org.


This article covers the debate over continuing restrictions and closures in Ohio in response to the coronavirus pandemic. You will find the following:


Debate over re-opening in Ohio

See also: Debate over stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on re-opening in Ohio.

  • Governor Mike DeWine (R) (The Columbus Dispatch): On April 27, 2020, Governor Mike DeWine announced a phased plan to re-open Ohio’s economy. It allowed distribution, construction, and manufacturing businesses to open on April 27, but delayed opening retail stores until May 12.

    "Ohioans have stepped up, and candidly, where we are today, where we can start coming back, move the economy, get people back to work, where we are is because of what you have done." - "Coronavirus: DeWine unveils reopening details: Offices on Monday; retail on May 12; dine-in restaurants, bars remain closed," April 27, 2020.

  • Governor Mike DeWine (R) (WKYC Studios): Governor Mike DeWine (R) said he supported a gradual lifting of the state’s stay-at-home order.

    "Once you start opening things up, the contact increases. The key here is to do it in a way that minimizes -- as much as humanly possible -- the risk. There are bad things that occur from a health point of view, and from other ways, when things are totally shut down. I don’t think anyone thinks that we could stay shut down for a year or 18 months. The devastation to the state, families particularly, would be just absolutely unbelievable. So it is a balance that we are seeking. The goal is to open the state slowly, but get as many people back to work with the least health damage." - "What is the plan to reopen Ohio? Here's what Gov. Mike DeWine is saying about barbershops, salons, retail, amusement parks and more," April 22, 2020.

  • State Rep. Terrence Upchurch (D-10), chair of the OHIO 2020 Economic Recovery Task Force (The Ohio House of Representatives): State Rep. Terrence Upchurch warned against re-opening the state too soon.

    "I know all of my colleagues here today want to be on the right side of history and make sure our rebound out of this does not cause more harm than good. A second spike is a real possibility and we need to proceed with caution. … Re-opening this state before we have adequate PPE, widespread testing or a vaccine is a death sentence. We need to be listening to the consensus of the medical community and our state health director to protect the safety and security of all Ohioans." - "Rep. Upchurch: "OHIO 2020 Economic Recovery Task Force Is Misguided"," April 16, 2020.

  • Minority Leader Kenny Yuko (D-25) (The Ohio Senate): In a letter to Governor Mike DeWine, Minority Leader Kenny Yuko (D-25) and eight other state legislators outlined several pre-conditions for re-opening Ohio safely, including the following.

    "Expanded testing capacity and enough data on the size, scope and spread of the virus in Ohio. … Adequate supply of PPE and sanitation equipment. … Required use of masks in public spaces. … Precise guidelines for businesses that are proportional to the size of the business. … Whistleblower protections for employees who report violations of these safety guidelines. … Accommodations for employees who have childcare needs." - "Senate Democrats Outline What Needs to Happen Before Ohio Reopens," April 24, 2020.

  • House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D) (The Columbus Dispatch): House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D) explained her opposition to Governor Mike DeWine's (R) phased re-opening plan.

    "House Democrats believe that a decision to discontinue the current stay-at-home order in early May is premature and inconsistent with advice being given from health experts." - "Coronavirus: DeWine unveils reopening details: Offices on Monday; retail on May 12; dine-in restaurants, bars remain closed," April 27, 2020.

  • House Majority Leader Larry Householder (R) (Cleveland.com): In a letter to Governor Mike DeWine (R), 33 members of the Ohio state legislature urged the governor to adopt the Open Ohio Responsibly Framework. The framework would allow businesses to re-open immediately. House Majority Leader Larry Householder explained his support for the framework.

    "As long as small retailers continue to be shut down while national chains are allowed to remain open, government is assisting in the demise of many great small businesses. The big get bigger and the small go away. … The Ohio House has asked to work with the Administration to come up with common sense solutions to resolve this, but have been met with deaf ears. Ohio’s three branches of government are to be separate but equal, our members feel disrespected that their opinions have been largely disregarded by the Administration." - "Republican state lawmakers sign on to plan calling for immediate and full re-opening of Ohio businesses," April 27, 2020.

  • The Ohio Restaurant Association (Journal News): The Ohio Restaurant Association urged Governor Mike DeWine (R) to allow restaurants following social distancing guidelines to re-open May 15.

    "Every week that goes by will claim another percentage of restaurants that will never reopen, jobs that will disappear permanently, and communities that will be left without their local restaurants that are often the cornerstones of their downtowns and neighborhoods and fuel so much economic development. … We are certain the federal relief offered in the CARES Act largely misses the mark for restaurants that are closed or operating at deeply diminished capacity, and with its restrictions, we know the difference between May 15 and June 1 to reopen restaurants for dine-in could be the difference between survival and shuttering for many Ohio restaurants." - "‘We’ve got to get back open’: Restaurant owners frustrated with Ohio’s guidance," May 3, 2020.

  • Andrew Schamess of Physicians Action Network (NBC4i): "I think it’s important that we recognize that stopping these restrictions too soon, in the end, is not going to help the economy because what I think will happen if the virus starts to spread in an epidemic fashion again, people are going to get scared, people are going to stay home, people are not going to go out and spend money, and in the end, that’s not good for business or for the economy." - "Protesters take to Ohio statehouse in support of DeWine, Acton," May 3, 2020.


Debate over the stay-at-home order in Ohio

See also: Debate over stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on the stay-at-home order in Ohio.

  • State Senator Andrew Brenner (R-19) (Facebook): State Senator Andrew Brenner (R-19) said that an extended lockdown would result in decreased tax revenue and cuts to healthcare and education services.

    "Businesses small, medium, and large will go into bankruptcy by the thousands if something isn’t done to open them up. State and local governments are seeing drastic reductions in tax revenue — 20-40%. That means take all your favorite programs and cut 40% from them. Medicaid and education funding could see drastic cuts (and forget about fair funding for my district’s residents). Those cuts could be devastating to services which are needed by the public." - "We Must Reopen Ohio," April 11, 2020.

  • Gov. Mike DeWine (R) (The Columbus Dispatch): Gov. Mike DeWine said that increased consumer confidence would be necessary for economic recovery.

    "Whenever we open up, however we do it, if people aren’t confident, if they don’t think they’re safe, they’re not going to go to restaurants, they’re not going to go to bars, they’re not going to really get back into society." - "GOP lawmakers, protesters call on DeWine to begin re-opening Ohio," April 13, 2020.

  • Protesters (The Columbus Dispatch): Several hundred people protested Ohio’s stay-at-home order in Columbus on April 20, 2020, arguing that the order constituted a violation of civil liberties and was unjustified given its negative economic impact. - "Protesters at Statehouse demand state reopen as DeWine announces schools to remain closed," April 20, 2020.


Debate over testing in Ohio

See also: Debate over testing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on testing in Ohio.

  • Toledo Blade Editorial Board (Toledo Blade): As Ohio expands Covid-19 testing, special focus is needed on testing at nursing homes.

    "The issue in the front of everyone’s minds should be finding the infected residents and staff and using that information to help stem the pandemic. What’s more, an accurate and complete accounting of the virus cases in Ohio’s care homes will, undoubtedly, show that despite best efforts, the virus has managed to slip into every facility. Shirking a responsibility to properly test for the deadly virus among a vulnerable population to avoid a bad image is unconscionable." - "State must test in all nursing homes," May 23, 2020.


Debate over school closures in Ohio

See also: Debate over school closures during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on school closures in Ohio.

We have not yet identified any statements related to this topic or state. To suggest a statement, email us.


Debate over religious service restrictions in Ohio

See also: Debate over religious service restrictions during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on religious service restrictions in Ohio.


Debate over election policy in Ohio

See also: Debate over election policies and procedures during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on election policies in Ohio.

  • House Speaker Larry Householder (R) (WOSU Public Media): Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder (R-72) said that he was concerned that expanding mail-in voting for the general election would invite voter fraud.

    "[W]e’re very concerned about fraud, frankly. It makes the system a lot easier to try to manipulate." - "DeWine Defends Ohio's Vote-By-Mail Process After Attacks By President Trump," April 9, 2020.

  • Maggie Sheehan, spokesperson for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (WOSU Public Media): Maggie Sheehan, spokesperson for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, argued that expanding absentee voting would not increase the risk of voter fraud.

    "Though we are preparing for every possible scenario, our expectation and hope is that we’ll be able to have a normal election in November. … That said, it's fortunate that Ohio has a long history of running secure elections, and that includes decades of voting by mail. From voter-specific ballot tracking and frequently maintained voter rolls to security measures at county boards of elections where ballots are handled and stored by a bipartisan team of election officials, Ohioans can be confident that their vote-by-mail ballots are as safe and secure as the votes cast on Election Day." - "DeWine Defends Ohio's Vote-By-Mail Process After Attacks By President Trump," April 9, 2020.

  • Bradley A. Smith, professor of law at Capital University and former chairman of the Federal Election Commission (The Columbus Dispatch): "There is a very good chance that the coronavirus will still lead to poll closures or at least keep many cautious voters away from the polls. We need to avoid a situation where, once again, election officials are forced to make decisions on the fly without clear statutory authority, and this time, no chance for a post hoc legislative remedy." - "Column: Legislature needs to make plans now," June 3, 2020.

    • Additional reading

  • "Provisional votes will count only for Ohioans who requested absentee ballot on time" - The Columbus Dispatch, May 4, 2020

  • "Morley: Election Emergencies: Coronavirus and the Ohio 2020 Primaries" - Election Law Blog, March 17, 2020


Debate over abortion and coronavirus policy in Ohio

This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on abortion and coronavirus policy in Ohio.

  • Office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) (Courthouse News Service): Office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) argued that Ohio’s ban on nonessential surgeries did not target surgical abortion.

    "The Director’s Order does not single out abortion procedures or women seeking abortions; it applies to every physician and every clinic in Ohio, providing any sort of medical services. It also applies to every medical procedure—women seeking abortions are being treated no differently than anyone seeking Lasik, a face-lift, or any other non-essential medical procedure at this time. The Director’s Order is clearly not ‘designed to strike at the right itself.’" - "Preterm-Cleveland et al. vs. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost et al.," April 23, 2020.

  • U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett (Cleveland.com): U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett issued an injunction that would allow some surgical abortions to proceed, in response to Health Department Director Amy Acton’s order banning non-essential surgeries.

    "Defendants’ false equivalence between a woman seeking pre-viability abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic and a woman seeking a face-lift during the COVID-19 pandemic ignores well-settled Supreme Court precedent on the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of the right to reproductive freedom." - "Judge again gives Ohio abortion clinics discretion on performing surgical procedures during coronavirus pandemic," April 23, 2020.

  • B. Jessie Hill of the ACLU (Courthouse News Service): B. Jessie Hill of the ACLU argued that Ohio’s ban on non-essential surgeries should not include surgical abortion. (On April 22, 2020, Gov. Mike DeWine eased the ban on non-essential surgeries, asking health care providers to reassess the surgeries that they had postponed.)

    "Applying the director’s order to ban surgical abortion would ban abortion entirely for patients with pregnancies beyond ten weeks … and those with earlier pregnancies for whom medication abortion is not appropriate. Thus the director’s order is not just a substantial obstacle to obtaining an abortion, it will operate as a complete one." - "Federal Judge Halts Ohio’s Abortion Ban," April 23, 2020.


Responses to the coronavirus in Ohio

See also: Government responses to and political effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 (Ohio)


Click the links below for more on responses to the coronavirus pandemic in Ohio.

General resources

The chart below shows coronavirus statistics from countries across the world. The information is provided by Real Clear Politics.

Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.


See also

Footnotes

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Political responses to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020-2021
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