On November 21, the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) expressed support for Governor Mike DeWine’s promised veto of Senate Bill 311 (SB 311), legislation that would allow lawmakers to rescind certain Ohio Department of Health orders or rules aimed at stopping the spread of infectious disease, and opposes any effort by the Ohio General Assembly to override that veto.
Gov. DeWine had earlier announced his intentions to veto SB 311 if passed by the Ohio General Assembly. Gov. DeWine stated, “Imagine if a country hostile to the United States smuggles a biological agent into our state and unleashes it in Ohio – our state would need to respond quickly to quarantine the area to stop its spread. This bill would make Ohio slow to respond in a crisis and would put our citizens in severe danger. I’ve always listened to the advice of experts, and the experts are telling me this is a dangerous idea. Doctors, nurses, and scientists have all advised me that this bill would do great harm if it became law.”
The OAFP’s letter in support of a veto, signed by President Mike Sevilla, MD, and OAFP Public Policy Committee Chair Sarah Sams, MD, states, “Ohioans are counting on public health officials to provide guidance and to take actions to keep them safe. Lawmakers do not have the necessary expertise and experience to make judgements about appropriate public health safeguards during a pandemic. Those judgements and decisions need to be left to the public health officials who do have that expertise and experience.”
The letter goes on to state, “We have already seen the negative impact of politicizing the response to pandemic. The veto of SB 311 will leave Ohio’s response to this pandemic and future infectious disease outbreaks in the hands of public health officials rather than in the hands of politicians who lack the medical knowledge and experience to respond appropriately.”