COLUMBUS – Governor Mike DeWine says he wants to intensify efforts to erase health and economic disparities, racism, and inequity in Ohio by addressing issues like police reform and healthcare disparities.
Despite many good efforts over the years:
Too many Ohioans are living in the shadows of opportunity.
Too many Ohioans are living at the margins.
There is racism in Ohio.
There is inequity in Ohio.
There are both economic and health disparities in Ohio.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) June 2, 2020
The announcement comes as protests over the death of a black man in police custody in Minneapolis convulse the nation while the African-American community suffers disproportionately from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Whether it is in the urban core or the hills of Appalachia, we have Ohioans who are not living up to their God-given potential because they simply do not have the same opportunities. That is wrong, and we have a moral obligation to change that,” DeWine said
One area where he plans change is in training and regulation of law enforcement.
Director of the Ohio Department of Health Dr. Amy Action says racism is a public health issue.
Officials in Columbus, Franklin County and Cleveland have all recently approved resolutions declaring racism a public health crisis.
“It is unacceptable that your ZIP code, on average, can predict how long you will live,” she said.
A lack of affordable housing, access to health care and nutritious food are among factors cited as causes of health inequity between communities of color and white communities in the U.S and Ohio. Research has also uncovered sometimes gaping disparities in employment and educational opportunities and access to transportation that also play a role in creating the gap.
DeWine says the state will address lead paint poisoning in children, reducing infant and maternal mortality in the African American community, increasing home visiting programs for at-risk, first-time moms, fighting the drug epidemic in Ohio and prioritizing the availability of mental health services in Ohio’s schools for children who need them.
The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, meanwhile, introduced legislation at the Statehouse that would declare racism a public health crisis.
If passed, the declaration would be the first of its kind in the nation passed at the statewide level.
The resolution asserts that racism is a public health crisis that affects the entire state and calls for increased educational efforts “to address and dismantle racism, and expand understanding of racism and how racism affects individual and population health,” promoting racially equitable economic and workforce development practices and encouraging policies that prioritize the health of people of color.
GOP Senate President Larry Obhof plans to meet with members of the black caucus next week to discuss the resolution.