COLUMBUS — As promised, Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill Friday that would have prohibited criminal penalties for violations of state or local health orders related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The move came as the number of daily cases hit a new record of 1,679 and more than half of the state’s population prepared for mandatory face-covering orders.
The legislation, which was sponsored by state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, a Bowling Green Republican, would instead have allowed fines of not more than $100 for violating a local order and not more than $150 for violating a state order.
DeWine, a fellow Republican, spoke out against the legislation, labeling it “a tragic mistake” that would keep governments from taking bold action against the COVID-19 crisis.
He said the legislation would impede the state’s ability to combat the current pandemic, as well as outbreaks of other diseases, such as E. coli and Legionnaires’ disease.