GOVERNOR DEWINE SIGNED THE STATE BUDGET EARLY THURSDAY MORNING: bUT HE DID USE HIS VETO PEN

Rep Jean Schmidt Issued a Statement on COVID-19 Budget Provisions

By Chuck Gibson

LOVELAND, OH (July 1, 2021) – Ohio Governor approved and signed the two-year State budget with some exceptions. 

In a statememt released by her office this afternoon, Representative Jean Schmidt (Rep- Loveland) expressed dissapointment in his line-item veto of a COVID-19 provision. 

Schmidt issued the following statement on House Bill 110. 

“I’m disappointed to see that Governor DeWine has decided to line-item veto a provision in the new state budget that would have vacated violations related to COVID-19 health orders,” said Schmidt.  “Ohio businesses have been hit hard over the last year and a half due to overreaching regulations. We spent months working on a well thought-out budget and had an opportunity to lift our businesses up, instead of weighing them down. I look forward to working with my colleagues to find a way to override this veto.”

The Governor used his line-item veto power to cut a few other pieces from  the $74.1 Billion spending 3,300 page budget bill. The COVID-19 section of the bill vetoed by DeWine reportedly would have allowed a return of about $100,000 to businesses fined for violating health orders during the pandemic. 

DeWine said returning the fines to businesses which did not comply wold be unfair to businesses that did comply. He says that would send the wrong message. 

Loveland Beacon has reached out to Rep. Jean Schmidt for additional response on just how the state budget and the line item vetoes will impact the citizens here in her home district of Loveland. That story will follow here on Loveland Beacon.